Middle Dural vs Arcadia

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 Middle Dural: a median of $3.81 million, against $3.23 million in Arcadia, and rent is higher there too. Middle Dural is closer to the city centre: 39.7 km, against 44.5 km. On these figures, Arcadia 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

Arcadia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 35/100)

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

First-home buyers

Arcadia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($3,225,000 vs $3,814,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Arcadia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($485/wk vs $650/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Middle Dural

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (45 min vs 53 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (39.7 km vs 44.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Arcadia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 35/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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 Dural and Arcadia 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 Dural Arcadia
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 Dural Arcadia
Walkability 25 / 25
Middle Dural — Walkability: 25/100 Arcadia — Walkability: 25/100
Safety 65 / 80
Middle Dural — Safety: 65/100 Arcadia — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 100 / 38
Middle Dural — Low fire risk: 100/100 Arcadia — Low fire risk: 38/100

Demographics

Arcadia has more residents (1,475 vs 1,040); Middle Dural rents higher ($650/wk vs $485/wk).

Middle Dural Arcadia
Population 1,040 1,475
+42% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.2% +6.5%
Median age 46
same for both
Median household income $159,484/yr
+13% vs other
 $138,268/yr
Median weekly rent $650/wk
+25% vs other
 $485/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Middle Dural Arcadia
0-4 3.8% / 4.3%
Middle Dural — 0-4: 3.8% Arcadia — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 14.1% / 12.5%
Middle Dural — 5-14: 14.1% Arcadia — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 7.0% / 9.0%
Middle Dural — 15-19: 7.0% Arcadia — 15-19: 9.0%
20-24 7.3% / 4.7%
Middle Dural — 20-24: 7.3% Arcadia — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 9.4% / 8.7%
Middle Dural — 25-34: 9.4% Arcadia — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 7.7% / 9.4%
Middle Dural — 35-44: 7.7% Arcadia — 35-44: 9.4%
45-54 14.7% / 15.1%
Middle Dural — 45-54: 14.7% Arcadia — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 13.8% / 14.4%
Middle Dural — 55-64: 13.8% Arcadia — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 11.9% / 12.1%
Middle Dural — 65-74: 11.9% Arcadia — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 7.3% / 8.1%
Middle Dural — 75-84: 7.3% Arcadia — 75-84: 8.1%
85+ 2.3% / 1.9%
Middle Dural — 85+: 2.3% Arcadia — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Middle Dural 71.5% couple families
Middle Dural — Couple Families: 71.5% Middle Dural — Lone Person: 15.0% Middle Dural — One Parent Families: 13.6% Middle Dural — Group Household: 0.0%
Arcadia 65.5% couple families
Arcadia — Couple Families: 65.5% Arcadia — Lone Person: 19.3% Arcadia — One Parent Families: 13.0% Arcadia — Group Household: 2.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Middle Dural 11.3% renting
Middle Dural — Owned Outright: 57.2% Middle Dural — Mortgage: 31.4% Middle Dural — Renting: 11.3%
Arcadia 11.7% renting
Arcadia — Owned Outright: 48.2% Arcadia — Mortgage: 40.1% Arcadia — Renting: 11.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Middle Dural Arcadia
Bachelor Degree 15.1% / 15.7%
Middle Dural — Bachelor Degree: 15.1% Arcadia — Bachelor Degree: 15.7%
Certificate III & IV 14.4% / 13.4%
Middle Dural — Certificate III & IV: 14.4% Arcadia — Certificate III & IV: 13.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.1% / 9.8%
Middle Dural — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1% Arcadia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 6.0%
Middle Dural — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Arcadia — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 2.3%
Middle Dural — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Arcadia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

