Middle Brook vs Scone

Scone is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 44 in Middle Brook. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Middle Brook, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Middle Brook: a median of $924,000, against $655,000 in Scone, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Middle Brook tends to suit couples, while Scone suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Middle Brook carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 79/100)
  • Scone has more parks and reserves (11 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Scone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($655,000 vs $923,750)
  • has cheaper land ($300,000 vs $405,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Scone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Scone

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (197 min vs 216 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (274.6 km vs 296.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Middle Brook carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 79/100)
  • Scone is more walkable (71/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Middle Brook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.6% vs 3.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Middle Brook and Scone 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 Brook Scone
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 Brook Scone
Walkability 0 / 71
Middle Brook — Walkability: 0/100 Scone — Walkability: 71/100
Safety 77 / 21
Middle Brook — Safety: 77/100 Scone — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 55 / 60
Middle Brook — Low fire risk: 55/100 Scone — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Scone has more residents (5,824 vs 260); Middle Brook rents higher ($400/wk vs $290/wk).

Middle Brook Scone
Population 260 5,824
+2140% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.6% +3.6%
Median age 44 39
Median household income $102,336/yr
+23% vs other
 $78,364/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+28% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Middle Brook Scone
0-4 6.9% / 5.4%
Middle Brook — 0-4: 6.9% Scone — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 14.6% / 14.3%
Middle Brook — 5-14: 14.6% Scone — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 6.5% / 5.6%
Middle Brook — 15-19: 6.5% Scone — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.6% / 4.8%
Middle Brook — 20-24: 4.6% Scone — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 6.9% / 13.6%
Middle Brook — 25-34: 6.9% Scone — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 13.8% / 12.9%
Middle Brook — 35-44: 13.8% Scone — 35-44: 12.9%
45-54 17.3% / 12.1%
Middle Brook — 45-54: 17.3% Scone — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 12.7% / 11.6%
Middle Brook — 55-64: 12.7% Scone — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 10.0% / 9.6%
Middle Brook — 65-74: 10.0% Scone — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 6.2% / 6.8%
Middle Brook — 75-84: 6.2% Scone — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 1.2% / 3.3%
Middle Brook — 85+: 1.2% Scone — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Middle Brook 66.1% couple families
Middle Brook — Couple Families: 66.1% Middle Brook — Lone Person: 33.9% Middle Brook — One Parent Families: 0.0% Middle Brook — Group Household: 0.0% Middle Brook — Other Families: 0.0%
Scone 38.6% couple families
Scone — Couple Families: 38.6% Scone — Lone Person: 40.0% Scone — One Parent Families: 15.5% Scone — Group Household: 4.5% Scone — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Middle Brook 13.9% renting
Middle Brook — Owned Outright: 45.6% Middle Brook — Mortgage: 40.5% Middle Brook — Renting: 13.9%
Scone 31.8% renting
Scone — Owned Outright: 32.9% Scone — Mortgage: 35.3% Scone — Renting: 31.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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 Brook Scone
New Zealand 3.1% / 1.3%
Middle Brook — New Zealand: 3.1% Scone — New Zealand: 1.3%
England 1.5% / 1.8%
Middle Brook — England: 1.5% Scone — England: 1.8%
China — / 1.8%
Middle Brook — China: not among its largest Scone — China: 1.8%
Ireland 1.2% / 0.5%
Middle Brook — Ireland: 1.2% Scone — Ireland: 0.5%
Philippines — / 1.1%
Middle Brook — Philippines: not among its largest Scone — Philippines: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.1%).

Qualifications

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

Middle Brook Scone
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 18.3%
Middle Brook — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Scone — Certificate III & IV: 18.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.3% / 8.2%
Middle Brook — Bachelor Degree: 7.3% Scone — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 6.1%
Middle Brook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% Scone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 1.7%
Middle Brook — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Scone — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Middle Brook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Scone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Middle Brook 103.4% houses
Middle Brook — Houses: 103.4% Middle Brook — Townhouses: 0.0% Middle Brook — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Scone 84.3% houses
Scone — Houses: 84.3% Scone — Townhouses: 13.3% Scone — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Middle Brook Scone
Median house price $923,750 $655,000
Median unit price — $357,500
Median land price $405,000 $300,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 32 days
from 73 sales

Zoning mix

Middle Brook has more land zoned for conservation (41% vs 14%); Scone has more rural and farming land (73% vs 56%).

Middle Brook Scone
Rural and farming 56% 73%
Environmental 41% 14%
Residential 2% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
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 Brook Scone
New dwellings approved 41
across Upper Hunter
same for both
Approvals change year on year -20%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Middle Brook Scone
Houses — 3.9%
$600/wk on $804K
Units — 5.7%
$450/wk on $408K

Ranking within NSW

Middle Brook Scone
House price Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Income Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 56% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 14% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 91% of NSW

Liveability

Scone is more walkable (71 vs 0).

Middle Brook Scone
Grade — C
Score — 39/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Scone carries more crime risk (79 vs 23).

Middle Brook Scone
Bushfire Moderate
45/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Low
23/100
 High
79/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
83/100
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Middle Brook Scone
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Middle Brook

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

Schools in Scone

  • Scone High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Scone Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Mary's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Scone Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Middle Brook Scone
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 7
Parks & reserves 0 11
Childcare 0 4
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 4
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 5 38

Mobility

Middle Brook sits further from the CBD (296.5 km vs 274.6 km).

Middle Brook Scone
Walkability score 0/100 71/100
Distance to Sydney 296.5 km
+7% vs other
 274.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 216 min 197 min
Public transport score 21/100
Bus
 69/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2337
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2337
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 Brook Scone
Car (driver) 73.5% / 78.4%
Middle Brook — Car (driver): 73.5% Scone — Car (driver): 78.4%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 9.8%
Middle Brook — Worked from Home: 26.5% Scone — Worked from Home: 9.8%
Car (passenger) — / 6.5%
Middle Brook — Car (passenger): not among its largest Scone — Car (passenger): 6.5%
Walked Only — / 3.9%
Middle Brook — Walked Only: not among its largest Scone — Walked Only: 3.9%
Bicycle — / 1.2%
Middle Brook — Bicycle: not among its largest Scone — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.4%).

Setting

Middle Brook Scone
Elevation 429 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 203 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Middle Brook Scone
Connectivity score 30/100 50/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
99 premises
 13%
3,010 premises

Climate

Middle Brook Scone
Annual rainfall 631 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Middle Brook Scone
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 14.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Middle Brook Scone
Average residential rate $968/yr
same for both
Council Upper Hunter
same for both

Federal electorate

Middle Brook Scone
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Middle Brook

Rural

Scone

Affordable Parks River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Middle Brook

Middle Brook vs Parkville Middle Brook vs Upper Dartbrook Middle Brook vs Dry Creek

Other comparisons with Scone

Scone vs Aberdeen Scone vs Parkville Scone vs Segenhoe Scone vs Moobi Scone vs Upper Dartbrook Scone vs Dartbrook
Full data on Middle Brook Full data on Scone
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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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