Eltham vs Mcleans Ridges

McLeans Ridges is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 48 in Eltham. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

McLeans Ridges

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 46/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

McLeans Ridges

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (479 min vs 485 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (744.3 km vs 747.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

McLeans Ridges

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 46/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Where they sit

Eltham and Mcleans Ridges drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Walkability 21 / 18
Eltham — Walkability: 21/100 Mcleans Ridges — Walkability: 18/100
Safety 54 / 72
Eltham — Safety: 54/100 Mcleans Ridges — Safety: 72/100
Low fire risk 71 / 100
Eltham — Low fire risk: 71/100 Mcleans Ridges — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

McLeans Ridges has more residents (808 vs 332); McLeans Ridges has higher household incomes ($119,860 vs $102,856).

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Population 332 808
+143% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.2% —
Median age 48 45
Median household income $102,856/yr $119,860/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
0-4 3.6% / 3.7%
Eltham — 0-4: 3.6% Mcleans Ridges — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 12.7% / 14.4%
Eltham — 5-14: 12.7% Mcleans Ridges — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 6.3% / 7.7%
Eltham — 15-19: 6.3% Mcleans Ridges — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 4.8% / 2.8%
Eltham — 20-24: 4.8% Mcleans Ridges — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 7.8% / 9.7%
Eltham — 25-34: 7.8% Mcleans Ridges — 25-34: 9.7%
35-44 11.1% / 12.3%
Eltham — 35-44: 11.1% Mcleans Ridges — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 17.5% / 14.7%
Eltham — 45-54: 17.5% Mcleans Ridges — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 17.5% / 16.7%
Eltham — 55-64: 17.5% Mcleans Ridges — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 13.6% / 14.5%
Eltham — 65-74: 13.6% Mcleans Ridges — 65-74: 14.5%
75-84 4.8% / 3.8%
Eltham — 75-84: 4.8% Mcleans Ridges — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 1.5% / 1.2%
Eltham — 85+: 1.5% Mcleans Ridges — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Eltham 63.6% couple families
Eltham — Couple Families: 63.6% Eltham — Lone Person: 18.2% Eltham — One Parent Families: 10.6% Eltham — Group Household: 7.6% Eltham — Other Families: 0.0%
Mcleans Ridges 63.6% couple families
Mcleans Ridges — Couple Families: 63.6% Mcleans Ridges — Lone Person: 18.8% Mcleans Ridges — One Parent Families: 9.7% Mcleans Ridges — Group Household: 6.1% Mcleans Ridges — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Eltham 14.4% renting
Eltham — Owned Outright: 48.6% Eltham — Mortgage: 36.9% Eltham — Renting: 14.4%
Mcleans Ridges 7.4% renting
Mcleans Ridges — Owned Outright: 45.9% Mcleans Ridges — Mortgage: 46.7% Mcleans Ridges — Renting: 7.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Bachelor Degree 20.2% / 18.3%
Eltham — Bachelor Degree: 20.2% Mcleans Ridges — Bachelor Degree: 18.3%
Certificate III & IV 9.9% / 15.7%
Eltham — Certificate III & IV: 9.9% Mcleans Ridges — Certificate III & IV: 15.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.5% / 6.9%
Eltham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.5% Mcleans Ridges — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 6.4%
Eltham — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Mcleans Ridges — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.6%
Eltham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Mcleans Ridges — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
England 6.3% / 3.3%
Eltham — England: 6.3% Mcleans Ridges — England: 3.3%
South Africa — / 1.4%
Eltham — South Africa: not among its largest Mcleans Ridges — South Africa: 1.4%
Italy 1.2% / —
Eltham — Italy: 1.2% Mcleans Ridges — Italy: not among its largest
Canada 0.9% / —
Eltham — Canada: 0.9% Mcleans Ridges — Canada: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 0.7%
Eltham — New Zealand: not among its largest Mcleans Ridges — New Zealand: 0.7%
China — / 0.6%
Eltham — China: not among its largest Mcleans Ridges — China: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.5%
Eltham — Germany: not among its largest Mcleans Ridges — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Eltham 98.2% houses
Eltham — Houses: 98.2% Eltham — Flats / Apartments: 1.8% Eltham — Townhouses: 0.0%
Mcleans Ridges 96.0% houses
Mcleans Ridges — Houses: 96.0% Mcleans Ridges — Flats / Apartments: 2.5% Mcleans Ridges — Townhouses: 1.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Median house price $1,555,000 $1,530,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 132 days
from 5 sales
 17 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Eltham has more rural and farming land (95% vs 79%).

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Rural and farming 95% 79%
Residential 3% 13%
Other and special use 0% 7%
Environmental 2% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
New dwellings approved 138
across Lismore
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
House price Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Income Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW

Liveability

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Grade — B
Score — 60/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Eltham carries more bushfire risk (29 vs 0); Eltham carries more crime risk (46 vs 28).

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Bushfire Low
29/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
46/100
 Low
28/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Eltham

  • Eltham Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Mcleans Ridges

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Waterways 2 6

Mobility

Eltham sits further from the CBD (747.1 km vs 744.3 km).

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Walkability score 21/100 18/100
Distance to Sydney 747.1 km 744.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 485 min 479 min
Public transport score 21/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2480
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 2480
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Car (driver) 61.4% / 68.2%
Eltham — Car (driver): 61.4% Mcleans Ridges — Car (driver): 68.2%
Worked from Home 31.7% / 26.3%
Eltham — Worked from Home: 31.7% Mcleans Ridges — Worked from Home: 26.3%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / 4.2%
Eltham — Car (passenger): 6.9% Mcleans Ridges — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only — / 1.4%
Eltham — Walked Only: not among its largest Mcleans Ridges — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).

Setting

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Elevation 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 141 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.1 km 16.3 km

NBN connectivity

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
135 premises
 0%
287 premises

Council rates

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Average residential rate $1,487/yr
same for both
Council Lismore
same for both

Federal electorate

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Eltham Mcleans Ridges
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Eltham

Rural

Mcleans Ridges

Acreage Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Eltham

Eltham vs Clunes Eltham vs Bexhill Eltham vs Pearces Creek Eltham vs Booyong

Other comparisons with Mcleans Ridges

Mcleans Ridges vs Wollongbar Mcleans Ridges vs Richmond Hill Mcleans Ridges vs Alstonvale Mcleans Ridges vs Lindendale Mcleans Ridges vs Pearces Creek
Full data on Eltham Full data on Mcleans Ridges
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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