Paterson vs Vacy
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 Vacy: a median of $1.09 million, against $940,000 in Paterson, though rent is higher in Paterson.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Paterson has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
- Vacy 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
Paterson
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper land ($662,500 vs $873,000)
- has cheaper houses ($940,000 vs $1,091,250)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Vacy
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($265/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Paterson
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (141 min vs 148 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (184.4 km vs 191.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Vacy
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (15.0% vs 7.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Paterson and Vacy 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
Paterson has more residents (960 vs 719); Paterson rents higher ($300/wk vs $265/wk).
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 960 +25% vs other | 719 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.6% | +15.0% |
| Median age | 41 | 42 |
| Median household income | $99,164/yr +5% vs other | $93,756/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +12% vs other | $265/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $940,000 | $1,091,250 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $662,500 | $873,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 34 days from 6 sales | 72 days from 8 sales |
Zoning mix
Vacy has more rural and farming land (86% vs 71%); Paterson has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 5%).
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 71% | 86% |
| Environmental | 19% | 5% |
| Residential | 9% 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
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 55 across Dungog same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -23% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 49% of NSW | Higher than 58% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 68% of NSW | Higher than 61% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 54% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 65% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 28% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 53% of NSW | Higher than 57% of NSW |
Liveability
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C same for both | |
| Score | 41/100 | 44/100 |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | Low 33/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 54/100 | Moderate 45/100 |
| 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
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Paterson
- Paterson Public School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Vacy
- Vacy Public School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 | 0 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 same for both | |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 0 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 10 | 9 |
Mobility
Vacy sits further from the CBD (191.8 km vs 184.4 km).
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 10/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 184.4 km | 191.8 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 141 min | 148 min |
| Public transport score | 36/100 Rail · Bus | 29/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 10.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 9.5 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 2421 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 78 postcode 2421 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 (71.2%).
Setting
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 46 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 31 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 31.1 km | 38.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 389 premises | 0% 287 premises |
Climate
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 996 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 7.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,646/yr same for both | |
| Council | Dungog same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Paterson | Vacy | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Paterson
Other comparisons with Vacy
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.