Hay vs Hay South
Hay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 52 in Hay South. In both, most 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 Hay: a median of $280,000, against $188,000 in Hay South, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Hay South tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.
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
Hay
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- has more childcare (3 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Hay South
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper land ($1,575 vs $150,000)
- has cheaper houses ($187,500 vs $280,000)
Weighs house prices, land 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
Hay South
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a shorter drive in (468 min vs 474 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs smaller dwellings, 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
Hay and Hay South drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Hay has more residents (2,300 vs 357); Hay South has higher household incomes ($73,476 vs $59,904).
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,300 +84% vs other | 357 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.4% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 47 | 52 |
| Median household income | $59,904/yr | $73,476/yr +23% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $175/wk +6% vs other | $165/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $280,000 | $187,500 |
| Median unit price | $206,250 | — |
| Median land price | $150,000 | $1,575 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 82 days from 21 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 95% | 99% |
| Environmental | 5% | 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
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3 across Hay same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -100% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 6% of NSW | Higher than 3% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 21% of NSW | Higher than 40% of NSW |
| Schools | Higher than 93% of NSW | — |
| Walkability | Higher than 29% of NSW | Higher than 17% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 94% of NSW | Higher than 98% of NSW |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 67% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
Liveability
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | — |
| Score | 37/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 26/100 | Low 21/100 |
| Crime | High 76/100 | High 80/100 |
| 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
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 3 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 2 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Hay
- Hay War Memorial High School Government · Secondary above peers
- St Mary's Parish School Catholic · Primary above peers
- Hay Public School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Hay South
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 2 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 3 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 8 | 6 |
| Childcare | 3 | 0 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 2 same for both | |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 36 | 52 |
Mobility
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 738.2 km | 737.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 474 min | 468 min |
| Public transport score | 22/100 Bus same for both | |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 5.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 2.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 2 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 2711 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 2711 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.3%).
Setting
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 93 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 90 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 51/100 | 43/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the node same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 13% 1,317 premises | 5% 165 premises |
Council rates
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $588/yr same for both | |
| Council | Hay same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Farrer same for both | |
| Member | David Farley same for both | |
| Party | One Nation same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Hay | Hay South | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Hay
Hay South
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Hay
Other comparisons with Hay South
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.