Marlee vs Strathcedar
Strathcedar is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 53 in Marlee. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Marlee, about half of households are couple families. In Strathcedar, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Strathcedar: a median of $898,000, against $795,000 in Marlee, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Strathcedar tends to suit families with children and 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Marlee carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 38/100)
- Strathcedar has more separate houses rather than flats (111% vs 100%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Marlee
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 31%)
- has cheaper houses ($795,000 vs $898,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Marlee
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 30%)
- has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $410/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Strathcedar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (334.9 km vs 338.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Marlee
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 38/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Strathcedar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (10.0% vs -9.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Marlee and Strathcedar 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
Strathcedar rents higher ($410/wk vs $180/wk); Marlee has more residents (199 vs 88).
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 199 +56% vs other | 88 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -9.1% | +10.0% |
| Median age | 53 | 42 |
| Median household income | $70,824/yr | $70,408/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $180/wk | $410/wk +128% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).
Property market
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $795,000 | $898,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $540,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 91 days from 3 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 743 across Mid-Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +327% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 78% of NSW | Higher than 42% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 34% of NSW same for both | |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 12% of NSW | Higher than 46% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 25% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 24% of NSW | Higher than 36% of NSW |
Liveability
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Strathcedar carries more crime risk (38 vs 19); Marlee carries more bushfire risk (52 vs 40).
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 52/100 | Moderate 40/100 |
| Crime | Low 19/100 | Low 38/100 |
| 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
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 3 | 1 |
Mobility
Marlee sits further from the CBD (338.5 km vs 334.9 km).
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 10/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 338.5 km +1% vs other | 334.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 244 min | 245 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2429 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 62 postcode 2429 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 (86.2%).
Setting
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 72 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 69 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 33.0 km | 29.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 16/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 54 premises | 0% 32 premises |
Climate
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,331 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,560/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mid-Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Marlee | Strathcedar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Marlee
Other comparisons with Strathcedar
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.