Kew vs Middle Brother

Middle Brother is the younger of the two, with a median age of 59 against 63 in Kew. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Middle Brother, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kew: a median of $912,000, against $625,000 in Middle Brother, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Middle Brother tends to suit couples 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

Kew

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 96/100)
  • But Middle Brother is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

Middle Brother

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($625,000 vs $912,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 37%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Middle Brother

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 33%)
  • has cheaper rent ($243/wk vs $370/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

  • Kew is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
  • Middle Brother sits closer to the CBD (348.9 km vs 354.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kew

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 96/100)

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

Investors

Kew

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (61.7% vs 10.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kew Middle Brother
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.

Kew Middle Brother
Walkability 26 / 0
Kew — Walkability: 26/100 Middle Brother — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 46 / 4
Kew — Safety: 46/100 Middle Brother — Safety: 4/100
Low fire risk 39 / 54
Kew — Low fire risk: 39/100 Middle Brother — Low fire risk: 54/100

Demographics

Kew has more residents (1,761 vs 52); Kew rents higher ($370/wk vs $243/wk).

Kew Middle Brother
Population 1,761
+97% vs other
 52
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +61.7% +10.6%
Median age 63 59
Median household income $57,564/yr $69,836/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk
+34% vs other
 $243/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kew Middle Brother
0-4 2.8% / 7.7%
Kew — 0-4: 2.8% Middle Brother — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 8.8% / —
Kew — 5-14: 8.8% Middle Brother — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 5.3% / 5.8%
Kew — 15-19: 5.3% Middle Brother — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 2.3% / —
Kew — 20-24: 2.3% Middle Brother — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 5.8% / 17.3%
Kew — 25-34: 5.8% Middle Brother — 25-34: 17.3%
35-44 6.7% / 13.5%
Kew — 35-44: 6.7% Middle Brother — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 8.8% / —
Kew — 45-54: 8.8% Middle Brother — 45-54: not among its largest
55-64 12.8% / 28.8%
Kew — 55-64: 12.8% Middle Brother — 55-64: 28.8%
65-74 27.4% / 23.1%
Kew — 65-74: 27.4% Middle Brother — 65-74: 23.1%
75-84 16.2% / 13.5%
Kew — 75-84: 16.2% Middle Brother — 75-84: 13.5%
85+ 3.0% / 5.8%
Kew — 85+: 3.0% Middle Brother — 85+: 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kew 39.6% couple families
Kew — Couple Families: 39.6% Kew — One Parent Families: 12.9% Kew — Lone Person: 44.4% Kew — Group Household: 3.1%
Middle Brother 50.0% couple families
Middle Brother — Couple Families: 50.0% Middle Brother — One Parent Families: 50.0% Middle Brother — Lone Person: 0.0% Middle Brother — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kew 11.3% renting
Kew — Owned Outright: 66.8% Kew — Mortgage: 21.9% Kew — Renting: 11.3%
Middle Brother 19.0% renting
Middle Brother — Owned Outright: 33.3% Middle Brother — Mortgage: 47.6% Middle Brother — Renting: 19.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Kew Middle Brother
England 5.3% / 5.8%
Kew — England: 5.3% Middle Brother — England: 5.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Kew — New Zealand: 1.2% Middle Brother — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Kew — Scotland: 0.7% Middle Brother — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Kew — Germany: 0.7% Middle Brother — Germany: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Kew — South Africa: 0.4% Middle Brother — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

Qualifications

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

Kew Middle Brother
Certificate III & IV 22.4% / 44.2%
Kew — Certificate III & IV: 22.4% Middle Brother — Certificate III & IV: 44.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 13.5%
Kew — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Middle Brother — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 9.6%
Kew — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% Middle Brother — Bachelor Degree: 9.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / —
Kew — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Middle Brother — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / —
Kew — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Middle Brother — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (44.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kew 97.6% houses
Kew — Houses: 97.6% Kew — Townhouses: 1.8% Kew — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Middle Brother 100.0% houses
Middle Brother — Houses: 100.0% Middle Brother — Townhouses: 0.0% Middle Brother — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kew Middle Brother
Median house price $912,500 $625,000
Median unit price $910,000 —
Median land price $679,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 64 days
from 12 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Middle Brother has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 20%); Kew has more rural and farming land (52% vs 23%).

Kew Middle Brother
Environmental 20% 68%
Rural and farming 52% 23%
Residential 20% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 2%
Parks and recreation 2% 1%
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

Kew Middle Brother
New dwellings approved 546
across Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both
Approvals change year on year +33%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Kew Middle Brother
Houses 2.7%
$600/wk on $1.15M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kew Middle Brother
House price Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Income — Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 72% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 11% of NSW —

Liveability

Kew is more walkable (26 vs 0).

Kew Middle Brother
Grade D —
Score 27/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Middle Brother carries more crime risk (96 vs 54); Kew carries more bushfire risk (61 vs 46).

Kew Middle Brother
Bushfire Moderate
61/100
 Moderate
46/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 High
96/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Kew Middle Brother
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Kew

  • Camden Haven High School Government · Secondary above peers

Schools in Middle Brother

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

Amenities in the suburb

Kew Middle Brother
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Kew sits further from the CBD (354.4 km vs 348.9 km).

Kew Middle Brother
Walkability score 26/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 354.4 km
+2% vs other
 348.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 239 min 238 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2439
 0.4%
postcode 2443
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 86
postcode 2439
 64
postcode 2443

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.

Kew Middle Brother
Car (driver) 79.1% / 76.5%
Kew — Car (driver): 79.1% Middle Brother — Car (driver): 76.5%
Worked from Home 13.2% / 23.5%
Kew — Worked from Home: 13.2% Middle Brother — Worked from Home: 23.5%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / —
Kew — Car (passenger): 5.6% Middle Brother — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 1.1% / —
Kew — Bus: 1.1% Middle Brother — Bus: not among its largest
Walked Only 0.9% / —
Kew — Walked Only: 0.9% Middle Brother — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).

Setting

Kew Middle Brother
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.6 km 8.1 km

NBN connectivity

Kew Middle Brother
Connectivity score 71/100 24/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
897 premises
 0%
19 premises

Climate

Kew Middle Brother
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Kew Middle Brother
Average residential rate $1,325/yr
same for both
Council Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both

Federal electorate

Kew Middle Brother
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kew Middle Brother
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kew

Acreage Retirees

Middle Brother

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kew

Kew vs Lakewood Kew vs Kendall Kew vs Herons Creek Kew vs Bobs Creek Kew vs Batar Creek Kew vs Rossglen

Other comparisons with Middle Brother

Middle Brother vs Johns River Middle Brother vs Batar Creek Middle Brother vs Rossglen
Full data on Kew Full data on Middle Brother
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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