Hilldale vs Torryburn

Hilldale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Torryburn. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hilldale, most households are couple families. In Torryburn, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Torryburn: a median of $1.5 million, against $610,000 in Hilldale, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Hilldale tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Torryburn suits older residents.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Hilldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($610,000 vs $1,500,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hilldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hilldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Hilldale is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • Torryburn has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 19%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Hilldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.0% vs -7.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hilldale Torryburn
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.

Hilldale Torryburn
Walkability 14 / 0
Hilldale — Walkability: 14/100 Torryburn — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 63 / 60
Hilldale — Low fire risk: 63/100 Torryburn — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Hilldale has more residents (193 vs 131); Torryburn has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $80,600).

Hilldale Torryburn
Population 193
+32% vs other
 131
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.0% -7.7%
Median age 45 49
Median household income $80,600/yr $97,500/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $350/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hilldale Torryburn
0-4 3.1% / 2.3%
Hilldale — 0-4: 3.1% Torryburn — 0-4: 2.3%
5-14 16.6% / 16.8%
Hilldale — 5-14: 16.6% Torryburn — 5-14: 16.8%
15-19 5.2% / 2.3%
Hilldale — 15-19: 5.2% Torryburn — 15-19: 2.3%
20-24 5.2% / 3.1%
Hilldale — 20-24: 5.2% Torryburn — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 10.4% / 7.6%
Hilldale — 25-34: 10.4% Torryburn — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 9.3% / 14.5%
Hilldale — 35-44: 9.3% Torryburn — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 16.1% / 13.0%
Hilldale — 45-54: 16.1% Torryburn — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 19.2% / 17.6%
Hilldale — 55-64: 19.2% Torryburn — 55-64: 17.6%
65-74 10.9% / 22.1%
Hilldale — 65-74: 10.9% Torryburn — 65-74: 22.1%
75-84 6.2% / 5.3%
Hilldale — 75-84: 6.2% Torryburn — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.6% / 2.3%
Hilldale — 85+: 1.6% Torryburn — 85+: 2.3%

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.

Hilldale Torryburn
England 2.1% / 3.1%
Hilldale — England: 2.1% Torryburn — England: 3.1%
New Zealand — / 3.1%
Hilldale — New Zealand: not among its largest Torryburn — New Zealand: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hilldale 58.1% couple families
Hilldale — Couple Families: 58.1% Hilldale — Lone Person: 34.9% Hilldale — One Parent Families: 7.0% Hilldale — Group Household: 0.0%
Torryburn 48.4% couple families
Torryburn — Couple Families: 48.4% Torryburn — Lone Person: 22.6% Torryburn — One Parent Families: 12.9% Torryburn — Group Household: 16.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hilldale 100.0% houses
Hilldale — Houses: 100.0% Hilldale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Torryburn 92.3% houses
Torryburn — Houses: 92.3% Torryburn — Flats / Apartments: 7.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Hilldale Torryburn
Certificate III & IV 23.3% / 17.6%
Hilldale — Certificate III & IV: 23.3% Torryburn — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 11.9% / 9.2%
Hilldale — Bachelor Degree: 11.9% Torryburn — Bachelor Degree: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 7.6%
Hilldale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Torryburn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 2.3%
Hilldale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Torryburn — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hilldale 13.8% renting
Hilldale — Owned Outright: 46.2% Hilldale — Mortgage: 40.0% Hilldale — Renting: 13.8%
Torryburn 6.4% renting
Torryburn — Owned Outright: 51.1% Torryburn — Mortgage: 42.6% Torryburn — Renting: 6.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Hilldale Torryburn
Median house price $610,000 $1,500,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Hilldale Torryburn
Rural and farming 99%
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

Hilldale Torryburn
New dwellings approved 55
across Dungog
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Hilldale Torryburn
House price Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Income Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Hilldale is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Hilldale Torryburn
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Hilldale Torryburn
Bushfire Low
37/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Low
26/100
 —
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

Hilldale Torryburn
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

Hilldale Torryburn
Waterways 18 3

Mobility

Hilldale Torryburn
Walkability score 14/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 199.9 km 200.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 154 min 156 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2420
 0.3%
postcode 2421
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2420
 78
postcode 2421

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.

Hilldale Torryburn
Car (driver) 65.8% / 58.3%
Hilldale — Car (driver): 65.8% Torryburn — Car (driver): 58.3%
Worked from Home 26.6% / 30.0%
Hilldale — Worked from Home: 26.6% Torryburn — Worked from Home: 30.0%
Walked Only — / 11.7%
Hilldale — Walked Only: not among its largest Torryburn — Walked Only: 11.7%
Car (passenger) 7.6% / —
Hilldale — Car (passenger): 7.6% Torryburn — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.8%).

Setting

Hilldale Torryburn
Elevation 116 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 35.6 km 41.5 km

NBN connectivity

Hilldale Torryburn
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
92 premises
 0%
64 premises

Climate

Hilldale Torryburn
Annual rainfall 996 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Hilldale Torryburn
Average residential rate $1,646/yr
same for both
Council Dungog
same for both

Federal electorate

Hilldale Torryburn
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hilldale Torryburn
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hilldale

Affordable River Rural Trains

Torryburn

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hilldale

Hilldale vs Vacy Hilldale vs Martins Creek Hilldale vs Wallarobba

Other comparisons with Torryburn

Torryburn vs Vacy Torryburn vs East Gresford Torryburn vs Gresford Torryburn vs Fishers Hill
Full data on Hilldale Full data on Torryburn
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