Hillgrove vs Metz
Metz is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 51 in Hillgrove. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hillgrove, about half of households are people living alone. In Metz, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Metz: a median of $850,000, against $228,000 in Hillgrove. On these figures, Hillgrove tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Metz 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
Metz
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 38%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Hillgrove
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($227,500 vs $850,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Metz
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 23%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Metz
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (385 min vs 410 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (496.2 km vs 517.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hillgrove
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 15%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Metz
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (10.4% vs -1.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Hillgrove and Metz 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
Metz has higher household incomes ($97,448 vs $53,092); Hillgrove has more residents (174 vs 117).
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 174 +33% vs other | 117 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.1% | +10.4% |
| Median age | 51 | 43 |
| Median household income | $53,092/yr | $97,448/yr +84% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $238/wk | $243/wk +2% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).
Property market
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $227,500 | $850,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $22,000 |
Zoning mix
Metz has more rural and farming land (87% vs 70%); Hillgrove has more land zoned for conservation (30% vs 13%).
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 70% | 87% |
| Environmental | 30% | 13% |
| 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
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 77 across Armidale same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -76% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 6% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 64% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 28% of NSW | Higher than 30% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 93% of NSW | Higher than 74% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 40% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 15% of NSW | Higher than 36% of NSW |
Liveability
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Metz carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 0).
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 34/100 |
| Crime | — | Moderate 68/100 |
| 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
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 39 | 29 |
Mobility
Hillgrove sits further from the CBD (517.6 km vs 496.2 km).
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 517.6 km +4% vs other | 496.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 410 min | 385 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2350 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 47 postcode 2350 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 (68.1%).
Setting
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 926 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 965 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 44 premises | 0% 53 premises |
Climate
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 684 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,477/yr same for both | |
| Council | Armidale same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England same for both | |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Hillgrove | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Hillgrove
Other comparisons with Metz
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.