Luddenham vs Orchard Hills

Luddenham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 47 in Orchard Hills. 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 Orchard Hills: a median of $3.1 million, against $2.76 million in Luddenham, though rent is higher in Luddenham. On these figures, Luddenham tends to suit families with children and couples, while Orchard Hills suits older residents.

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

Orchard Hills

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 2)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Luddenham is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 78%)

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

  • Luddenham has cheaper houses ($2,756,444 vs $3,105,000)
  • Orchard Hills has cheaper land ($905,000 vs $5,100,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Orchard Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (51.4 km vs 57 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Orchard Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 11%)

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

Investors

Luddenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.4% vs -4.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Luddenham Orchard Hills
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.

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Walkability 5 / 0
Luddenham — Walkability: 5/100 Orchard Hills — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 29 / 34
Luddenham — Safety: 29/100 Orchard Hills — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 34 / 34
Luddenham — Low fire risk: 34/100 Orchard Hills — Low fire risk: 34/100

Demographics

Luddenham has higher household incomes ($154,336 vs $118,508); Orchard Hills skews older (47 vs 37).

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Population 1,927
+7% vs other
 1,798
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.4% -4.2%
Median age 37 47
Median household income $154,336/yr
+23% vs other
 $118,508/yr
Median weekly rent $480/wk
+6% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Luddenham Orchard Hills
0-4 5.7% / 3.5%
Luddenham — 0-4: 5.7% Orchard Hills — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 16.6% / 10.7%
Luddenham — 5-14: 16.6% Orchard Hills — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 6.9% / 7.1%
Luddenham — 15-19: 6.9% Orchard Hills — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 7.8% / 8.5%
Luddenham — 20-24: 7.8% Orchard Hills — 20-24: 8.5%
25-34 10.6% / 9.4%
Luddenham — 25-34: 10.6% Orchard Hills — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 13.0% / 8.7%
Luddenham — 35-44: 13.0% Orchard Hills — 35-44: 8.7%
45-54 14.7% / 15.0%
Luddenham — 45-54: 14.7% Orchard Hills — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 13.1% / 16.6%
Luddenham — 55-64: 13.1% Orchard Hills — 55-64: 16.6%
65-74 7.0% / 10.6%
Luddenham — 65-74: 7.0% Orchard Hills — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 3.6% / 8.0%
Luddenham — 75-84: 3.6% Orchard Hills — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 0.7% / 2.2%
Luddenham — 85+: 0.7% Orchard Hills — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Luddenham 73.7% couple families
Luddenham — Couple Families: 73.7% Luddenham — Lone Person: 11.7% Luddenham — One Parent Families: 12.4% Luddenham — Group Household: 1.4% Luddenham — Other Families: 0.7%
Orchard Hills 62.1% couple families
Orchard Hills — Couple Families: 62.1% Orchard Hills — Lone Person: 19.2% Orchard Hills — One Parent Families: 16.0% Orchard Hills — Group Household: 1.0% Orchard Hills — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Luddenham 15.5% renting
Luddenham — Owned Outright: 34.8% Luddenham — Mortgage: 49.7% Luddenham — Renting: 15.5%
Orchard Hills 14.6% renting
Orchard Hills — Owned Outright: 59.6% Orchard Hills — Mortgage: 25.8% Orchard Hills — Renting: 14.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 16.6%
Luddenham — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Orchard Hills — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 10.3%
Luddenham — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Orchard Hills — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 6.5%
Luddenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Orchard Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.9%
Luddenham — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Orchard Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 1.3%
Luddenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Orchard Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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.

