Richmond Vale vs Pelaw Main

Pelaw Main is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 43 in Richmond Vale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Richmond Vale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Richmond Vale tends to suit couples.

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 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 99/100)

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

First-home buyers

Richmond Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 28%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Richmond Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $310/wk)
  • But Pelaw Main 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

  • Richmond Vale sits closer to the CBD (142 km vs 145 km)
  • Pelaw Main is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pelaw Main

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 99/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 12%)

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

Investors

Richmond Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.1% vs 5.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
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.

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Walkability 0 / 24
Richmond Vale — Walkability: 0/100 Pelaw Main — Walkability: 24/100
Safety 1 / 46
Richmond Vale — Safety: 1/100 Pelaw Main — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 37 / 27
Richmond Vale — Low fire risk: 37/100 Pelaw Main — Low fire risk: 27/100

Demographics

Pelaw Main has more residents (1,080 vs 95); Richmond Vale has higher household incomes ($162,448 vs $61,048).

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Population 95 1,080
+1037% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.1% +5.8%
Median age 43 39
Median household income $162,448/yr
+62% vs other
 $61,048/yr
Median weekly rent $240/wk $310/wk
+29% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
0-4 7.4% / 5.0%
Richmond Vale — 0-4: 7.4% Pelaw Main — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 15.8% / 14.4%
Richmond Vale — 5-14: 15.8% Pelaw Main — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 3.2% / 5.8%
Richmond Vale — 15-19: 3.2% Pelaw Main — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 3.2% / 6.9%
Richmond Vale — 20-24: 3.2% Pelaw Main — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 8.4% / 12.9%
Richmond Vale — 25-34: 8.4% Pelaw Main — 25-34: 12.9%
35-44 9.5% / 9.5%
Richmond Vale — 35-44: 9.5% Pelaw Main — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 10.5% / 13.9%
Richmond Vale — 45-54: 10.5% Pelaw Main — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 31.6% / 11.7%
Richmond Vale — 55-64: 31.6% Pelaw Main — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 11.6% / 13.1%
Richmond Vale — 65-74: 11.6% Pelaw Main — 65-74: 13.1%
75-84 — / 4.4%
Richmond Vale — 75-84: not among its largest Pelaw Main — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ — / 1.8%
Richmond Vale — 85+: not among its largest Pelaw Main — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Richmond Vale 60.0% couple families
Richmond Vale — Couple Families: 60.0% Richmond Vale — Lone Person: 40.0% Richmond Vale — One Parent Families: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Group Household: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Other Families: 0.0%
Pelaw Main 32.3% couple families
Pelaw Main — Couple Families: 32.3% Pelaw Main — Lone Person: 39.3% Pelaw Main — One Parent Families: 23.8% Pelaw Main — Group Household: 3.7% Pelaw Main — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Richmond Vale 17.2% renting
Richmond Vale — Owned Outright: 44.8% Richmond Vale — Mortgage: 37.9% Richmond Vale — Renting: 17.2%
Pelaw Main 29.4% renting
Pelaw Main — Owned Outright: 35.3% Pelaw Main — Mortgage: 35.3% Pelaw Main — Renting: 29.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Richmond Vale 100.0% houses
Richmond Vale — Houses: 100.0% Richmond Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Richmond Vale — Townhouses: 0.0%
Pelaw Main 90.1% houses
Pelaw Main — Houses: 90.1% Pelaw Main — Flats / Apartments: 5.7% Pelaw Main — Townhouses: 4.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Certificate III & IV 17.9% / 21.3%
Richmond Vale — Certificate III & IV: 17.9% Pelaw Main — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Bachelor Degree 11.6% / 4.6%
Richmond Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.6% Pelaw Main — Bachelor Degree: 4.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 4.7%
Richmond Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Pelaw Main — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.2% / 0.7%
Richmond Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2% Pelaw Main — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.8%
Richmond Vale — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Pelaw Main — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Property market

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Median house price — $735,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $462,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) — 13 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

Richmond Vale has more rural and farming land (74% vs 19%); Pelaw Main has more industrially zoned land (31% vs 2%).

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Rural and farming 74% 19%
Environmental 22% 38%
Industrial 2% 31%
Residential 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 6%
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

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
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.

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

Ranking within NSW

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
House price — Higher than 27% of NSW
Income Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 52% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 15% of NSW

Liveability

Pelaw Main is more walkable (24 vs 0).

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Grade — D
Score — 18/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Richmond Vale carries more crime risk (99 vs 54); Pelaw Main carries more bushfire risk (73 vs 63).

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Bushfire Moderate
63/100
 High
73/100
Crime High
99/100
 Moderate
54/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
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 Richmond Vale

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

Schools in Pelaw Main

  • Pelaw Main Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Pelaw Main sits further from the CBD (145 km vs 142 km).

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Walkability score 0/100 24/100
Distance to Sydney 142 km 145 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 107 min 108 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2323
 0.2%
postcode 2327
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2323
 40
postcode 2327

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.

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Car (driver) 77.8% / 80.9%
Richmond Vale — Car (driver): 77.8% Pelaw Main — Car (driver): 80.9%
Worked from Home 11.1% / 11.9%
Richmond Vale — Worked from Home: 11.1% Pelaw Main — Worked from Home: 11.9%
Walked Only 11.1% / 1.2%
Richmond Vale — Walked Only: 11.1% Pelaw Main — Walked Only: 1.2%
Car (passenger) — / 5.2%
Richmond Vale — Car (passenger): not among its largest Pelaw Main — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Bus — / 0.9%
Richmond Vale — Bus: not among its largest Pelaw Main — Bus: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.9%).

Setting

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Elevation 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.7 km 26.6 km

NBN connectivity

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Connectivity score 27/100 68/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
35 premises
 42%
467 premises

Climate

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
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)

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³ 6.3 µg/m³
PM10 16.5 µg/m³ 17.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.53 pphm 0.72 pphm

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Richmond Vale Pelaw Main
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Richmond Vale

Family Rural

Pelaw Main

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Richmond Vale

Richmond Vale vs West Wallsend Richmond Vale vs Abermain Richmond Vale vs Mulbring Richmond Vale vs Buchanan Richmond Vale vs Elrington Richmond Vale vs Stockrington

Other comparisons with Pelaw Main

Pelaw Main vs Kurri Kurri Pelaw Main vs Abermain Pelaw Main vs Stanford Merthyr Pelaw Main vs Buchanan
Full data on Richmond Vale Full data on Pelaw Main
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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