Laguna vs Murrays Run
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Laguna, most households are people living alone. In Murrays Run, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Murrays Run: a median of $1.11 million, against $918,000 in Laguna, though rent is higher in Laguna. On these figures, Laguna tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Murrays Run 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
Murrays Run
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 67/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 29%)
- But Laguna has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Laguna has cheaper houses ($917,500 vs $1,115,000)
- Murrays Run has cheaper land ($400,000 vs $865,000)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Murrays Run
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (20% vs 4%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 30%)
- has cheaper rent ($255/wk vs $400/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Murrays Run
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (102 min vs 127 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (112.9 km vs 132.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Laguna has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 31%)
- Murrays Run carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 67/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Where they sit
Laguna and Murrays Run 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
Laguna has more residents (310 vs 140); Laguna rents higher ($400/wk vs $255/wk).
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 310 +55% vs other | 140 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | — | -6.7% |
| Median age | 57 | 59 |
| Median household income | $70,096/yr | $80,132/yr +14% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk +36% vs other | $255/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.6%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $917,500 | $1,115,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $865,000 | $400,000 |
Zoning mix
Laguna has more land zoned for conservation (55% vs 7%); Murrays Run has more rural and farming land (92% vs 45%).
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 45% | 92% |
| Environmental | 55% | 7% |
| 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
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 719 across Cessnock same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -31% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 34% of NSW | Higher than 47% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 34% of NSW | Higher than 2% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 42% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 34% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 18% of NSW | Higher than 1% of NSW |
Liveability
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Laguna carries more crime risk (67 vs 14); Laguna carries more bushfire risk (87 vs 75).
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 87/100 | High 75/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 67/100 | Low 14/100 |
| 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
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Laguna
- Laguna Public School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Murrays Run
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 34 | 6 |
Mobility
Laguna sits further from the CBD (132.2 km vs 112.9 km).
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 132.2 km +15% vs other | 112.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 127 min | 102 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2325 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 2325 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 (54.4%).
Setting
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 274 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 137 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 208 premises | 0% 35 premises |
Climate
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 804 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,405/yr same for both | |
| Council | Cessnock same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Hunter same for both | |
| Member | Dan Repacholi same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Laguna | Murrays Run | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Laguna
Other comparisons with Murrays Run
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.