Rutherford vs Windella

Rutherford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Windella. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Windella, the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Windella: a median of $1.45 million, against $755,000 in Rutherford, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Rutherford tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Windella suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Rutherford has more childcare (10 vs 0)
  • Windella carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 86/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Rutherford has cheaper houses ($755,000 vs $1,445,000)
  • Windella leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rutherford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (36% vs 3%)
  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $400/wk)
  • But Windella leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Rutherford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (171.6 km vs 180.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Rutherford has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Windella carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 86/100)

Weighs 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

Rutherford and Windella 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 Windella
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 Windella
Walkability 28 / 23
Rutherford — Walkability: 28/100 Windella — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 14 / 74
Rutherford — Safety: 14/100 Windella — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Rutherford — Low fire risk: 100/100 Windella — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rutherford has more residents (13,091 vs 845); Windella has higher household incomes ($150,072 vs $76,700).

Rutherford Windella
Population 13,091
+94% vs other
 845
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.2% +14.5%
Median age 35 41
Median household income $76,700/yr $150,072/yr
+96% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $400/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Rutherford Windella
0-4 7.5% / 6.3%
Rutherford — 0-4: 7.5% Windella — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 14.4% / 15.5%
Rutherford — 5-14: 14.4% Windella — 5-14: 15.5%
15-19 5.7% / 7.9%
Rutherford — 15-19: 5.7% Windella — 15-19: 7.9%
20-24 5.9% / 6.2%
Rutherford — 20-24: 5.9% Windella — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 15.9% / 6.3%
Rutherford — 25-34: 15.9% Windella — 25-34: 6.3%
35-44 12.7% / 13.8%
Rutherford — 35-44: 12.7% Windella — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 10.5% / 17.5%
Rutherford — 45-54: 10.5% Windella — 45-54: 17.5%
55-64 9.3% / 12.3%
Rutherford — 55-64: 9.3% Windella — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 9.7% / 10.7%
Rutherford — 65-74: 9.7% Windella — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 6.1% / 2.8%
Rutherford — 75-84: 6.1% Windella — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 2.3% / 0.9%
Rutherford — 85+: 2.3% Windella — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Rutherford 38.9% couple families
Rutherford — Couple Families: 38.9% Rutherford — Lone Person: 34.7% Rutherford — One Parent Families: 21.5% Rutherford — Group Household: 3.4% Rutherford — Other Families: 1.6%
Windella 83.2% couple families
Windella — Couple Families: 83.2% Windella — Lone Person: 8.1% Windella — One Parent Families: 8.7% Windella — Group Household: 0.0% Windella — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person 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%
Windella 2.9% renting
Windella — Owned Outright: 40.8% Windella — Mortgage: 56.3% Windella — Renting: 2.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Rutherford Windella
Certificate III & IV 20.3% / 20.4%
Rutherford — Certificate III & IV: 20.3% Windella — Certificate III & IV: 20.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 10.4%
Rutherford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Windella — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.4%
Bachelor Degree 5.0% / 10.3%
Rutherford — Bachelor Degree: 5.0% Windella — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 3.6%
Rutherford — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Windella — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.9%
Rutherford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Windella — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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 Windella
England 1.6% / 1.8%
Rutherford — England: 1.6% Windella — England: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.6%
Rutherford — New Zealand: 1.1% Windella — New Zealand: 0.6%
India 0.8% / 0.8%
Rutherford — India: 0.8% Windella — India: 0.8%
Germany 0.3% / 0.8%
Rutherford — Germany: 0.3% Windella — Germany: 0.8%
Philippines 0.8% / —
Rutherford — Philippines: 0.8% Windella — Philippines: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.8%
Rutherford — Netherlands: not among its largest Windella — Netherlands: 0.8%
South Africa 0.4% / —
Rutherford — South Africa: 0.4% Windella — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).

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%
Windella 100.0% houses
Windella — Houses: 100.0% Windella — Townhouses: 0.0% Windella — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Rutherford Windella
Median house price $755,000 $1,445,000
Median unit price $565,000 —
Median land price $835,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 192 sales
 91 days
from 5 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 Windella
4 bed $815K / $1.38M
Rutherford — 4 bed: $815K (158 sales) Windella — 4 bed: $1.38M (5 sales)

158 vs 5 sales

5 bed $950K / $1.85M
Rutherford — 5 bed: $950K (15 sales) Windella — 5 bed: $1.85M (7 sales)

15 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Rutherford has more industrially zoned land (31% vs 0%); Windella has more rural and farming land (31% vs 1%).

Rutherford Windella
Residential 38% 59%
Rural and farming 1% 31%
Industrial 31% 0%
Parks and recreation 13% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 2%
Environmental 8%
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

Rutherford Windella
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 Windella
Houses 4.2%
$655/wk on $808K
 —
Units 4.2%
$500/wk on $625K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Rutherford Windella
House price Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Income Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Schools Higher than 30% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 83% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 29% of NSW —

Liveability

Windella scores higher overall (68 vs 28).

Rutherford Windella
Grade D B
Score 28/100 68/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Rutherford carries more crime risk (86 vs 26).

Rutherford Windella
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 Low
26/100
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 Windella
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

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 Windella

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

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Windella sits further from the CBD (180.4 km vs 171.6 km).

Rutherford Windella
Walkability score 28/100 23/100
Distance to Sydney 171.6 km 180.4 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 132 min 130 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 38/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 253.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 10.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 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 Windella
Car (driver) 78.4% / 67.4%
Rutherford — Car (driver): 78.4% Windella — Car (driver): 67.4%
Worked from Home 13.3% / 29.0%
Rutherford — Worked from Home: 13.3% Windella — Worked from Home: 29.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 3.6%
Rutherford — Car (passenger): 5.3% Windella — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Walked Only 1.5% / —
Rutherford — Walked Only: 1.5% Windella — Walked Only: not among its largest
Train 0.6% / —
Rutherford — Train: 0.6% Windella — Train: not among its largest

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

Setting

Rutherford Windella
Elevation 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.2 km 32.0 km

NBN connectivity

Rutherford Windella
Connectivity score 74/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 53%
6,279 premises
 49%
267 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Rutherford Windella
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

Windella

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Rutherford

Rutherford vs Aberglasslyn Rutherford vs Telarah Rutherford vs Maitland Rutherford vs Lochinvar Rutherford vs Farley Rutherford vs Oakhampton

Other comparisons with Windella

Windella vs Lochinvar Windella vs Windermere Windella vs Anambah
Full data on Rutherford Full data on Windella
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