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 Dural Arcadia
England 4.4% / 4.8%
Middle Dural — England: 4.4% Arcadia — England: 4.8%
Italy 2.8% / 0.8%
Middle Dural — Italy: 2.8% Arcadia — Italy: 0.8%
China 2.1% / 0.9%
Middle Dural — China: 2.1% Arcadia — China: 0.9%
Lebanon 1.6% / 0.7%
Middle Dural — Lebanon: 1.6% Arcadia — Lebanon: 0.7%
India 2.1% / —
Middle Dural — India: 2.1% Arcadia — India: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 2.0%
Middle Dural — New Zealand: not among its largest Arcadia — New Zealand: 2.0%
South Africa 0.9% / 1.0%
Middle Dural — South Africa: 0.9% Arcadia — South Africa: 1.0%
Scotland — / 0.9%
Middle Dural — Scotland: not among its largest Arcadia — Scotland: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Middle Dural 99.0% houses
Middle Dural — Houses: 99.0% Middle Dural — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Arcadia 98.9% houses
Arcadia — Houses: 98.9% Arcadia — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Middle Dural Arcadia
Median house price $3,814,000 $3,225,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $3,475,000 $3,612,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 103 days
from 8 sales
 64 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Middle Dural has more rural and farming land (97% vs 51%); Arcadia has more land zoned for conservation (44% vs 1%).

Middle Dural Arcadia
Rural and farming 97% 51%
Environmental 1% 44%
Parks and recreation 1% 4%
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 Dural Arcadia
New dwellings approved 2,648
across The Hills
 260
across Hornsby
Approvals change year on year -4% -79%

Ranking within NSW

Middle Dural Arcadia
House price Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Income Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 72% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 10% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW

Liveability

Middle Dural scores higher overall (74 vs 62).

Middle Dural Arcadia
Grade A B
Score 74/100 62/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Arcadia carries more bushfire risk (62 vs 0); Middle Dural carries more crime risk (35 vs 20).

Middle Dural Arcadia
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
62/100
Crime Low
35/100
 Low
20/100
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 Dural Arcadia
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Middle Dural

  • Middle Dural Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Arcadia

  • Arcadia Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Middle Dural Arcadia
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 1 2
GPs 0 1
Waterways 5 8

Mobility

Arcadia sits further from the CBD (44.5 km vs 39.7 km).

Middle Dural Arcadia
Walkability score 25/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 39.7 km 44.5 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 45 min 53 min
Public transport score 69/100
Bus
 63/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 35.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 2158
 1.4%
postcode 2159
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 2158
 53
postcode 2159

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 Dural Arcadia
Worked from Home 45.1% / 49.8%
Middle Dural — Worked from Home: 45.1% Arcadia — Worked from Home: 49.8%
Car (driver) 47.8% / 43.7%
Middle Dural — Car (driver): 47.8% Arcadia — Car (driver): 43.7%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 3.1%
Middle Dural — Car (passenger): 3.4% Arcadia — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Walked Only 3.0% / 2.7%
Middle Dural — Walked Only: 3.0% Arcadia — Walked Only: 2.7%
Bicycle — / 0.8%
Middle Dural — Bicycle: not among its largest Arcadia — Bicycle: 0.8%
Bus 0.7% / —
Middle Dural — Bus: 0.7% Arcadia — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.8%).

Setting

Middle Dural Arcadia
Elevation 149 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 191 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.5 km 15.0 km

NBN connectivity

Middle Dural Arcadia
Connectivity score 96/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 81%
343 premises
 52%
489 premises

Climate

Middle Dural Arcadia
Annual rainfall 932 mm 1,176 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Middle Dural Arcadia
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

Middle Dural Arcadia
Average residential rate $1,204/yr $1,488/yr
Council The Hills Hornsby

Federal electorate

Middle Dural Arcadia
Division Berowra
same for both
Member Julian Leeser
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Middle Dural

Acreage Luxury Outer

Arcadia

Acreage Outer Premium River

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Arcadia

Arcadia vs Glenorie Arcadia vs Galston Arcadia vs Fiddletown Arcadia vs Berrilee Arcadia vs Berowra Waters
Full data on Middle Dural Full data on Arcadia
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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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