Pelaw Main vs Stanford Merthyr

Comparing Pelaw Main and Stanford Merthyr, NSW: Stanford Merthyr is more walkable (52 vs 24); Pelaw Main has more residents (1,080 vs 575); and Stanford Merthyr carries more crime risk (73 vs 54).

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

Pelaw Main

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 73/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pelaw Main

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 17%)

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

  • Pelaw Main sits closer to the CBD (145 km vs 147.4 km)
  • Stanford Merthyr is more walkable (52/100 vs 24/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Pelaw Main carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 73/100)
  • Stanford Merthyr is more walkable (52/100 vs 24/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
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.

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Walkability 24 / 52
Pelaw Main — Walkability: 24/100 Stanford Merthyr — Walkability: 52/100
Safety 46 / 27
Pelaw Main — Safety: 46/100 Stanford Merthyr — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 27 / 21
Pelaw Main — Low fire risk: 27/100 Stanford Merthyr — Low fire risk: 21/100

Demographics

Pelaw Main has more residents (1,080 vs 575); Stanford Merthyr has higher household incomes ($69,524 vs $61,048).

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Population 1,080
+47% vs other
 575
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.8% +4.2%
Median age 39 41
Median household income $61,048/yr $69,524/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
0-4 5.0% / 6.8%
Pelaw Main — 0-4: 5.0% Stanford Merthyr — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 14.4% / 11.8%
Pelaw Main — 5-14: 14.4% Stanford Merthyr — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 5.8% / 5.2%
Pelaw Main — 15-19: 5.8% Stanford Merthyr — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 6.9% / 6.3%
Pelaw Main — 20-24: 6.9% Stanford Merthyr — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 12.9% / 13.6%
Pelaw Main — 25-34: 12.9% Stanford Merthyr — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 9.5% / 9.4%
Pelaw Main — 35-44: 9.5% Stanford Merthyr — 35-44: 9.4%
45-54 13.9% / 14.1%
Pelaw Main — 45-54: 13.9% Stanford Merthyr — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 11.7% / 11.1%
Pelaw Main — 55-64: 11.7% Stanford Merthyr — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 13.1% / 14.6%
Pelaw Main — 65-74: 13.1% Stanford Merthyr — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 4.4% / 5.4%
Pelaw Main — 75-84: 4.4% Stanford Merthyr — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.8% / 1.7%
Pelaw Main — 85+: 1.8% Stanford Merthyr — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pelaw Main 39.3% lone person
Pelaw Main — Lone Person: 39.3% Pelaw Main — Couple Families: 32.3% Pelaw Main — One Parent Families: 23.8% Pelaw Main — Group Household: 3.7% Pelaw Main — Other Families: 0.9%
Stanford Merthyr 34.5% lone person
Stanford Merthyr — Lone Person: 34.5% Stanford Merthyr — Couple Families: 32.1% Stanford Merthyr — One Parent Families: 24.8% Stanford Merthyr — Group Household: 5.5% Stanford Merthyr — Other Families: 3.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pelaw Main 29.4% renting
Pelaw Main — Owned Outright: 35.3% Pelaw Main — Mortgage: 35.3% Pelaw Main — Renting: 29.4%
Stanford Merthyr 17.0% renting
Stanford Merthyr — Owned Outright: 44.5% Stanford Merthyr — Mortgage: 38.5% Stanford Merthyr — Renting: 17.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
England 1.7% / 1.0%
Pelaw Main — England: 1.7% Stanford Merthyr — England: 1.0%
Germany 0.4% / 0.9%
Pelaw Main — Germany: 0.4% Stanford Merthyr — Germany: 0.9%
Thailand 0.6% / —
Pelaw Main — Thailand: 0.6% Stanford Merthyr — Thailand: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.5% / —
Pelaw Main — New Zealand: 0.5% Stanford Merthyr — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines 0.4% / —
Pelaw Main — Philippines: 0.4% Stanford Merthyr — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.7%).

Qualifications

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

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Certificate III & IV 21.3% / 24.7%
Pelaw Main — Certificate III & IV: 21.3% Stanford Merthyr — Certificate III & IV: 24.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 5.9%
Pelaw Main — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Stanford Merthyr — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.6% / 4.2%
Pelaw Main — Bachelor Degree: 4.6% Stanford Merthyr — Bachelor Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 0.7%
Pelaw Main — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Stanford Merthyr — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / —
Pelaw Main — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Stanford Merthyr — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pelaw Main 90.1% houses
Pelaw Main — Houses: 90.1% Pelaw Main — Townhouses: 4.2% Pelaw Main — Flats / Apartments: 5.7%
Stanford Merthyr 94.6% houses
Stanford Merthyr — Houses: 94.6% Stanford Merthyr — Townhouses: 3.6% Stanford Merthyr — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Median house price $735,000 $710,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 13 days
from 8 sales
 22 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Pelaw Main has more land zoned for conservation (38% vs 3%); Pelaw Main has more industrially zoned land (31% vs 0%).

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Residential 7% 52%
Environmental 38% 3%
Rural and farming 19% 35%
Industrial 31% 0%
Parks and recreation 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 3%
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

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Houses 2.8%
$480/wk on $885K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
House price Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Income Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 21% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of NSW —

Liveability

Stanford Merthyr is more walkable (52 vs 24).

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Grade D
same for both
Score 18/100 21/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Stanford Merthyr carries more crime risk (73 vs 54).

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Bushfire High
73/100
 High
79/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 High
73/100
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 3
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Pelaw Main

  • Pelaw Main Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Stanford Merthyr

  • Stanford Merthyr Infants School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Parks & reserves 5 1
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Stanford Merthyr sits further from the CBD (147.4 km vs 145 km).

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Walkability score 24/100 52/100
Distance to Sydney 145 km 147.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 108 min 112 min
Public transport score 28/100
Bus
 26/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 4.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2327
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2327
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.

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Car (driver) 80.9% / 81.0%
Pelaw Main — Car (driver): 80.9% Stanford Merthyr — Car (driver): 81.0%
Worked from Home 11.9% / 11.8%
Pelaw Main — Worked from Home: 11.9% Stanford Merthyr — Worked from Home: 11.8%
Car (passenger) 5.2% / 5.6%
Pelaw Main — Car (passenger): 5.2% Stanford Merthyr — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only 1.2% / 1.5%
Pelaw Main — Walked Only: 1.2% Stanford Merthyr — Walked Only: 1.5%
Bus 0.9% / —
Pelaw Main — Bus: 0.9% Stanford Merthyr — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Elevation 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.6 km 25.9 km

NBN connectivity

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Connectivity score 68/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
467 premises
 61%
247 premises

Climate

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
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)

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
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

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pelaw Main Stanford Merthyr
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pelaw Main

Acreage

Stanford Merthyr

Large Blocks Quiet

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Stanford Merthyr

Stanford Merthyr vs Kurri Kurri Stanford Merthyr vs Heddon Greta Stanford Merthyr vs Buchanan
Full data on Pelaw Main Full data on Stanford Merthyr
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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