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Italy 2.1% / 2.3%
Luddenham — Italy: 2.1% Orchard Hills — Italy: 2.3%
England 1.2% / 2.5%
Luddenham — England: 1.2% Orchard Hills — England: 2.5%
Lebanon 1.1% / 1.8%
Luddenham — Lebanon: 1.1% Orchard Hills — Lebanon: 1.8%
India 0.6% / 1.1%
Luddenham — India: 0.6% Orchard Hills — India: 1.1%
Fiji 1.0% / 0.6%
Luddenham — Fiji: 1.0% Orchard Hills — Fiji: 0.6%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.8%
Luddenham — Scotland: 0.6% Orchard Hills — Scotland: 0.8%
Philippines 0.8% / —
Luddenham — Philippines: 0.8% Orchard Hills — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Luddenham 98.3% houses
Luddenham — Houses: 98.3% Luddenham — Flats / Apartments: 1.7% Luddenham — Townhouses: 0.0%
Orchard Hills 96.8% houses
Orchard Hills — Houses: 96.8% Orchard Hills — Flats / Apartments: 1.1% Orchard Hills — Townhouses: 2.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Median house price $2,756,444 $3,105,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $5,100,000 $905,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 52 days
from 17 sales
 26 days
from 5 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Luddenham Orchard Hills
4 bed $2.21M / $4.04M
Luddenham — 4 bed: $2.21M (15 sales) Orchard Hills — 4 bed: $4.04M (6 sales)

15 vs 6 sales

5 bed $2.67M / $4.25M
Luddenham — 5 bed: $2.67M (7 sales) Orchard Hills — 5 bed: $4.25M (8 sales)

7 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Orchard Hills has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 13%); Luddenham has more commercially zoned land (17% vs 0%).

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Environmental 13% 43%
Rural and farming 24% 33%
Other and special use 23% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 21% 11%
Commercial 17% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 6%
Industrial 0% 3%
Residential 0% 3%
Planning zones cover 99% of Luddenham and 99% of Orchard Hills. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Luddenham Orchard Hills
New dwellings approved 1,063
across Penrith
same for both
Approvals change year on year -78%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Luddenham Orchard Hills
House price Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 49% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW

Liveability

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Grade C
same for both
Score 41/100 38/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
same for both
Crime High
71/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
91/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Inside the suburb 2 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 3
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km None 1
Western Sydney University - Penrith, 4.9 km

Schools in Luddenham

  • Holy Family Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Luddenham Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Orchard Hills

  • Montgrove College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Orchard Hills Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Penrith Anglican College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Penrith Christian School Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 4 3
Childcare 2 7
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 10 26

Mobility

Luddenham sits further from the CBD (57 km vs 51.4 km).

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Walkability score 5/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 57 km
+10% vs other
 51.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 52 min 51 min
Public transport score 34/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 52.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 3.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2745
 0.8%
postcode 2748
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2745
 56
postcode 2748

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.

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Car (driver) 57.4% / 57.0%
Luddenham — Car (driver): 57.4% Orchard Hills — Car (driver): 57.0%
Worked from Home 37.6% / 36.4%
Luddenham — Worked from Home: 37.6% Orchard Hills — Worked from Home: 36.4%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 3.7%
Luddenham — Car (passenger): 3.0% Orchard Hills — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 1.9% / 2.0%
Luddenham — Walked Only: 1.9% Orchard Hills — Walked Only: 2.0%
Train — / 0.9%
Luddenham — Train: not among its largest Orchard Hills — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.4%).

Setting

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Elevation 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 49 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 41.8 km 42.8 km

NBN connectivity

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Connectivity score 70/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
659 premises
 38%
711 premises

Climate

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Annual rainfall 822 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Luddenham Orchard Hills
PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³ 5.6 µg/m³
PM10 16.9 µg/m³ 17.6 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.37 pphm 0.55 pphm

Council rates

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Average residential rate $1,547/yr
same for both
Council Penrith
same for both

Federal electorate

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Division Lindsay
same for both
Member Melissa Mcintosh
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Luddenham Orchard Hills
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Luddenham

Acreage Family Outer Premium

Orchard Hills

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Luddenham

Luddenham vs Bringelly Luddenham vs Kemps Creek Luddenham vs Mulgoa Luddenham vs Wallacia Luddenham vs Greendale Luddenham vs Badgerys Creek

Other comparisons with Orchard Hills

Orchard Hills vs Glenmore Park Orchard Hills vs St Clair Orchard Hills vs St Marys Orchard Hills vs South Penrith Orchard Hills vs Kingswood Orchard Hills vs Erskine Park
Full data on Luddenham Full data on Orchard Hills
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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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