Paynes Crossing vs Broke

Broke is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 61 in Paynes Crossing. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Paynes Crossing, the large majority of households are people living alone. In Broke, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Broke: a median of $900,000, against $615,000 in Paynes Crossing, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Paynes Crossing tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Broke 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

Broke

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 88/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.

First-home buyers

Paynes Crossing

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($335,500 vs $1,630,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($615,000 vs $900,000)
  • But Broke leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Paynes Crossing

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $365/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Paynes Crossing sits closer to the CBD (149.5 km vs 156.2 km)
  • Broke has a shorter drive in (143 min vs 159 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Paynes Crossing has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 19%)
  • Broke carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 88/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Paynes Crossing Broke
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.

Paynes Crossing Broke
Walkability 0 / 6
Paynes Crossing — Walkability: 0/100 Broke — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 12 / 29
Paynes Crossing — Safety: 12/100 Broke — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 14 / 14
Paynes Crossing — Low fire risk: 14/100 Broke — Low fire risk: 14/100

Demographics

Broke has more residents (557 vs 50); Paynes Crossing skews older (61 vs 43).

Paynes Crossing Broke
Population 50 557
+1014% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — -3.8%
Median age 61 43
Median household income $71,448/yr $89,336/yr
+25% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk $365/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Paynes Crossing Broke
0-4 — / 5.4%
Paynes Crossing — 0-4: not among its largest Broke — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 10.0% / 14.0%
Paynes Crossing — 5-14: 10.0% Broke — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 16.0% / 4.1%
Paynes Crossing — 15-19: 16.0% Broke — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 — / 5.2%
Paynes Crossing — 20-24: not among its largest Broke — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 10.0% / 8.4%
Paynes Crossing — 25-34: 10.0% Broke — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 6.0% / 15.3%
Paynes Crossing — 35-44: 6.0% Broke — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 8.0% / 16.2%
Paynes Crossing — 45-54: 8.0% Broke — 45-54: 16.2%
55-64 10.0% / 14.2%
Paynes Crossing — 55-64: 10.0% Broke — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 22.0% / 15.1%
Paynes Crossing — 65-74: 22.0% Broke — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 18.0% / 3.9%
Paynes Crossing — 75-84: 18.0% Broke — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ — / —
Paynes Crossing — 85+: not among its largest Broke — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Paynes Crossing 100.0% lone person
Paynes Crossing — Lone Person: 100.0% Paynes Crossing — Couple Families: 0.0% Paynes Crossing — One Parent Families: 0.0% Paynes Crossing — Group Household: 0.0%
Broke 34.9% lone person
Broke — Lone Person: 34.9% Broke — Couple Families: 45.6% Broke — One Parent Families: 16.1% Broke — Group Household: 3.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Paynes Crossing 0.0% renting
Paynes Crossing — Owned Outright: 100.0% Paynes Crossing — Mortgage: 0.0% Paynes Crossing — Renting: 0.0%
Broke 14.4% renting
Broke — Owned Outright: 36.1% Broke — Mortgage: 49.5% Broke — Renting: 14.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Paynes Crossing Broke
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 19.9%
Paynes Crossing — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Broke — Certificate III & IV: 19.9%
Bachelor Degree 14.0% / 8.4%
Paynes Crossing — Bachelor Degree: 14.0% Broke — Bachelor Degree: 8.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 6.8%
Paynes Crossing — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Broke — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 8.0% / 2.2%
Paynes Crossing — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0% Broke — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Paynes Crossing Broke
England 14.0% / 3.4%
Paynes Crossing — England: 14.0% Broke — England: 3.4%
Germany 14.0% / —
Paynes Crossing — Germany: 14.0% Broke — Germany: not among its largest
New Zealand 8.0% / 1.3%
Paynes Crossing — New Zealand: 8.0% Broke — New Zealand: 1.3%
South Africa — / 1.4%
Paynes Crossing — South Africa: not among its largest Broke — South Africa: 1.4%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Paynes Crossing — Philippines: not among its largest Broke — Philippines: 1.3%
Ireland — / 0.7%
Paynes Crossing — Ireland: not among its largest Broke — Ireland: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Paynes Crossing 100.0% houses
Paynes Crossing — Houses: 100.0% Paynes Crossing — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Broke 96.1% houses
Broke — Houses: 96.1% Broke — Flats / Apartments: 3.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Paynes Crossing Broke
Median house price $615,000 $900,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $335,500 $1,630,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 180 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Paynes Crossing has more land zoned for conservation (71% vs 25%); Broke has more rural and farming land (73% vs 29%).

Paynes Crossing Broke
Rural and farming 29% 73%
Environmental 71% 25%
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

Paynes Crossing Broke
New dwellings approved 121
across Singleton
same for both
Approvals change year on year +46%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Paynes Crossing Broke
House price Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW

Liveability

Paynes Crossing Broke
Grade — D
Score — 20/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Paynes Crossing carries more crime risk (88 vs 71).

Paynes Crossing Broke
Bushfire High
86/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 High
71/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Paynes Crossing Broke
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Paynes Crossing

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

Schools in Broke

  • Broke Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Paynes Crossing Broke
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 22 13

Mobility

Broke sits further from the CBD (156.2 km vs 149.5 km).

Paynes Crossing Broke
Walkability score 0/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 149.5 km 156.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 159 min 143 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2325
 0.2%
postcode 2330
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2325
 54
postcode 2330

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.

Paynes Crossing Broke
Car (driver) 63.6% / 68.2%
Paynes Crossing — Car (driver): 63.6% Broke — Car (driver): 68.2%
Worked from Home 36.4% / 21.7%
Paynes Crossing — Worked from Home: 36.4% Broke — Worked from Home: 21.7%
Car (passenger) — / 5.6%
Paynes Crossing — Car (passenger): not among its largest Broke — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only — / 4.5%
Paynes Crossing — Walked Only: not among its largest Broke — Walked Only: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).

Setting

Paynes Crossing Broke
Elevation 165 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 84 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Paynes Crossing Broke
Connectivity score 15/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
60 premises
 0%
286 premises

Climate

Paynes Crossing Broke
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Paynes Crossing Broke
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 16.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Paynes Crossing Broke
Average residential rate $1,287/yr
same for both
Council Singleton
same for both

Federal electorate

Paynes Crossing Broke
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Paynes Crossing Broke
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Paynes Crossing

Affordable Retirees Rural

Broke

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Paynes Crossing

Paynes Crossing vs Laguna Paynes Crossing vs Wollombi Paynes Crossing vs Howes Valley

Other comparisons with Broke

Broke vs Pokolbin Broke vs Singleton Military Area Broke vs Bulga Broke vs Milbrodale Broke vs Fordwich Broke vs Mount Thorley
Full data on Paynes Crossing Full data on Broke
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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