Maitland Vale vs Melville

Maitland Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 48 in Melville. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Maitland Vale tends to suit families with children, while Melville suits people living alone and 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

Maitland Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (81% vs 67%)

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

First-home buyers

Maitland Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Maitland Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 25%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Maitland Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (131 min vs 136 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (172.9 km vs 178.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Melville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 6%)

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

Investors

Maitland Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (108.1% vs 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Maitland Vale Melville
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.

Maitland Vale Melville
Walkability 0 / 0
Maitland Vale — Walkability: 0/100 Melville — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 71 / 75
Maitland Vale — Safety: 71/100 Melville — Safety: 75/100
Low fire risk 100 / 77
Maitland Vale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Melville — Low fire risk: 77/100

Demographics

Maitland Vale has more residents (281 vs 64); Maitland Vale has higher household incomes ($158,600 vs $101,816).

Maitland Vale Melville
Population 281
+77% vs other
 64
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +108.1% +0.0%
Median age 31 48
Median household income $158,600/yr
+36% vs other
 $101,816/yr
Median weekly rent $513/wk
+3% vs other
 $498/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Maitland Vale Melville
0-4 9.3% / 7.8%
Maitland Vale — 0-4: 9.3% Melville — 0-4: 7.8%
5-14 19.2% / 15.6%
Maitland Vale — 5-14: 19.2% Melville — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 6.8% / —
Maitland Vale — 15-19: 6.8% Melville — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 6.0% / 6.2%
Maitland Vale — 20-24: 6.0% Melville — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 11.0% / —
Maitland Vale — 25-34: 11.0% Melville — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 16.7% / 21.9%
Maitland Vale — 35-44: 16.7% Melville — 35-44: 21.9%
45-54 9.6% / 10.9%
Maitland Vale — 45-54: 9.6% Melville — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 12.1% / 12.5%
Maitland Vale — 55-64: 12.1% Melville — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 4.6% / 18.8%
Maitland Vale — 65-74: 4.6% Melville — 65-74: 18.8%
75-84 — / 6.2%
Maitland Vale — 75-84: not among its largest Melville — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 1.1% / —
Maitland Vale — 85+: 1.1% Melville — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

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.

Maitland Vale Melville
England 2.5% / 7.8%
Maitland Vale — England: 2.5% Melville — England: 7.8%
New Zealand 1.1% / 4.7%
Maitland Vale — New Zealand: 1.1% Melville — New Zealand: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Maitland Vale 64.7% couple families
Maitland Vale — Couple Families: 64.7% Maitland Vale — Lone Person: 14.7% Maitland Vale — One Parent Families: 16.2% Maitland Vale — Group Household: 4.4%
Melville 66.7% couple families
Melville — Couple Families: 66.7% Melville — Lone Person: 33.3% Melville — One Parent Families: 0.0% Melville — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Maitland Vale 97.6% houses
Maitland Vale — Houses: 97.6% Maitland Vale — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Melville 100.0% houses
Melville — Houses: 100.0% Melville — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Maitland Vale Melville
Bachelor Degree 16.0% / 12.5%
Maitland Vale — Bachelor Degree: 16.0% Melville — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 6.2%
Maitland Vale — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Melville — Certificate III & IV: 6.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 15.6%
Maitland Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Melville — Postgraduate Degree: 15.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 6.2%
Maitland Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Melville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 4.7%
Maitland Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Melville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Maitland Vale 10.3% renting
Maitland Vale — Owned Outright: 28.7% Maitland Vale — Mortgage: 60.9% Maitland Vale — Renting: 10.3%
Melville 0.0% renting
Melville — Owned Outright: 47.1% Melville — Mortgage: 52.9% Melville — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Maitland Vale Melville
Median house price $1,350,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Maitland Vale Melville
Rural and farming 95% 96%
Environmental 3% 4%
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

Maitland Vale Melville
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +20%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Maitland Vale Melville
House price Higher than 69% of NSW —
Income Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 76% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW

Liveability

Maitland Vale Melville
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Melville carries more bushfire risk (23 vs 0).

Maitland Vale Melville
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
23/100
Crime Low
29/100
 Low
25/100
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
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Maitland Vale Melville
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

Mobility

Melville sits further from the CBD (178.3 km vs 172.9 km).

Maitland Vale Melville
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 172.9 km 178.3 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 131 min 136 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
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.

Maitland Vale Melville
Car (driver) 64.5% / 52.6%
Maitland Vale — Car (driver): 64.5% Melville — Car (driver): 52.6%
Worked from Home 29.8% / 47.4%
Maitland Vale — Worked from Home: 29.8% Melville — Worked from Home: 47.4%
Walked Only 3.2% / —
Maitland Vale — Walked Only: 3.2% Melville — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.4% / —
Maitland Vale — Car (passenger): 2.4% Melville — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.5%).

Setting

Maitland Vale Melville
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 74 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 27.2 km 29.6 km

NBN connectivity

Maitland Vale Melville
Connectivity score 72/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
129 premises
 0%
27 premises

Climate

Maitland Vale Melville
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)

Maitland Vale Melville
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

Maitland Vale Melville
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Maitland
same for both

Federal electorate

Maitland Vale Melville
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Maitland Vale Melville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Maitland Vale

Family Rural Young Families

Melville

Family Professionals Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Maitland Vale

Maitland Vale vs Aberglasslyn Maitland Vale vs Bolwarra Heights Maitland Vale vs Oakhampton Maitland Vale vs Mindaribba Maitland Vale vs Rosebrook

Other comparisons with Melville

Melville vs Aberglasslyn Melville vs Rosebrook Melville vs Anambah
Full data on Maitland Vale Full data on Melville
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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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