Muswellbrook vs Aberdeen

Muswellbrook is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Aberdeen. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses.

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

Muswellbrook

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (8 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (20 vs 4)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 2)
  • But Aberdeen has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Aberdeen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($232,000 vs $383,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Muswellbrook has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 24%)
  • Aberdeen has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $310/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Muswellbrook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (172 min vs 186 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (243.3 km vs 260.2 km)
  • But Aberdeen is more walkable (59/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Aberdeen

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (59/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (76/100 vs 90/100)
  • But Muswellbrook has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
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.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Walkability 0 / 59
Muswellbrook — Walkability: 0/100 Aberdeen — Walkability: 59/100
Safety 10 / 24
Muswellbrook — Safety: 10/100 Aberdeen — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 63 / 100
Muswellbrook — Low fire risk: 63/100 Aberdeen — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Muswellbrook has more residents (12,272 vs 2,051); Aberdeen skews older (41 vs 35).

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Population 12,272
+83% vs other
 2,051
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.6% -1.6%
Median age 35 41
Median household income $83,356/yr
+11% vs other
 $74,152/yr
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+10% vs other
 $280/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
0-4 6.7% / 5.5%
Muswellbrook — 0-4: 6.7% Aberdeen — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 15.3% / 12.9%
Muswellbrook — 5-14: 15.3% Aberdeen — 5-14: 12.9%
15-19 6.3% / 6.4%
Muswellbrook — 15-19: 6.3% Aberdeen — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 5.7% / 5.5%
Muswellbrook — 20-24: 5.7% Aberdeen — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 15.2% / 11.8%
Muswellbrook — 25-34: 15.2% Aberdeen — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 13.1% / 11.5%
Muswellbrook — 35-44: 13.1% Aberdeen — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 12.5% / 12.9%
Muswellbrook — 45-54: 12.5% Aberdeen — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 11.4% / 14.2%
Muswellbrook — 55-64: 11.4% Aberdeen — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 8.4% / 11.3%
Muswellbrook — 65-74: 8.4% Aberdeen — 65-74: 11.3%
75-84 4.2% / 5.9%
Muswellbrook — 75-84: 4.2% Aberdeen — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 1.5% / 1.8%
Muswellbrook — 85+: 1.5% Aberdeen — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Muswellbrook 39.0% lone person
Muswellbrook — Lone Person: 39.0% Muswellbrook — Couple Families: 36.7% Muswellbrook — One Parent Families: 19.2% Muswellbrook — Group Household: 3.9% Muswellbrook — Other Families: 1.2%
Aberdeen 42.4% lone person
Aberdeen — Lone Person: 42.4% Aberdeen — Couple Families: 39.3% Aberdeen — One Parent Families: 13.4% Aberdeen — Group Household: 3.4% Aberdeen — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Muswellbrook 39.1% renting
Muswellbrook — Owned Outright: 27.1% Muswellbrook — Mortgage: 33.8% Muswellbrook — Renting: 39.1%
Aberdeen 24.5% renting
Aberdeen — Owned Outright: 38.3% Aberdeen — Mortgage: 37.2% Aberdeen — Renting: 24.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Certificate III & IV 19.8% / 21.9%
Muswellbrook — Certificate III & IV: 19.8% Aberdeen — Certificate III & IV: 21.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 3.9%
Muswellbrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Aberdeen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.9% / 3.5%
Muswellbrook — Bachelor Degree: 4.9% Aberdeen — Bachelor Degree: 3.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 0.8%
Muswellbrook — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Aberdeen — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 0.8%
Muswellbrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Aberdeen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

