Millers Forest vs Nelsons Plains

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 Nelsons Plains: a median of $1.98 million, against $1.45 million in Millers Forest, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Millers Forest tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Nelsons Plains suits families with children.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Millers Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,450,000 vs $1,975,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Millers Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (17% vs 3%)
  • has cheaper rent ($395/wk vs $553/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Millers Forest

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (119 min vs 126 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (162.8 km vs 170.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Millers Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
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.

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Walkability 25 / 14
Millers Forest — Walkability: 25/100 Nelsons Plains — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 36 / 33
Millers Forest — Safety: 36/100 Nelsons Plains — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 86
Millers Forest — Low fire risk: 100/100 Nelsons Plains — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Nelsons Plains rents higher ($553/wk vs $395/wk); Nelsons Plains has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $102,492).

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Population 357
+9% vs other
 326
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.6% —
Median age 47 48
Median household income $102,492/yr $117,000/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $395/wk $553/wk
+40% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
0-4 3.9% / 6.4%
Millers Forest — 0-4: 3.9% Nelsons Plains — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 8.4% / 15.6%
Millers Forest — 5-14: 8.4% Nelsons Plains — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 7.0% / 7.1%
Millers Forest — 15-19: 7.0% Nelsons Plains — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 4.8% / 3.4%
Millers Forest — 20-24: 4.8% Nelsons Plains — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 10.9% / 4.9%
Millers Forest — 25-34: 10.9% Nelsons Plains — 25-34: 4.9%
35-44 9.5% / 10.1%
Millers Forest — 35-44: 9.5% Nelsons Plains — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 14.3% / 14.1%
Millers Forest — 45-54: 14.3% Nelsons Plains — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 16.8% / 16.9%
Millers Forest — 55-64: 16.8% Nelsons Plains — 55-64: 16.9%
65-74 14.0% / 15.6%
Millers Forest — 65-74: 14.0% Nelsons Plains — 65-74: 15.6%
75-84 7.0% / 3.7%
Millers Forest — 75-84: 7.0% Nelsons Plains — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.7% / 2.1%
Millers Forest — 85+: 1.7% Nelsons Plains — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Millers Forest 58.8% couple families
Millers Forest — Couple Families: 58.8% Millers Forest — Lone Person: 13.2% Millers Forest — One Parent Families: 20.6% Millers Forest — Other Families: 7.4%
Nelsons Plains 66.0% couple families
Nelsons Plains — Couple Families: 66.0% Nelsons Plains — Lone Person: 16.0% Nelsons Plains — One Parent Families: 6.0% Nelsons Plains — Other Families: 12.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Millers Forest 16.7% renting
Millers Forest — Owned Outright: 45.6% Millers Forest — Mortgage: 37.7% Millers Forest — Renting: 16.7%
Nelsons Plains 3.2% renting
Nelsons Plains — Owned Outright: 50.5% Nelsons Plains — Mortgage: 46.2% Nelsons Plains — Renting: 3.2%
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.

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
England 1.1% / 1.2%
Millers Forest — England: 1.1% Nelsons Plains — England: 1.2%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.2%
Millers Forest — New Zealand: 0.8% Nelsons Plains — New Zealand: 1.2%
Scotland 0.8% / —
Millers Forest — Scotland: 0.8% Nelsons Plains — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.2%).

Qualifications

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

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Certificate III & IV 24.9% / 17.2%
Millers Forest — Certificate III & IV: 24.9% Nelsons Plains — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 10.4%
Millers Forest — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Nelsons Plains — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 7.1%
Millers Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Nelsons Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 2.1%
Millers Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Nelsons Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 2.1%
Millers Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Nelsons Plains — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Millers Forest 90.9% houses
Millers Forest — Houses: 90.9% Millers Forest — Flats / Apartments: 9.1%
Nelsons Plains 98.9% houses
Nelsons Plains — Houses: 98.9% Nelsons Plains — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Median house price $1,450,000 $1,975,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Rural and farming 89% 93%
Environmental 11% 4%
Residential 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

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
 495
across Port Stephens
Approvals change year on year +20% -72%

Ranking within NSW

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
House price Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Income Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW

Liveability

Millers Forest is more walkable (25 vs 14).

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Nelsons Plains carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0).

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
14/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
67/100
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 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Millers Forest

  • Millers Forest Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Nelsons Plains

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

Amenities in the suburb

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 12 0

Mobility

Nelsons Plains sits further from the CBD (170.6 km vs 162.8 km).

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Walkability score 25/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 162.8 km 170.6 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 119 min 126 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2324
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2324
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.

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Car (driver) 59.1% / 57.7%
Millers Forest — Car (driver): 59.1% Nelsons Plains — Car (driver): 57.7%
Worked from Home 26.0% / 29.2%
Millers Forest — Worked from Home: 26.0% Nelsons Plains — Worked from Home: 29.2%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / 8.5%
Millers Forest — Car (passenger): 6.5% Nelsons Plains — Car (passenger): 8.5%
Walked Only 8.4% / 4.6%
Millers Forest — Walked Only: 8.4% Nelsons Plains — Walked Only: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.1%).

Setting

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.4 km 13.1 km

NBN connectivity

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
137 premises
 0%
116 premises

Climate

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.72 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Average residential rate $1,908/yr $1,359/yr
Council Maitland Port Stephens

Federal electorate

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Division Paterson Lyne
Member Meryl Swanson Alison Penfold
Party Australian Labor Party The Nationals

First Home Owner Grant

Millers Forest Nelsons Plains
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Millers Forest

River Rural

Nelsons Plains

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Millers Forest

Millers Forest vs Raymond Terrace Millers Forest vs Thornton Millers Forest vs Woodberry Millers Forest vs Heatherbrae Millers Forest vs Hinton Millers Forest vs Berry Park

Other comparisons with Nelsons Plains

Nelsons Plains vs Raymond Terrace Nelsons Plains vs Wallalong Nelsons Plains vs Seaham Nelsons Plains vs Brandy Hill Nelsons Plains vs Hinton Nelsons Plains vs Eagleton
Full data on Millers Forest Full data on Nelsons Plains
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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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