Rothbury vs Belford

Belford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 55 in Rothbury. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Belford, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Rothbury tends to suit older residents, while Belford suits families with children and 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

Belford

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 27%)
  • carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 94/100)

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

First-home buyers

Belford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($295,000 vs $720,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rothbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($325/wk vs $530/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Rothbury has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 14%)
  • Belford carries lower crime risk (56/100 vs 94/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Rothbury Belford
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.

Rothbury Belford
Walkability 5 / 0
Rothbury — Walkability: 5/100 Belford — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 6 / 44
Rothbury — Safety: 6/100 Belford — Safety: 44/100
Low fire risk 79 / 89
Rothbury — Low fire risk: 79/100 Belford — Low fire risk: 89/100

Demographics

Belford has more residents (176 vs 55); Belford rents higher ($530/wk vs $325/wk).

Rothbury Belford
Population 55 176
+220% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +2.9%
Median age 55 44
Median household income $117,000/yr $147,316/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $325/wk $530/wk
+63% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rothbury Belford
0-4 7.3% / 8.5%
Rothbury — 0-4: 7.3% Belford — 0-4: 8.5%
5-14 7.3% / 10.2%
Rothbury — 5-14: 7.3% Belford — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 — / 3.4%
Rothbury — 15-19: not among its largest Belford — 15-19: 3.4%
20-24 7.3% / 1.7%
Rothbury — 20-24: 7.3% Belford — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 9.1% / 10.8%
Rothbury — 25-34: 9.1% Belford — 25-34: 10.8%
35-44 7.3% / 15.9%
Rothbury — 35-44: 7.3% Belford — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 16.4% / 18.8%
Rothbury — 45-54: 16.4% Belford — 45-54: 18.8%
55-64 27.3% / 15.9%
Rothbury — 55-64: 27.3% Belford — 55-64: 15.9%
65-74 27.3% / 11.9%
Rothbury — 65-74: 27.3% Belford — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 5.5% / 2.3%
Rothbury — 75-84: 5.5% Belford — 75-84: 2.3%
85+ — / —
Rothbury — 85+: not among its largest Belford — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.3%).

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.

Rothbury Belford
England 5.5% / 2.8%
Rothbury — England: 5.5% Belford — England: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rothbury 27.3% couple families
Rothbury — Couple Families: 27.3% Rothbury — Group Household: 45.5% Rothbury — Lone Person: 27.3% Rothbury — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Belford 88.9% couple families
Belford — Couple Families: 88.9% Belford — Group Household: 0.0% Belford — Lone Person: 0.0% Belford — One Parent Families: 11.1%
Couple Families Group Household Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rothbury 100.0% houses
Rothbury — Houses: 100.0%
Belford 106.7% houses
Belford — Houses: 106.7%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Rothbury Belford
Certificate III & IV 10.9% / 22.7%
Rothbury — Certificate III & IV: 10.9% Belford — Certificate III & IV: 22.7%
Bachelor Degree 20.0% / 9.7%
Rothbury — Bachelor Degree: 20.0% Belford — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.5% / 7.4%
Rothbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5% Belford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 9.1% / 2.3%
Rothbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 9.1% Belford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.5% / 1.7%
Rothbury — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5% Belford — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rothbury 15.8% renting
Rothbury — Owned Outright: 52.6% Rothbury — Mortgage: 31.6% Rothbury — Renting: 15.8%
Belford 7.8% renting
Belford — Owned Outright: 29.4% Belford — Mortgage: 62.7% Belford — Renting: 7.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Rothbury Belford
Median house price $1,120,000 $1,050,000
Median unit price $1,350,000 —
Median land price $720,000 $295,000

Zoning mix

Rothbury has more rural and farming land (99% vs 77%); Belford has more land zoned for conservation (18% vs 0%).

Rothbury Belford
Rural and farming 99% 77%
Environmental 0% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 4%
Residential 1%
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

Rothbury Belford
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 121
across Singleton
Approvals change year on year -31% +46%

Ranking within NSW

Rothbury Belford
House price Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Income Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW

Liveability

Rothbury Belford
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Rothbury carries more bushfire risk (21 vs 11); Rothbury carries more crime risk (94 vs 56).

Rothbury Belford
Bushfire Low
21/100
 Low
11/100
Crime High
94/100
 Moderate
56/100
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

Rothbury Belford
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Rothbury Belford
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 0 2
Waterways 1 2

Mobility

Rothbury Belford
Walkability score 5/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 186.3 km 186.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 132 min 129 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
 0.3%
postcode 2335
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
 82
postcode 2335

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.

Rothbury Belford
Car (driver) 50.0% / 66.2%
Rothbury — Car (driver): 50.0% Belford — Car (driver): 66.2%
Worked from Home 26.9% / 23.9%
Rothbury — Worked from Home: 26.9% Belford — Worked from Home: 23.9%
Walked Only 23.1% / 9.9%
Rothbury — Walked Only: 23.1% Belford — Walked Only: 9.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.2%).

Setting

Rothbury Belford
Elevation 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 72 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 45.4 km 49.4 km

NBN connectivity

Rothbury Belford
Connectivity score 26/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
37 premises
 0%
65 premises

Climate

Rothbury Belford
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)

Rothbury Belford
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Rothbury Belford
Average residential rate $1,405/yr $1,287/yr
Council Cessnock Singleton

Federal electorate

Rothbury Belford
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rothbury Belford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rothbury

Retirees Rural

Belford

Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rothbury

Rothbury vs North Rothbury Rothbury vs Pokolbin Rothbury vs Lovedale

Other comparisons with Belford

Belford vs North Rothbury Belford vs Branxton Belford vs Pokolbin Belford vs Singleton Military Area Belford vs Whittingham Belford vs Lower Belford
Full data on Rothbury Full data on Belford
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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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