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.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.0%
Muswellbrook — New Zealand: 1.5% Aberdeen — New Zealand: 1.0%
England 1.0% / 1.2%
Muswellbrook — England: 1.0% Aberdeen — England: 1.2%
Philippines 0.9% / 0.2%
Muswellbrook — Philippines: 0.9% Aberdeen — Philippines: 0.2%
India 0.8% / 0.2%
Muswellbrook — India: 0.8% Aberdeen — India: 0.2%
China 0.4% / 0.6%
Muswellbrook — China: 0.4% Aberdeen — China: 0.6%
South Africa 0.3% / 0.4%
Muswellbrook — South Africa: 0.3% Aberdeen — South Africa: 0.4%
Malaysia — / 0.2%
Muswellbrook — Malaysia: not among its largest Aberdeen — Malaysia: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Muswellbrook 87.1% houses
Muswellbrook — Houses: 87.1% Muswellbrook — Townhouses: 11.4% Muswellbrook — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Aberdeen 89.7% houses
Aberdeen — Houses: 89.7% Aberdeen — Townhouses: 5.1% Aberdeen — Flats / Apartments: 5.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Median house price $605,000 $635,000
Median unit price $383,000 $232,000
Median land price $660,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 132 sales
 15 days
from 6 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
3 bed $530K / $622K
Muswellbrook — 3 bed: $530K (139 sales) Aberdeen — 3 bed: $622K (23 sales)

139 vs 23 sales

4 bed $660K / $670K
Muswellbrook — 4 bed: $660K (143 sales) Aberdeen — 4 bed: $670K (15 sales)

143 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Aberdeen has more rural and farming land (71% vs 51%).

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Rural and farming 51% 71%
Infrastructure and transport 21% 4%
Environmental 20% 16%
Residential 5% 6%
Parks and recreation 2%
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

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
New dwellings approved 71
across Muswellbrook
 41
across Upper Hunter
Approvals change year on year +13% -20%

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.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Houses 4.6%
$580/wk on $660K
 4.3%
$580/wk on $700K
Units 4.7%
$380/wk on $420K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
House price Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
Income Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools Higher than 25% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 53% of NSW —

Liveability

Aberdeen is more walkable (59 vs 0); Aberdeen scores higher overall (39 vs 15).

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Grade D C
Score 15/100 39/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Muswellbrook carries more bushfire risk (37 vs 0); Muswellbrook carries more crime risk (90 vs 76).

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Bushfire Low
37/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
76/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Inside the suburb 7 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 5 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Muswellbrook

  • Muswellbrook High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Muswellbrook Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Pacific Brook Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Richard Gill School Independent · Primary at peers
  • St James' Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Muswellbrook South Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Aberdeen

  • St Joseph's Catholic College Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Aberdeen Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Supermarkets 4 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 20 4
Childcare 8 1
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 3 1
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 1
Fuel stations 6 1
Waterways 105 5

Mobility

Aberdeen sits further from the CBD (260.2 km vs 243.3 km).

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Walkability score 0/100 59/100
Distance to Sydney 243.3 km 260.2 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 172 min 186 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 51/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 89.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 20.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2333
 0.2%
postcode 2336
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 2333
 50
postcode 2336

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.

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Car (driver) 81.2% / 83.7%
Muswellbrook — Car (driver): 81.2% Aberdeen — Car (driver): 83.7%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 8.5%
Muswellbrook — Worked from Home: 9.3% Aberdeen — Worked from Home: 8.5%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 4.1%
Muswellbrook — Car (passenger): 6.0% Aberdeen — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 3.0% / 3.0%
Muswellbrook — Walked Only: 3.0% Aberdeen — Walked Only: 3.0%
Bus 0.2% / 0.6%
Muswellbrook — Bus: 0.2% Aberdeen — Bus: 0.6%
Bicycle 0.2% / —
Muswellbrook — Bicycle: 0.2% Aberdeen — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.7%).

Setting

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Elevation 205 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 189 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Connectivity score 72/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 51%
6,664 premises
 40%
980 premises

Climate

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
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)

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³ —
PM10 20.2 µg/m³ 14.9 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.62 pphm —

Council rates

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Average residential rate $936/yr $968/yr
Council Muswellbrook Upper Hunter

Federal electorate

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Muswellbrook Aberdeen
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Muswellbrook

Acreage Affordable Family

Aberdeen

Acreage Affordable Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Muswellbrook

Muswellbrook vs Denman Muswellbrook vs Jerrys Plains Muswellbrook vs Muscle Creek Muswellbrook vs McCullys Gap Muswellbrook vs Castle Rock Muswellbrook vs Mangoola

Other comparisons with Aberdeen

Aberdeen vs Scone Aberdeen vs McCullys Gap Aberdeen vs Segenhoe Aberdeen vs Rouchel Aberdeen vs Dartbrook
Full data on Muswellbrook Full data on Aberdeen
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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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