Middle Arm vs Tarlo

Middle Arm is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 53 in Tarlo. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Middle Arm, most households are couple families. In Tarlo, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Tarlo: a median of $1.44 million, against $1.05 million in Middle Arm, though rent is higher in Middle Arm. On these figures, Middle Arm 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

Tarlo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 49/100)

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

First-home buyers

Middle Arm

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,437,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tarlo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $420/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Tarlo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (141 min vs 147 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (207.4 km vs 211.3 km)
  • But Middle Arm is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Middle Arm is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • Tarlo carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 49/100)

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

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

Middle Arm Tarlo
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.

Middle Arm Tarlo
Walkability 10 / 0
Middle Arm — Walkability: 10/100 Tarlo — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 51 / 61
Middle Arm — Safety: 51/100 Tarlo — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 83 / 29
Middle Arm — Low fire risk: 83/100 Tarlo — Low fire risk: 29/100

Demographics

Middle Arm has more residents (377 vs 171); Middle Arm rents higher ($420/wk vs $260/wk).

Middle Arm Tarlo
Population 377
+55% vs other
 171
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +4.3%
Median age 46 53
Median household income $79,612/yr $81,224/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $420/wk
+38% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Middle Arm Tarlo
0-4 3.7% / 2.3%
Middle Arm — 0-4: 3.7% Tarlo — 0-4: 2.3%
5-14 11.9% / 8.2%
Middle Arm — 5-14: 11.9% Tarlo — 5-14: 8.2%
15-19 8.0% / 4.7%
Middle Arm — 15-19: 8.0% Tarlo — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 2.9% / 6.4%
Middle Arm — 20-24: 2.9% Tarlo — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 4.8% / 7.6%
Middle Arm — 25-34: 4.8% Tarlo — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 15.4% / 7.0%
Middle Arm — 35-44: 15.4% Tarlo — 35-44: 7.0%
45-54 10.6% / 15.8%
Middle Arm — 45-54: 10.6% Tarlo — 45-54: 15.8%
55-64 18.0% / 20.5%
Middle Arm — 55-64: 18.0% Tarlo — 55-64: 20.5%
65-74 14.1% / 15.2%
Middle Arm — 65-74: 14.1% Tarlo — 65-74: 15.2%
75-84 7.7% / 8.2%
Middle Arm — 75-84: 7.7% Tarlo — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 1.1% / —
Middle Arm — 85+: 1.1% Tarlo — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Middle Arm 56.2% couple families
Middle Arm — Couple Families: 56.2% Middle Arm — Lone Person: 27.5% Middle Arm — One Parent Families: 12.5% Middle Arm — Group Household: 3.8%
Tarlo 47.1% couple families
Tarlo — Couple Families: 47.1% Tarlo — Lone Person: 26.5% Tarlo — One Parent Families: 17.6% Tarlo — Group Household: 8.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Middle Arm 4.7% renting
Middle Arm — Owned Outright: 55.5% Middle Arm — Mortgage: 39.8% Middle Arm — Renting: 4.7%
Tarlo 7.5% renting
Tarlo — Owned Outright: 58.5% Tarlo — Mortgage: 34.0% Tarlo — Renting: 7.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Middle Arm Tarlo
Certificate III & IV 25.7% / 15.2%
Middle Arm — Certificate III & IV: 25.7% Tarlo — Certificate III & IV: 15.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 14.6%
Middle Arm — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% Tarlo — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 8.8%
Middle Arm — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Tarlo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 4.7%
Middle Arm — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Tarlo — Postgraduate Degree: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.8%
Middle Arm — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Tarlo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).

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.

Middle Arm Tarlo
England 2.4% / 2.9%
Middle Arm — England: 2.4% Tarlo — England: 2.9%
New Zealand — / 3.5%
Middle Arm — New Zealand: not among its largest Tarlo — New Zealand: 3.5%
Philippines — / 2.9%
Middle Arm — Philippines: not among its largest Tarlo — Philippines: 2.9%
Germany — / 1.8%
Middle Arm — Germany: not among its largest Tarlo — Germany: 1.8%
Scotland 1.3% / —
Middle Arm — Scotland: 1.3% Tarlo — Scotland: not among its largest
Greece 1.1% / —
Middle Arm — Greece: 1.1% Tarlo — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Middle Arm 100.0% houses
Middle Arm — Houses: 100.0%
Tarlo 100.0% houses
Tarlo — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Middle Arm Tarlo
Median house price $1,050,000 $1,437,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $810,000 $786,500

Zoning mix

Middle Arm Tarlo
Rural and farming 77%
same for both
Environmental 23%
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

Middle Arm Tarlo
New dwellings approved 332
across Goulburn Mulwaree
 44
across Upper Lachlan
Approvals change year on year -1% +175%

Ranking within NSW

Middle Arm Tarlo
House price Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Income Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW

Liveability

Middle Arm is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Middle Arm Tarlo
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Tarlo carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 17); Middle Arm carries more crime risk (49 vs 39).

Middle Arm Tarlo
Bushfire Low
17/100
 High
71/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Low
39/100
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

Middle Arm Tarlo
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

Middle Arm Tarlo
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 17 8

Mobility

Middle Arm sits further from the CBD (211.3 km vs 207.4 km).

Middle Arm Tarlo
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 211.3 km
+2% vs other
 207.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 147 min 141 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2580
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2580
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.

Middle Arm Tarlo
Car (driver) 75.0% / 83.9%
Middle Arm — Car (driver): 75.0% Tarlo — Car (driver): 83.9%
Worked from Home 17.6% / 16.1%
Middle Arm — Worked from Home: 17.6% Tarlo — Worked from Home: 16.1%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / —
Middle Arm — Car (passenger): 5.4% Tarlo — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.0% / —
Middle Arm — Walked Only: 2.0% Tarlo — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.9%).

Setting

Middle Arm Tarlo
Elevation 817 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 715 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Middle Arm Tarlo
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
97 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Middle Arm Tarlo
Annual rainfall 658 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 2.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Middle Arm Tarlo
PM2.5 4.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.4 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Middle Arm Tarlo
Average residential rate $1,370/yr $636/yr
Council Goulburn Mulwaree Upper Lachlan

Federal electorate

Middle Arm Tarlo
Division Eden-monaro Riverina
Member Kristy Mcbain Michael Mccormack
Party Australian Labor Party The Nationals

First Home Owner Grant

Middle Arm Tarlo
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Middle Arm

Rural

Tarlo

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Middle Arm

Middle Arm vs Goulburn Middle Arm vs Taralga Middle Arm vs Kingsdale Middle Arm vs Wayo Middle Arm vs Myrtleville Middle Arm vs Roslyn

Other comparisons with Tarlo

Tarlo vs Goulburn Tarlo vs Greenwich Park Tarlo vs Towrang Tarlo vs Chatsbury
Full data on Middle Arm Full data on Tarlo
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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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