Hartley Vale vs Little Hartley

Little Hartley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 57 in Hartley Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hartley Vale, most households are people living alone. In Little Hartley, most households are couple families. On these figures, Hartley Vale tends to suit people living alone, while Little Hartley 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

Hartley Vale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 30/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (119% vs 101%)
  • But Little Hartley is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 42%)

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

Hartley Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (16% vs 6%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hartley Vale

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (118 min vs 134 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (129.4 km vs 139.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Hartley Vale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 30/100)
  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
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.

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Walkability 13 / 0
Hartley Vale — Walkability: 13/100 Little Hartley — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 100 / 70
Hartley Vale — Safety: 100/100 Little Hartley — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 9 / 17
Hartley Vale — Low fire risk: 9/100 Little Hartley — Low fire risk: 17/100

Demographics

Little Hartley has more residents (629 vs 84); Little Hartley rents higher ($390/wk vs $300/wk).

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Population 84 629
+649% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.0% +24.3%
Median age 57 49
Median household income $88,816/yr $95,836/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $390/wk
+30% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
0-4 — / 4.5%
Hartley Vale — 0-4: not among its largest Little Hartley — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 9.5% / 10.0%
Hartley Vale — 5-14: 9.5% Little Hartley — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 4.8% / 5.4%
Hartley Vale — 15-19: 4.8% Little Hartley — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 — / 4.6%
Hartley Vale — 20-24: not among its largest Little Hartley — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 9.5% / 10.0%
Hartley Vale — 25-34: 9.5% Little Hartley — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 — / 11.1%
Hartley Vale — 35-44: not among its largest Little Hartley — 35-44: 11.1%
45-54 20.2% / 14.5%
Hartley Vale — 45-54: 20.2% Little Hartley — 45-54: 14.5%
55-64 26.2% / 20.3%
Hartley Vale — 55-64: 26.2% Little Hartley — 55-64: 20.3%
65-74 17.9% / 13.2%
Hartley Vale — 65-74: 17.9% Little Hartley — 65-74: 13.2%
75-84 4.8% / 6.4%
Hartley Vale — 75-84: 4.8% Little Hartley — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ — / 2.1%
Hartley Vale — 85+: not among its largest Little Hartley — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hartley Vale 29.2% couple families
Hartley Vale — Couple Families: 29.2% Hartley Vale — Lone Person: 58.3% Hartley Vale — One Parent Families: 12.5%
Little Hartley 60.9% couple families
Little Hartley — Couple Families: 60.9% Little Hartley — Lone Person: 28.1% Little Hartley — One Parent Families: 10.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hartley Vale 16.2% renting
Hartley Vale — Owned Outright: 54.1% Hartley Vale — Mortgage: 29.7% Hartley Vale — Renting: 16.2%
Little Hartley 5.6% renting
Little Hartley — Owned Outright: 49.8% Little Hartley — Mortgage: 44.7% Little Hartley — Renting: 5.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Certificate III & IV 20.2% / 22.1%
Hartley Vale — Certificate III & IV: 20.2% Little Hartley — Certificate III & IV: 22.1%
Bachelor Degree 11.9% / 12.4%
Hartley Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.9% Little Hartley — Bachelor Degree: 12.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 9.5%
Hartley Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Little Hartley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 4.6%
Hartley Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Little Hartley — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.6% / 2.9%
Hartley Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6% Little Hartley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

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.

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
England 9.5% / 4.9%
Hartley Vale — England: 9.5% Little Hartley — England: 4.9%
Philippines 4.8% / —
Hartley Vale — Philippines: 4.8% Little Hartley — Philippines: not among its largest
Vietnam 3.6% / —
Hartley Vale — Vietnam: 3.6% Little Hartley — Vietnam: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 1.3%
Hartley Vale — New Zealand: not among its largest Little Hartley — New Zealand: 1.3%
China — / 0.6%
Hartley Vale — China: not among its largest Little Hartley — China: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.6%
Hartley Vale — Germany: not among its largest Little Hartley — Germany: 0.6%
Greece — / 0.5%
Hartley Vale — Greece: not among its largest Little Hartley — Greece: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hartley Vale 119.4% houses
Hartley Vale — Houses: 119.4% Hartley Vale — Townhouses: 0.0%
Little Hartley 100.9% houses
Little Hartley — Houses: 100.9% Little Hartley — Townhouses: 1.8%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Median house price $1,245,000 $1,300,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,337,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 57 days
from 5 sales

Zoning mix

Hartley Vale has more land zoned for conservation (74% vs 14%); Little Hartley has more rural and farming land (52% vs 23%).

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Environmental 74% 14%
Rural and farming 23% 52%
Residential 3% 32%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 3%
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

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
New dwellings approved 55
across Lithgow
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
House price Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Income Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW

Liveability

Hartley Vale is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Grade — C
Score — 38/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Little Hartley carries more crime risk (30 vs 0).

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
83/100
Crime None
0/100
 Low
30/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 3
Waterways 5 14

Mobility

Little Hartley sits further from the CBD (139.2 km vs 129.4 km).

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Walkability score 13/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 129.4 km 139.2 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 118 min 134 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2790
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2790
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.

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Car (driver) 68.8% / 62.6%
Hartley Vale — Car (driver): 68.8% Little Hartley — Car (driver): 62.6%
Worked from Home 31.2% / 32.9%
Hartley Vale — Worked from Home: 31.2% Little Hartley — Worked from Home: 32.9%
Car (passenger) — / 4.5%
Hartley Vale — Car (passenger): not among its largest Little Hartley — Car (passenger): 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.8%).

Setting

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Elevation 811 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 758 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Connectivity score 22/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
32 premises
 0%
280 premises

Climate

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Annual rainfall 1,147 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.2°C
same for both

Council rates

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Average residential rate $1,150/yr
same for both
Council Lithgow
same for both

Federal electorate

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hartley Vale Little Hartley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hartley Vale

Rural

Little Hartley

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hartley Vale

Hartley Vale vs Mount Victoria Hartley Vale vs Hartley Hartley Vale vs Dargan

Other comparisons with Little Hartley

Little Hartley vs Mount Victoria Little Hartley vs Hartley Little Hartley vs Kanimbla Little Hartley vs Lowther
Full data on Hartley Vale Full data on Little Hartley
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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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