Orchard Hills vs St Marys

St Marys is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 47 in Orchard Hills. In Orchard Hills, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In St Marys, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Orchard Hills: a median of $3.1 million, against $1.05 million in St Marys, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Orchard Hills tends to suit couples and older residents, while St Marys suits renters, people living alone, and 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

Orchard Hills

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 51%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 55%)
  • But St Marys has more parks and reserves (17 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

St Marys

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $3,105,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Marys

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $450/wk)
  • But Orchard Hills leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

St Marys

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

St Marys

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (49% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • But Orchard Hills has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 13%)

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

Investors

St Marys

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.7% vs -4.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Orchard Hills St Marys
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.

Orchard Hills St Marys
Walkability 0 / 79
Orchard Hills — Walkability: 0/100 St Marys — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 34 / 8
Orchard Hills — Safety: 34/100 St Marys — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 34 / 81
Orchard Hills — Low fire risk: 34/100 St Marys — Low fire risk: 81/100

Demographics

St Marys has more residents (13,256 vs 1,798); Orchard Hills has higher household incomes ($118,508 vs $74,724).

Orchard Hills St Marys
Population 1,798 13,256
+637% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.2% +8.7%
Median age 47 34
Median household income $118,508/yr
+37% vs other
 $74,724/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+19% vs other
 $365/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Orchard Hills St Marys
0-4 3.5% / 8.2%
Orchard Hills — 0-4: 3.5% St Marys — 0-4: 8.2%
5-14 10.7% / 13.1%
Orchard Hills — 5-14: 10.7% St Marys — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 7.1% / 5.0%
Orchard Hills — 15-19: 7.1% St Marys — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 8.5% / 6.8%
Orchard Hills — 20-24: 8.5% St Marys — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 9.4% / 17.0%
Orchard Hills — 25-34: 9.4% St Marys — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 8.7% / 14.8%
Orchard Hills — 35-44: 8.7% St Marys — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 15.0% / 12.1%
Orchard Hills — 45-54: 15.0% St Marys — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 16.6% / 10.3%
Orchard Hills — 55-64: 16.6% St Marys — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 10.6% / 7.5%
Orchard Hills — 65-74: 10.6% St Marys — 65-74: 7.5%
75-84 8.0% / 3.8%
Orchard Hills — 75-84: 8.0% St Marys — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 2.2% / 1.4%
Orchard Hills — 85+: 2.2% St Marys — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Orchard Hills 62.1% couple families
Orchard Hills — Couple Families: 62.1% Orchard Hills — Lone Person: 19.2% Orchard Hills — One Parent Families: 16.0% Orchard Hills — Group Household: 1.0% Orchard Hills — Other Families: 1.7%
St Marys 33.7% couple families
St Marys — Couple Families: 33.7% St Marys — Lone Person: 37.5% St Marys — One Parent Families: 21.3% St Marys — Group Household: 4.9% St Marys — Other Families: 2.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Orchard Hills 14.6% renting
Orchard Hills — Owned Outright: 59.6% Orchard Hills — Mortgage: 25.8% Orchard Hills — Renting: 14.6%
St Marys 54.2% renting
St Marys — Owned Outright: 18.4% St Marys — Mortgage: 27.4% St Marys — Renting: 54.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Orchard Hills St Marys
Certificate III & IV 16.6% / 12.7%
Orchard Hills — Certificate III & IV: 16.6% St Marys — Certificate III & IV: 12.7%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 8.5%
Orchard Hills — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% St Marys — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.5% / 6.1%
Orchard Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5% St Marys — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 3.2%
Orchard Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% St Marys — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 0.7%
Orchard Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% St Marys — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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.

Orchard Hills St Marys
India 1.1% / 3.7%
Orchard Hills — India: 1.1% St Marys — India: 3.7%
Philippines — / 4.6%
Orchard Hills — Philippines: not among its largest St Marys — Philippines: 4.6%
England 2.5% / 1.5%
Orchard Hills — England: 2.5% St Marys — England: 1.5%
New Zealand — / 3.7%
Orchard Hills — New Zealand: not among its largest St Marys — New Zealand: 3.7%
Italy 2.3% / —
Orchard Hills — Italy: 2.3% St Marys — Italy: not among its largest
Fiji 0.6% / 1.5%
Orchard Hills — Fiji: 0.6% St Marys — Fiji: 1.5%
Lebanon 1.8% / —
Orchard Hills — Lebanon: 1.8% St Marys — Lebanon: not among its largest
Scotland 0.8% / —
Orchard Hills — Scotland: 0.8% St Marys — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Orchard Hills 96.8% houses
Orchard Hills — Houses: 96.8% Orchard Hills — Townhouses: 2.2% Orchard Hills — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
St Marys 51.2% houses
St Marys — Houses: 51.2% St Marys — Townhouses: 30.0% St Marys — Flats / Apartments: 18.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Orchard Hills St Marys
Median house price $3,105,000 $1,050,000
Median unit price — $535,000
Median land price $905,000 $820,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 5 sales
 20 days
from 121 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.

