Maraylya vs Nelson

Maraylya is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 47 in Nelson. 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 Nelson: a median of $3.95 million, against $1.89 million in Maraylya, though rent is higher in Maraylya. Nelson is closer to the city centre: 48.9 km, against 56.1 km. On these figures, Maraylya tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Nelson 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

Maraylya

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Maraylya has cheaper houses ($1,887,500 vs $3,950,000)
  • Nelson has cheaper land ($22,000 vs $2,490,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Nelson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Nelson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (48.9 km vs 56.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (49 min vs 56 min)
  • But Maraylya is more walkable (33/100 vs 18/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Maraylya is more walkable (33/100 vs 18/100)
  • Nelson has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 16%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

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

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

Maraylya Nelson
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.

Maraylya Nelson
Walkability 33 / 18
Maraylya — Walkability: 33/100 Nelson — Walkability: 18/100
Low fire risk 52 / 63
Maraylya — Low fire risk: 52/100 Nelson — Low fire risk: 63/100

Demographics

Maraylya has more residents (1,281 vs 460); Nelson skews older (47 vs 41).

Maraylya Nelson
Population 1,281
+64% vs other
 460
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.0% +1.3%
Median age 41 47
Median household income $135,564/yr
+8% vs other
 $124,748/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+10% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Maraylya Nelson
0-4 3.7% / 5.0%
Maraylya — 0-4: 3.7% Nelson — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 16.5% / 11.7%
Maraylya — 5-14: 16.5% Nelson — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 9.0% / 3.5%
Maraylya — 15-19: 9.0% Nelson — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 6.5% / 7.0%
Maraylya — 20-24: 6.5% Nelson — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 6.6% / 9.8%
Maraylya — 25-34: 6.6% Nelson — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 11.7% / 10.4%
Maraylya — 35-44: 11.7% Nelson — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 18.0% / 14.8%
Maraylya — 45-54: 18.0% Nelson — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 11.9% / 12.8%
Maraylya — 55-64: 11.9% Nelson — 55-64: 12.8%
65-74 9.1% / 17.6%
Maraylya — 65-74: 9.1% Nelson — 65-74: 17.6%
75-84 5.1% / 8.0%
Maraylya — 75-84: 5.1% Nelson — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 1.3% / 1.7%
Maraylya — 85+: 1.3% Nelson — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Maraylya 68.2% couple families
Maraylya — Couple Families: 68.2% Maraylya — Lone Person: 18.3% Maraylya — One Parent Families: 13.5% Maraylya — Group Household: 0.0%
Nelson 68.4% couple families
Nelson — Couple Families: 68.4% Nelson — Lone Person: 11.2% Nelson — One Parent Families: 13.3% Nelson — Group Household: 7.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Maraylya 16.7% renting
Maraylya — Owned Outright: 40.3% Maraylya — Mortgage: 43.1% Maraylya — Renting: 16.7%
Nelson 18.6% renting
Nelson — Owned Outright: 59.7% Nelson — Mortgage: 21.7% Nelson — Renting: 18.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Maraylya Nelson
Certificate III & IV 21.5% / 20.4%
Maraylya — Certificate III & IV: 21.5% Nelson — Certificate III & IV: 20.4%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 10.4%
Maraylya — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Nelson — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.9%
Maraylya — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Nelson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 0.9%
Maraylya — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Nelson — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.1%
Maraylya — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Nelson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

Maraylya Nelson
England 3.8% / 1.5%
Maraylya — England: 3.8% Nelson — England: 1.5%
New Zealand 0.9% / 0.9%
Maraylya — New Zealand: 0.9% Nelson — New Zealand: 0.9%
Italy 0.5% / 1.3%
Maraylya — Italy: 0.5% Nelson — Italy: 1.3%
Philippines — / 0.9%
Maraylya — Philippines: not among its largest Nelson — Philippines: 0.9%
Malaysia — / 0.9%
Maraylya — Malaysia: not among its largest Nelson — Malaysia: 0.9%
Ireland 0.8% / —
Maraylya — Ireland: 0.8% Nelson — Ireland: not among its largest
Zimbabwe 0.8% / —
Maraylya — Zimbabwe: 0.8% Nelson — Zimbabwe: not among its largest
South Africa 0.5% / —
Maraylya — South Africa: 0.5% Nelson — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Maraylya 96.6% houses
Maraylya — Houses: 96.6% Maraylya — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Nelson 102.9% houses
Nelson — Houses: 102.9% Nelson — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Maraylya Nelson
Median house price $1,887,500 $3,950,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $2,490,000 $22,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 232 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Nelson has more rural and farming land (100% vs 89%); Maraylya has more land zoned for conservation (11% vs 0%).

Maraylya Nelson
Rural and farming 89% 100%
Environmental 11% 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

Maraylya Nelson
New dwellings approved 2,648
across The Hills
same for both
Approvals change year on year -4%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Maraylya Nelson
House price Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Income Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 96% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW

Liveability

Maraylya is more walkable (33 vs 18).

Maraylya Nelson
Grade B —
Score 59/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Maraylya carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 37).

Maraylya Nelson
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 Low
37/100
Crime Low
34/100
 —
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

Maraylya Nelson
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Maraylya

  • Maraylya Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Longneck Lagoon Environmental Education Centre Government · Combined

Schools in Nelson

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

Amenities in the suburb

Maraylya Nelson
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 10 1

Mobility

Maraylya sits further from the CBD (56.1 km vs 48.9 km).

Maraylya Nelson
Walkability score 33/100 18/100
Distance to Sydney 56.1 km
+13% vs other
 48.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 56 min 49 min
Public transport score 35/100
Bus
 61/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 14.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 21.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.7%
postcode 2765
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.

Maraylya Nelson
Car (driver) 54.5% / 57.9%
Maraylya — Car (driver): 54.5% Nelson — Car (driver): 57.9%
Worked from Home 38.5% / 38.8%
Maraylya — Worked from Home: 38.5% Nelson — Worked from Home: 38.8%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 3.4%
Maraylya — Car (passenger): 2.6% Nelson — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only 2.8% / —
Maraylya — Walked Only: 2.8% Nelson — Walked Only: not among its largest
Train 1.6% / —
Maraylya — Train: 1.6% Nelson — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.9%).

Setting

Maraylya Nelson
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 27.8 km 29.0 km

NBN connectivity

Maraylya Nelson
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
420 premises
 0%
177 premises

Climate

Maraylya Nelson
Annual rainfall 806 mm 932 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Maraylya Nelson
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Maraylya Nelson
Average residential rate $1,204/yr
same for both
Council The Hills
same for both

Federal electorate

Maraylya Nelson
Division Berowra Greenway
Member Julian Leeser Michelle Rowland
Party Liberal Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Maraylya Nelson
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Maraylya

Acreage Outer

Nelson

Acreage Luxury Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Maraylya

Maraylya vs Kenthurst Maraylya vs Pitt Town Maraylya vs Glenorie Maraylya vs Gables Maraylya vs Oakville Maraylya vs Annangrove

Other comparisons with Nelson

Nelson vs Rouse Hill Nelson vs Box Hill Nelson vs Gables Nelson vs Annangrove
Full data on Maraylya Full data on Nelson
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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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