Hay vs Maude

Maude is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 47 in Hay. 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 $180,000 in Maude, though rent is higher in Maude. On these figures, Hay tends to suit older residents, while Maude suits families with children and 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 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Maude carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 76/100)

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

First-home buyers

Maude

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($27,185 vs $150,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (4% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper houses ($180,000 vs $280,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hay

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $462/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 14%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 26%)

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

Commuting to the city

Hay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (474 min vs 727 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (738.2 km vs 913 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Hay has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 13%)
  • Maude carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 76/100)

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

Investors

Maude

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (34.1% vs -4.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hay Maude
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.

Hay Maude
Walkability 0 / 0
Hay — Walkability: 0/100 Maude — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 24 / 38
Hay — Safety: 24/100 Maude — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 74 / 85
Hay — Low fire risk: 74/100 Maude — Low fire risk: 85/100

Demographics

Hay has more residents (2,300 vs 110); Maude rents higher ($462/wk vs $175/wk).

Hay Maude
Population 2,300
+95% vs other
 110
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.4% +34.1%
Median age 47 41
Median household income $59,904/yr $92,612/yr
+55% vs other
Median weekly rent $175/wk $462/wk
+164% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hay Maude
0-4 6.0% / 7.3%
Hay — 0-4: 6.0% Maude — 0-4: 7.3%
5-14 10.5% / 15.5%
Hay — 5-14: 10.5% Maude — 5-14: 15.5%
15-19 5.4% / 4.5%
Hay — 15-19: 5.4% Maude — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 6.3% / 3.6%
Hay — 20-24: 6.3% Maude — 20-24: 3.6%
25-34 10.7% / 11.8%
Hay — 25-34: 10.7% Maude — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 8.5% / 11.8%
Hay — 35-44: 8.5% Maude — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 11.3% / 13.6%
Hay — 45-54: 11.3% Maude — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 16.8% / 20.0%
Hay — 55-64: 16.8% Maude — 55-64: 20.0%
65-74 11.9% / 12.7%
Hay — 65-74: 11.9% Maude — 65-74: 12.7%
75-84 9.0% / —
Hay — 75-84: 9.0% Maude — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 3.7% / —
Hay — 85+: 3.7% Maude — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hay 48.2% lone person
Hay — Lone Person: 48.2% Hay — Couple Families: 30.6% Hay — One Parent Families: 17.8% Hay — Group Household: 2.3% Hay — Other Families: 1.1%
Maude 48.3% lone person
Maude — Lone Person: 48.3% Maude — Couple Families: 34.5% Maude — One Parent Families: 17.2% Maude — Group Household: 0.0% Maude — 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.

Hay 29.9% renting
Hay — Owned Outright: 44.6% Hay — Mortgage: 25.5% Hay — Renting: 29.9%
Maude 13.6% renting
Maude — Owned Outright: 68.2% Maude — Mortgage: 18.2% Maude — Renting: 13.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hay 91.7% houses
Hay — Houses: 91.7% Hay — Townhouses: 8.4% Hay — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Maude 91.7% houses
Maude — Houses: 91.7% Maude — Townhouses: 0.0% Maude — Flats / Apartments: 8.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Hay Maude
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 19.1%
Hay — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% Maude — Certificate III & IV: 19.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 6.4%
Hay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% Maude — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Bachelor Degree 4.3% / 2.7%
Hay — Bachelor Degree: 4.3% Maude — Bachelor Degree: 2.7%
Postgraduate Degree 0.7% / —
Hay — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7% Maude — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Hay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Maude — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Property market

Hay Maude
Median house price $280,000 $180,000
Median unit price $206,250 —
Median land price $150,000 $27,185
Typical days to sell (houses) 82 days
from 21 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Hay Maude
Rural and farming 95%
same for both
Environmental 5%
same for both
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 Maude
New dwellings approved 3
across Hay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -100%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Hay Maude
House price Higher than 6% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Income Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Schools Higher than 93% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 36% 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 19% of NSW

Liveability

Hay Maude
Grade C —
Score 37/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Hay carries more bushfire risk (26 vs 15); Hay carries more crime risk (76 vs 62).

Hay Maude
Bushfire Low
26/100
 Low
15/100
Crime High
76/100
 Moderate
62/100
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 Maude
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 Maude

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

Amenities in the suburb

Hay Maude
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 8 2
Childcare 3 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 36 166

Mobility

Maude sits further from the CBD (913 km vs 738.2 km).

Hay Maude
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 738.2 km 913 km
+24% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 474 min 727 min
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.

Hay Maude
Car (driver) 73.0% / 73.2%
Hay — Car (driver): 73.0% Maude — Car (driver): 73.2%
Worked from Home 8.7% / 19.5%
Hay — Worked from Home: 8.7% Maude — Worked from Home: 19.5%
Car (passenger) 6.6% / 7.3%
Hay — Car (passenger): 6.6% Maude — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only 10.4% / —
Hay — Walked Only: 10.4% Maude — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.3% / —
Hay — Bicycle: 1.3% Maude — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.2%).

Setting

Hay Maude
Elevation 93 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Hay Maude
Connectivity score 51/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 13%
1,317 premises
 0%
21 premises

Council rates

Hay Maude
Average residential rate $588/yr
same for both
Council Hay
same for both

Federal electorate

Hay Maude
Division Farrer
same for both
Member David Farley
same for both
Party One Nation
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hay Maude
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hay

Affordable Rural

Maude

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hay

Hay vs Hay South Hay vs Carrathool

Other comparisons with Maude

Maude vs Moulamein Maude vs Hay South
Full data on Hay Full data on Maude
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.

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