Nelsons Plains vs Osterley
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 $1.25 million in Osterley, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Nelsons Plains tends to suit families with children, while Osterley suits couples and 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
Osterley
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 67/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 72%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Osterley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($1,250,000 vs $1,975,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Osterley
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 25%)
- has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $553/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Nelsons Plains sits closer to the CBD (170.6 km vs 172.9 km)
- Osterley is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Osterley
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 67/100)
- is more walkable (25/100 vs 14/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Where they sit
Nelsons Plains and Osterley drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Nelsons Plains has more residents (326 vs 132); Nelsons Plains rents higher ($553/wk vs $400/wk).
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 326 +60% vs other | 132 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | — | +12.8% |
| Median age | 48 | 47 |
| Median household income | $117,000/yr | $133,224/yr +14% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $553/wk +28% vs other | $400/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).
Property market
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,975,000 | $1,250,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 96% |
| Environmental | 4% | 3% |
| Residential | 2% | 0% |
| 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
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 495 across Port Stephens same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -72% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 69% of NSW | Higher than 65% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 81% of NSW | Higher than 89% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 63% of NSW | Higher than 72% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 53% of NSW | Higher than 69% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
Liveability
Osterley is more walkable (25 vs 14).
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Nelsons Plains carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0); Nelsons Plains carries more crime risk (67 vs 18).
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 14/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 67/100 | Low 18/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Schools in Nelsons Plains
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Osterley
- Mount Kanwary Public School Government · Primary below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Osterley sits further from the CBD (172.9 km vs 170.6 km).
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 25/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 170.6 km | 172.9 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 126 min | 128 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.1%).
Setting
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 0 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 19 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 13.1 km | 14.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 116 premises | 0% 46 premises |
Climate
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,181 mm | 996 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 28.7°C | 30.0°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 7.5°C | 7.1°C |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,359/yr same for both | |
| Council | Port Stephens same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Nelsons Plains | Osterley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Nelsons Plains
Other comparisons with Osterley
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.