Harden vs Barwang

Barwang is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 52 in Harden. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Barwang: a median of $1.5 million, against $395,000 in Harden, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Harden tends to suit older residents and buyers on a tighter budget, while Barwang suits couples.

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

Harden

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Barwang carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 69/100)

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

First-home buyers

Harden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($395,000 vs $1,500,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Harden has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $250/wk)
  • Barwang leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

Harden

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (342 km vs 353.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Harden

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 19%)
  • But Barwang carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 69/100)

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

Investors

Barwang

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (73.8% vs -6.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Harden Barwang
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.

Harden Barwang
Walkability 14 / 0
Harden — Walkability: 14/100 Barwang — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 31 / 90
Harden — Safety: 31/100 Barwang — Safety: 90/100
Low fire risk 68 / 65
Harden — Low fire risk: 68/100 Barwang — Low fire risk: 65/100

Demographics

Harden has more residents (1,900 vs 139); Barwang has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $50,596).

Harden Barwang
Population 1,900
+93% vs other
 139
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.4% +73.8%
Median age 52 46
Median household income $50,596/yr $97,500/yr
+93% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk $250/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Harden Barwang
0-4 4.9% / 2.2%
Harden — 0-4: 4.9% Barwang — 0-4: 2.2%
5-14 10.8% / 15.1%
Harden — 5-14: 10.8% Barwang — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 4.8% / 7.2%
Harden — 15-19: 4.8% Barwang — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 3.7% / 4.3%
Harden — 20-24: 3.7% Barwang — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 9.1% / 8.6%
Harden — 25-34: 9.1% Barwang — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 8.9% / 7.9%
Harden — 35-44: 8.9% Barwang — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 10.4% / 18.0%
Harden — 45-54: 10.4% Barwang — 45-54: 18.0%
55-64 14.5% / 12.9%
Harden — 55-64: 14.5% Barwang — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 18.8% / 10.8%
Harden — 65-74: 18.8% Barwang — 65-74: 10.8%
75-84 11.1% / 3.6%
Harden — 75-84: 11.1% Barwang — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ 3.1% / 4.3%
Harden — 85+: 3.1% Barwang — 85+: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Harden 51.8% lone person
Harden — Lone Person: 51.8% Harden — Couple Families: 26.7% Harden — One Parent Families: 16.3% Harden — Group Household: 3.5% Harden — Other Families: 1.6%
Barwang 50.0% lone person
Barwang — Lone Person: 50.0% Barwang — Couple Families: 50.0% Barwang — One Parent Families: 0.0% Barwang — Group Household: 0.0% Barwang — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Harden 19.4% renting
Harden — Owned Outright: 49.2% Harden — Mortgage: 31.5% Harden — Renting: 19.4%
Barwang 24.2% renting
Barwang — Owned Outright: 45.5% Barwang — Mortgage: 30.3% Barwang — Renting: 24.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Harden 93.1% houses
Harden — Houses: 93.1% Harden — Flats / Apartments: 4.5% Harden — Townhouses: 2.3%
Barwang 100.0% houses
Barwang — Houses: 100.0% Barwang — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Barwang — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Harden Barwang
Certificate III & IV 16.1% / 6.5%
Harden — Certificate III & IV: 16.1% Barwang — Certificate III & IV: 6.5%
Bachelor Degree 5.7% / 14.4%
Harden — Bachelor Degree: 5.7% Barwang — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 8.6%
Harden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Barwang — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Harden — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Barwang — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / —
Harden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Barwang — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

Property market

Harden Barwang
Median house price $395,000 $1,500,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $146,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 45 days
from 30 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Barwang has more rural and farming land (100% vs 47%).

Harden Barwang
Rural and farming 47% 100%
Residential 37% 0%
Industrial 7% 0%
Parks and recreation 6% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
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

Harden Barwang
New dwellings approved 48
across Hilltops
same for both
Approvals change year on year -47%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Harden Barwang
Houses 5.8%
$455/wk on $410K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Harden Barwang
House price Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Income Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Schools Higher than 77% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 99% of NSW —

Liveability

Harden is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Harden Barwang
Grade C —
Score 35/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Harden carries more crime risk (69 vs 10).

Harden Barwang
Bushfire Low
32/100
 Low
35/100
Crime Moderate
69/100
 Low
10/100
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

Harden Barwang
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Harden

  • Trinity Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Murrumburrah High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Murrumburrah Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Barwang

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

Amenities in the suburb

Harden Barwang
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 5 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 4 22

Mobility

Barwang sits further from the CBD (353.8 km vs 342 km).

Harden Barwang
Walkability score 14/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 342 km 353.8 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 227 min 228 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2587
 0.2%
postcode 2594
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 2587
 45
postcode 2594

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.

Harden Barwang
Car (driver) 78.3% / 39.1%
Harden — Car (driver): 78.3% Barwang — Car (driver): 39.1%
Worked from Home 7.0% / 45.3%
Harden — Worked from Home: 7.0% Barwang — Worked from Home: 45.3%
Walked Only 9.0% / 15.6%
Harden — Walked Only: 9.0% Barwang — Walked Only: 15.6%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / —
Harden — Car (passenger): 5.0% Barwang — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 0.7% / —
Harden — Bus: 0.7% Barwang — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.3%).

Setting

Harden Barwang
Elevation 434 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 515 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Harden Barwang
Connectivity score 55/100 25/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
1,126 premises
 0%
55 premises

Climate

Harden Barwang
Annual rainfall 541 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Harden Barwang
Average residential rate $714/yr
same for both
Council Hilltops
same for both

Federal electorate

Harden Barwang
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Harden Barwang
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Harden

Acreage Affordable Retirees

Barwang

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Harden

Harden vs Kingsvale Harden vs Cunningar Harden vs Murrumburrah

Other comparisons with Barwang

Barwang vs Young Barwang vs Boorowa Barwang vs Murringo Barwang vs Galong Barwang vs Kingsvale Barwang vs Cunningar
Full data on Harden Full data on Barwang
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or