Lovedale vs Sawyers Gully

Sawyers Gully is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Lovedale. 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 Lovedale: a median of $2.17 million, against $1.29 million in Sawyers Gully, though rent is higher in Sawyers Gully. On these figures, Sawyers Gully tends to suit 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

Sawyers Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

Sawyers Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,288,000 vs $2,175,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lovedale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($340/wk vs $405/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Sawyers Gully

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (116 min vs 127 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (163.6 km vs 176.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lovedale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
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.

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Walkability 8 / 14
Lovedale — Walkability: 8/100 Sawyers Gully — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 17 / 13
Lovedale — Safety: 17/100 Sawyers Gully — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 56 / 48
Lovedale — Low fire risk: 56/100 Sawyers Gully — Low fire risk: 48/100

Demographics

Sawyers Gully rents higher ($405/wk vs $340/wk); Lovedale skews older (50 vs 42).

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Population 502 542
+8% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.5% +8.4%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $112,424/yr
+15% vs other
 $96,044/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk $405/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
0-4 5.8% / 5.9%
Lovedale — 0-4: 5.8% Sawyers Gully — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.6% / 13.7%
Lovedale — 5-14: 11.6% Sawyers Gully — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 4.0% / 4.6%
Lovedale — 15-19: 4.0% Sawyers Gully — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 5.4% / 6.6%
Lovedale — 20-24: 5.4% Sawyers Gully — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 9.4% / 7.6%
Lovedale — 25-34: 9.4% Sawyers Gully — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 9.8% / 14.2%
Lovedale — 35-44: 9.8% Sawyers Gully — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 14.3% / 12.2%
Lovedale — 45-54: 14.3% Sawyers Gully — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 17.3% / 16.2%
Lovedale — 55-64: 17.3% Sawyers Gully — 55-64: 16.2%
65-74 17.5% / 12.7%
Lovedale — 65-74: 17.5% Sawyers Gully — 65-74: 12.7%
75-84 5.6% / 4.1%
Lovedale — 75-84: 5.6% Sawyers Gully — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 2.0% / 1.1%
Lovedale — 85+: 2.0% Sawyers Gully — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lovedale 56.7% couple families
Lovedale — Couple Families: 56.7% Lovedale — Lone Person: 26.9% Lovedale — One Parent Families: 13.5% Lovedale — Other Families: 0.0% Lovedale — Group Household: 2.9%
Sawyers Gully 60.5% couple families
Sawyers Gully — Couple Families: 60.5% Sawyers Gully — Lone Person: 17.7% Sawyers Gully — One Parent Families: 17.7% Sawyers Gully — Other Families: 4.0% Sawyers Gully — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lovedale 14.4% renting
Lovedale — Owned Outright: 49.1% Lovedale — Mortgage: 36.5% Lovedale — Renting: 14.4%
Sawyers Gully 11.3% renting
Sawyers Gully — Owned Outright: 41.3% Sawyers Gully — Mortgage: 47.3% Sawyers Gully — Renting: 11.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Certificate III & IV 14.9% / 21.4%
Lovedale — Certificate III & IV: 14.9% Sawyers Gully — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.3% / 7.2%
Lovedale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.3% Sawyers Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 6.8%
Lovedale — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Sawyers Gully — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.6% / 0.7%
Lovedale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6% Sawyers Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.6%
Lovedale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Sawyers Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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.

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
England 4.4% / 0.7%
Lovedale — England: 4.4% Sawyers Gully — England: 0.7%
New Zealand 1.6% / —
Lovedale — New Zealand: 1.6% Sawyers Gully — New Zealand: not among its largest
India 1.2% / —
Lovedale — India: 1.2% Sawyers Gully — India: not among its largest
Canada 1.0% / —
Lovedale — Canada: 1.0% Sawyers Gully — Canada: not among its largest
Thailand — / 0.9%
Lovedale — Thailand: not among its largest Sawyers Gully — Thailand: 0.9%
Malaysia 0.8% / —
Lovedale — Malaysia: 0.8% Sawyers Gully — Malaysia: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.6%
Lovedale — Italy: not among its largest Sawyers Gully — Italy: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lovedale 100.0% houses
Lovedale — Houses: 100.0%
Sawyers Gully 100.0% houses
Sawyers Gully — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Median house price $2,175,000 $1,288,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 58 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Rural and farming 80% 86%
Environmental 13% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 2%
Residential 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

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
House price Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Income — Higher than 63% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 42% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW

Liveability

Lovedale scores higher overall (35 vs 22).

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Grade C D
Score 35/100 22/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Bushfire Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
52/100
Crime High
83/100
 High
87/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
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

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Waterways 6 10

Mobility

Lovedale sits further from the CBD (176.4 km vs 163.6 km).

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Walkability score 8/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 176.4 km
+7% vs other
 163.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 127 min 116 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2325
 0.4%
postcode 2326
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2325
 56
postcode 2326

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.

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Car (driver) 56.1% / 86.1%
Lovedale — Car (driver): 56.1% Sawyers Gully — Car (driver): 86.1%
Worked from Home 36.3% / 13.9%
Lovedale — Worked from Home: 36.3% Sawyers Gully — Worked from Home: 13.9%
Walked Only 4.7% / —
Lovedale — Walked Only: 4.7% Sawyers Gully — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.8% / —
Lovedale — Car (passenger): 2.8% Sawyers Gully — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.1%).

Setting

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Elevation 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 39.8 km 31.7 km

NBN connectivity

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Connectivity score 30/100 31/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 1%
264 premises
 2%
182 premises

Climate

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
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

Air quality (annual mean)

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
PM2.5 — 6.3 µg/m³
PM10 19.5 µg/m³ 17.5 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.72 pphm

Council rates

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lovedale Sawyers Gully
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lovedale

Retirees Rural

Sawyers Gully

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lovedale

Lovedale vs Cessnock Lovedale vs Greta Lovedale vs North Rothbury Lovedale vs Pokolbin Lovedale vs Nulkaba Lovedale vs Keinbah

Other comparisons with Sawyers Gully

Sawyers Gully vs Cessnock Sawyers Gully vs Gillieston Heights Sawyers Gully vs Weston Sawyers Gully vs Abermain Sawyers Gully vs Bishops Bridge Sawyers Gully vs Keinbah
Full data on Lovedale Full data on Sawyers Gully
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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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