Orchard Hills St Marys
4 bed $4.04M / $1.16M
Orchard Hills — 4 bed: $4.04M (6 sales) St Marys — 4 bed: $1.16M (39 sales)

6 vs 39 sales

5 bed $4.25M / $1.45M
Orchard Hills — 5 bed: $4.25M (8 sales) St Marys — 5 bed: $1.45M (9 sales)

8 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

Orchard Hills has more land zoned for conservation (43% vs 5%); Orchard Hills has more rural and farming land (33% vs 0%).

Orchard Hills St Marys
Environmental 43% 5%
Residential 3% 38%
Rural and farming 33% 0%
Industrial 3% 28%
Parks and recreation 6% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 7%
Other and special use 0% 5%
Planning zones cover 99% of Orchard Hills and 100% of St Marys. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Orchard Hills St Marys
New dwellings approved 1,063
across Penrith
same for both
Approvals change year on year -78%
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.

Orchard Hills St Marys
Houses — 3.7%
$600/wk on $850K
Units — 5.0%
$480/wk on $502K

Ranking within NSW

Orchard Hills St Marys
House price Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Income Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Schools Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 54% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

St Marys is more walkable (79 vs 0).

Orchard Hills St Marys
Grade C
same for both
Score 38/100 34/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Orchard Hills carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 19); St Marys carries more crime risk (92 vs 66).

Orchard Hills St Marys
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 Low
19/100
Crime Moderate
66/100
 High
92/100
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 4
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Orchard Hills St Marys
Inside the suburb 4
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Western Sydney University - Penrith, 4.9 km
 1
Western Sydney University - Penrith, 4.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 1.3%

Schools in Orchard Hills

  • Montgrove College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Orchard Hills Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Penrith Anglican College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Penrith Christian School Independent · Combined at peers

Schools in St Marys

  • Our Lady of The Rosary Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • St Marys Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Marys South Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Marys Senior High School Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Orchard Hills St Marys
Supermarkets 0 7
Cafes & restaurants 2 23
Parks & reserves 3 17
Childcare 7 16
GPs 0 6
Pharmacies 1 8
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 5
Waterways 26 13

Mobility

Orchard Hills St Marys
Walkability score 0/100 79/100
Distance to Sydney 51.4 km
+2% vs other
 50.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 51 min 50 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 52.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 417.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 2748
 0.6%
postcode 2760
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2748
 34
postcode 2760

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.

Orchard Hills St Marys
Car (driver) 57.0% / 60.7%
Orchard Hills — Car (driver): 57.0% St Marys — Car (driver): 60.7%
Worked from Home 36.4% / 25.0%
Orchard Hills — Worked from Home: 36.4% St Marys — Worked from Home: 25.0%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 6.0%
Orchard Hills — Car (passenger): 3.7% St Marys — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Train 0.9% / 5.5%
Orchard Hills — Train: 0.9% St Marys — Train: 5.5%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.3%
Orchard Hills — Walked Only: 2.0% St Marys — Walked Only: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.7%).

Setting

Orchard Hills St Marys
Elevation 49 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 42.8 km 42.1 km

NBN connectivity

Orchard Hills St Marys
Connectivity score 67/100 85/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
711 premises
 35%
7,260 premises

Climate

Orchard Hills St Marys
Annual rainfall 822 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Orchard Hills St Marys
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.55 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Orchard Hills St Marys
Average residential rate $1,547/yr
same for both
Council Penrith
same for both

Federal electorate

Orchard Hills St Marys
Division Lindsay
same for both
Member Melissa Mcintosh
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Orchard Hills St Marys
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Orchard Hills

Acreage Outer

St Marys

Multicultural Outer Parks Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Orchard Hills

Orchard Hills vs Glenmore Park Orchard Hills vs St Clair Orchard Hills vs South Penrith Orchard Hills vs Kingswood Orchard Hills vs Erskine Park Orchard Hills vs Claremont Meadows

Other comparisons with St Marys

St Marys vs St Clair St Marys vs Jordan Springs St Marys vs Colyton St Marys vs Ropes Crossing St Marys vs Werrington St Marys vs Claremont Meadows
Full data on Orchard Hills Full data on St Marys
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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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