Rutherford vs Telarah

Comparing Rutherford and Telarah, NSW: Rutherford has more residents (13,091 vs 2,318); Telarah is more walkable (78 vs 28); and Rutherford sits further from the CBD (171.6 km vs 167.9 km).

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

Rutherford

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (10 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Telarah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($396,000 vs $565,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Telarah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Telarah

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 28/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (126 min vs 132 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (167.9 km vs 171.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Rutherford has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Telarah is more walkable (78/100 vs 28/100)

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

Investors

Rutherford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.2% vs -0.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Rutherford Telarah
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.

Rutherford Telarah
Walkability 28 / 78
Rutherford — Walkability: 28/100 Telarah — Walkability: 78/100
Safety 14 / 11
Rutherford — Safety: 14/100 Telarah — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rutherford — Low fire risk: 100/100 Telarah — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rutherford has more residents (13,091 vs 2,318); Rutherford rents higher ($360/wk vs $300/wk).

Rutherford Telarah
Population 13,091
+82% vs other
 2,318
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.2% -0.5%
Median age 35 36
Median household income $76,700/yr
+11% vs other
 $68,172/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+17% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rutherford Telarah
0-4 7.5% / 5.8%
Rutherford — 0-4: 7.5% Telarah — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 14.4% / 12.2%
Rutherford — 5-14: 14.4% Telarah — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 5.7% / 5.6%
Rutherford — 15-19: 5.7% Telarah — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.9% / 7.6%
Rutherford — 20-24: 5.9% Telarah — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 15.9% / 16.6%
Rutherford — 25-34: 15.9% Telarah — 25-34: 16.6%
35-44 12.7% / 13.0%
Rutherford — 35-44: 12.7% Telarah — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 10.5% / 11.3%
Rutherford — 45-54: 10.5% Telarah — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 9.3% / 11.5%
Rutherford — 55-64: 9.3% Telarah — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 9.7% / 10.3%
Rutherford — 65-74: 9.7% Telarah — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 6.1% / 4.5%
Rutherford — 75-84: 6.1% Telarah — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 2.3% / 1.8%
Rutherford — 85+: 2.3% Telarah — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rutherford 34.7% lone person
Rutherford — Lone Person: 34.7% Rutherford — Couple Families: 38.9% Rutherford — One Parent Families: 21.5% Rutherford — Group Household: 3.4% Rutherford — Other Families: 1.6%
Telarah 41.1% lone person
Telarah — Lone Person: 41.1% Telarah — Couple Families: 28.2% Telarah — One Parent Families: 24.0% Telarah — Group Household: 4.8% Telarah — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Rutherford 36.0% renting
Rutherford — Owned Outright: 25.5% Rutherford — Mortgage: 38.5% Rutherford — Renting: 36.0%
Telarah 32.5% renting
Telarah — Owned Outright: 28.7% Telarah — Mortgage: 38.8% Telarah — Renting: 32.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rutherford Telarah
Certificate III & IV 20.3% / 21.5%
Rutherford — Certificate III & IV: 20.3% Telarah — Certificate III & IV: 21.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 5.2%
Rutherford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Telarah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2%
Bachelor Degree 5.0% / 5.4%
Rutherford — Bachelor Degree: 5.0% Telarah — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 1.0%
Rutherford — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Telarah — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 0.9%
Rutherford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Telarah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

