Hinton vs Osterley
Hinton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Osterley. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Osterley: a median of $1.25 million, against $825,000 in Hinton, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Hinton tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Osterley 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
Osterley
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 37/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 68%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Hinton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($825,000 vs $1,250,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Hinton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Hinton sits closer to the CBD (169.7 km vs 172.9 km)
- Osterley is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Osterley
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 37/100)
- is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 18%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Osterley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (12.8% vs 5.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Hinton and Osterley 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
Hinton has more residents (471 vs 132); Osterley has higher household incomes ($133,224 vs $110,812).
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 471 +72% vs other | 132 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +5.1% | +12.8% |
| Median age | 44 | 47 |
| Median household income | $110,812/yr | $133,224/yr +20% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk | $400/wk +14% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).
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 (20.8%).
Property market
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $825,000 | $1,250,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 108 days from 4 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 96% |
| Environmental | 7% | 3% |
| 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
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 495 across Port Stephens same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -72% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 31% of NSW | Higher than 65% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 77% of NSW | Higher than 89% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 72% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 85% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 57% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 55% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
Liveability
Osterley is more walkable (25 vs 14).
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Hinton carries more crime risk (37 vs 18).
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 37/100 | Low 18/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 same for both | |
Schools in Hinton
- Hinton Public School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Osterley
- Mount Kanwary Public School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Osterley sits further from the CBD (172.9 km vs 169.7 km).
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 25/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 169.7 km | 172.9 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 129 min | 128 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2321 | 0.5% postcode 2324 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 2321 | 54 postcode 2324 |
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 (66.3%).
Setting
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 3 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 19 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 15.9 km | 14.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 206 premises | 0% 46 premises |
Climate
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 17.5 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.72 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,359/yr same for both | |
| Council | Port Stephens same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Hinton | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Hinton
Other comparisons with Osterley
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.