Rouchel vs Upper Rouchel
Rouchel is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 51 in Upper Rouchel. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Rouchel, most households own their home. In Upper Rouchel, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Upper Rouchel tends to suit renters, people living alone, 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Upper Rouchel
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (9% vs 17%)
- has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $343/wk)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (50% vs 31%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Rouchel
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (199 min vs 238 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (273.4 km vs 299.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Rouchel
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Upper Rouchel
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (0.0% vs -6.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Rouchel and Upper Rouchel 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
Rouchel has more residents (137 vs 73); Rouchel rents higher ($343/wk vs $190/wk).
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 137 +47% vs other | 73 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -6.8% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 46 | 51 |
| Median household income | $105,612/yr | $113,724/yr +8% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $343/wk +45% vs other | $190/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).
Property market
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $548,900 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $460,000 |
Zoning mix
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 93% | 94% |
| Environmental | 3% | 6% |
| Residential | 3% | 0% |
| 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
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 41 across Upper Hunter same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -20% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — | Higher than 18% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 72% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 66% of NSW | Higher than 20% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 92% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 22% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of NSW | Higher than 11% of NSW |
Liveability
Rouchel is more walkable (16 vs 0).
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Upper Rouchel carries more bushfire risk (60 vs 31).
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 31/100 | Moderate 60/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 same for both | |
| 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
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 8 | 28 |
Mobility
Upper Rouchel sits further from the CBD (299.2 km vs 273.4 km).
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 16/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 273.4 km | 299.2 km +9% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 199 min | 238 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 2336 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 2336 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 (82.8%).
Setting
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 224 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 568 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 25/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 44 premises | 0% 34 premises |
Climate
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 631 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $968/yr same for both | |
| Council | Upper Hunter same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England same for both | |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Rouchel | Upper Rouchel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Rouchel
Other comparisons with Upper Rouchel
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.