Rutherford Telarah
England 1.6% / 1.1%
Rutherford — England: 1.6% Telarah — England: 1.1%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Rutherford — New Zealand: 1.1% Telarah — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.6%
Rutherford — Philippines: 0.8% Telarah — Philippines: 0.6%
India 0.8% / —
Rutherford — India: 0.8% Telarah — India: not among its largest
Germany 0.3% / 0.4%
Rutherford — Germany: 0.3% Telarah — Germany: 0.4%
South Africa 0.4% / 0.2%
Rutherford — South Africa: 0.4% Telarah — South Africa: 0.2%
Scotland 0.3% / 0.2%
Rutherford — Scotland: 0.3% Telarah — Scotland: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Rutherford 86.9% houses
Rutherford — Houses: 86.9% Rutherford — Townhouses: 10.9% Rutherford — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Telarah 89.5% houses
Telarah — Houses: 89.5% Telarah — Townhouses: 6.1% Telarah — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Rutherford Telarah
Median house price $755,000 $722,500
Median unit price $565,000 $396,000
Median land price $835,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 192 sales
 20 days
from 16 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Rutherford Telarah
2 bed $575K / $680K
Rutherford — 2 bed: $575K (14 sales) Telarah — 2 bed: $680K (11 sales)

14 vs 11 sales

3 bed $725K / $725K
Rutherford — 3 bed: $725K (198 sales) Telarah — 3 bed: $725K (45 sales)

198 vs 45 sales

4 bed $815K / $800K
Rutherford — 4 bed: $815K (158 sales) Telarah — 4 bed: $800K (5 sales)

158 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Rutherford has more industrially zoned land (31% vs 11%).

Rutherford Telarah
Residential 38% 63%
Industrial 31% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 14%
Parks and recreation 13% 5%
Environmental 8% 4%
Rural and farming 1% 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

Rutherford Telarah
New dwellings approved 1,413
across Maitland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +20%
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.

Rutherford Telarah
Houses 4.2%
$655/wk on $808K
 4.2%
$610/wk on $755K
Units 4.2%
$500/wk on $625K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Rutherford Telarah
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Income Higher than 44% of NSW —
Schools Higher than 30% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 67% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 29% of NSW —

Liveability

Telarah is more walkable (78 vs 28); Telarah scores higher overall (39 vs 28).

Rutherford Telarah
Grade D C
Score 28/100 39/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Rutherford Telarah
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 High
89/100
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 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Rutherford Telarah
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Rutherford

  • Rutherford Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Rutherford Technology High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Paul's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Telarah

  • Telarah Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Rutherford Telarah
Supermarkets 3 1
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 6 3
Childcare 10 2
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 2 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 8 1
Waterways 9 1

Mobility

Rutherford sits further from the CBD (171.6 km vs 167.9 km).

Rutherford Telarah
Walkability score 28/100 78/100
Distance to Sydney 171.6 km
+2% vs other
 167.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 132 min 126 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 253.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 34.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2320
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2320
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.

Rutherford Telarah
Car (driver) 78.4% / 75.0%
Rutherford — Car (driver): 78.4% Telarah — Car (driver): 75.0%
Worked from Home 13.3% / 14.5%
Rutherford — Worked from Home: 13.3% Telarah — Worked from Home: 14.5%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 5.4%
Rutherford — Car (passenger): 5.3% Telarah — Car (passenger): 5.4%
Walked Only 1.5% / 2.8%
Rutherford — Walked Only: 1.5% Telarah — Walked Only: 2.8%
Train 0.6% / 1.4%
Rutherford — Train: 0.6% Telarah — Train: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.4%).

Setting

Rutherford Telarah
Elevation 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.2 km 25.3 km

NBN connectivity

Rutherford Telarah
Connectivity score 74/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 53%
6,279 premises
 36%
1,112 premises

Climate

Rutherford Telarah
Annual rainfall 996 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Rutherford Telarah
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

Rutherford Telarah
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Maitland
same for both

Federal electorate

Rutherford Telarah
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Rutherford Telarah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Rutherford

Large Blocks Regional Centre

Telarah

Large Blocks Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rutherford

Rutherford vs Aberglasslyn Rutherford vs Maitland Rutherford vs Lochinvar Rutherford vs Windella Rutherford vs Farley Rutherford vs Oakhampton

Other comparisons with Telarah

Telarah vs Gillieston Heights Telarah vs Maitland Telarah vs Farley
Full data on Rutherford Full data on Telarah
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or