Hillsborough vs Lambs Valley

Lambs Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 46 in Hillsborough. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lambs Valley, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lambs Valley: a median of $1.48 million, against $844,000 in Hillsborough, though rent is higher in Hillsborough. On these figures, Hillsborough tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Lambs Valley 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

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

Hillsborough

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($843,750 vs $1,480,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lambs Valley

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $550/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Hillsborough sits closer to the CBD (182.8 km vs 193.1 km)
  • Lambs Valley is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lambs Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

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

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Hillsborough

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.0% vs -5.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
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.

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Walkability 0 / 14
Hillsborough — Walkability: 0/100 Lambs Valley — Walkability: 14/100
Low fire risk 84 / 79
Hillsborough — Low fire risk: 84/100 Lambs Valley — Low fire risk: 79/100

Demographics

Lambs Valley has more residents (347 vs 50); Hillsborough rents higher ($550/wk vs $400/wk).

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Population 50 347
+594% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.0% -5.4%
Median age 46 41
Median household income $121,316/yr
+1% vs other
 $119,548/yr
Median weekly rent $550/wk
+27% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
0-4 — / 4.6%
Hillsborough — 0-4: not among its largest Lambs Valley — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 16.0% / 14.7%
Hillsborough — 5-14: 16.0% Lambs Valley — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 22.0% / 7.8%
Hillsborough — 15-19: 22.0% Lambs Valley — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 6.0% / 6.6%
Hillsborough — 20-24: 6.0% Lambs Valley — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 — / 6.1%
Hillsborough — 25-34: not among its largest Lambs Valley — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 16.0% / 14.4%
Hillsborough — 35-44: 16.0% Lambs Valley — 35-44: 14.4%
45-54 30.0% / 16.7%
Hillsborough — 45-54: 30.0% Lambs Valley — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 6.0% / 14.4%
Hillsborough — 55-64: 6.0% Lambs Valley — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 10.0% / 11.5%
Hillsborough — 65-74: 10.0% Lambs Valley — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 — / 1.7%
Hillsborough — 75-84: not among its largest Lambs Valley — 75-84: 1.7%
85+ 6.0% / 1.2%
Hillsborough — 85+: 6.0% Lambs Valley — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hillsborough 42.9% couple families
Hillsborough — Couple Families: 42.9% Hillsborough — One Parent Families: 35.7% Hillsborough — Lone Person: 21.4% Hillsborough — Group Household: 0.0%
Lambs Valley 61.5% couple families
Lambs Valley — Couple Families: 61.5% Lambs Valley — One Parent Families: 11.5% Lambs Valley — Lone Person: 19.2% Lambs Valley — Group Household: 7.7%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hillsborough 0.0% renting
Hillsborough — Owned Outright: 50.0% Hillsborough — Mortgage: 50.0% Hillsborough — Renting: 0.0%
Lambs Valley 4.0% renting
Lambs Valley — Owned Outright: 45.5% Lambs Valley — Mortgage: 50.5% Lambs Valley — Renting: 4.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hillsborough 100.0% houses
Hillsborough — Houses: 100.0%
Lambs Valley 100.0% houses
Lambs Valley — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 18.2%
Hillsborough — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Lambs Valley — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree — / 12.1%
Hillsborough — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Lambs Valley — Bachelor Degree: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 7.5%
Hillsborough — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Lambs Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.2%
Hillsborough — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Lambs Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

Property market

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Median house price $843,750 $1,480,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $950,000

Zoning mix

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Rural and farming 98% 100%
Environmental 2% 0%
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

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
 121
across Singleton
Approvals change year on year +20% +46%

Ranking within NSW

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
House price Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Income Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW

Liveability

Lambs Valley is more walkable (14 vs 0).

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Bushfire Low
16/100
 Low
21/100
Crime —
same for both
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

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
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

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Waterways 0 7

Mobility

Lambs Valley sits further from the CBD (193.1 km vs 182.8 km).

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 182.8 km 193.1 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 139 min 140 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
 0.3%
postcode 2335
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
 82
postcode 2335

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.

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Car (driver) 66.7% / 71.7%
Hillsborough — Car (driver): 66.7% Lambs Valley — Car (driver): 71.7%
Worked from Home 33.3% / 25.2%
Hillsborough — Worked from Home: 33.3% Lambs Valley — Worked from Home: 25.2%
Car (passenger) — / 3.1%
Hillsborough — Car (passenger): not among its largest Lambs Valley — Car (passenger): 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.7%).

Setting

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Elevation 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 75 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 35.8 km 41.2 km

NBN connectivity

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Connectivity score 30/100 24/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
19 premises
 0%
107 premises

Climate

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
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

Air quality (annual mean)

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³ —
PM10 17.5 µg/m³ 19.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.72 pphm —

Council rates

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Average residential rate $1,908/yr $1,287/yr
Council Maitland Singleton

Federal electorate

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Division Lyne Hunter
Member Alison Penfold Dan Repacholi
Party The Nationals Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Hillsborough Lambs Valley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hillsborough

Rural Students

Lambs Valley

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hillsborough

Hillsborough vs Luskintyre Hillsborough vs Gosforth Hillsborough vs Rosebrook Hillsborough vs Windermere

Other comparisons with Lambs Valley

Lambs Valley vs Vacy Lambs Valley vs Glendon Brook Lambs Valley vs Luskintyre Lambs Valley vs Stanhope Lambs Valley vs Summer Hill Lambs Valley vs Dalwood
Full data on Hillsborough Full data on Lambs Valley
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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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