Thornton vs East Maitland

Thornton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 40 in East Maitland. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Thornton, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Thornton tends to suit families with children and couples, while East Maitland suits people living alone and older residents.

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

  • Thornton is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 51%)
  • East Maitland has more parks and reserves (22 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Thornton leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 28%)
  • East Maitland has cheaper units ($557,500 vs $637,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

East Maitland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Thornton sits closer to the CBD (155.7 km vs 160.4 km)
  • East Maitland is more walkable (89/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

East Maitland

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 7%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 10%)
  • But Thornton carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Thornton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.6% vs 0.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Thornton East Maitland
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.

Thornton East Maitland
Walkability 68 / 89
Thornton — Walkability: 68/100 East Maitland — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 28 / 8
Thornton — Safety: 28/100 East Maitland — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 80 / 66
Thornton — Low fire risk: 80/100 East Maitland — Low fire risk: 66/100

Demographics

Thornton has higher household incomes ($106,652 vs $73,944); East Maitland skews older (40 vs 32).

Thornton East Maitland
Population 10,690 11,860
+11% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.6% +0.7%
Median age 32 40
Median household income $106,652/yr
+31% vs other
 $73,944/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+18% vs other
 $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thornton East Maitland
0-4 7.7% / 5.5%
Thornton — 0-4: 7.7% East Maitland — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 13.9% / 11.7%
Thornton — 5-14: 13.9% East Maitland — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 6.3% / 6.0%
Thornton — 15-19: 6.3% East Maitland — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 8.0% / 6.1%
Thornton — 20-24: 8.0% East Maitland — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 17.7% / 13.1%
Thornton — 25-34: 17.7% East Maitland — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 13.0% / 12.5%
Thornton — 35-44: 13.0% East Maitland — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 12.0% / 12.9%
Thornton — 45-54: 12.0% East Maitland — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 11.0% / 11.7%
Thornton — 55-64: 11.0% East Maitland — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 6.9% / 10.9%
Thornton — 65-74: 6.9% East Maitland — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 2.7% / 6.6%
Thornton — 75-84: 2.7% East Maitland — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 0.6% / 2.9%
Thornton — 85+: 0.6% East Maitland — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Thornton 54.6% couple families
Thornton — Couple Families: 54.6% Thornton — Lone Person: 20.9% Thornton — One Parent Families: 18.5% Thornton — Group Household: 4.6% Thornton — Other Families: 1.4%
East Maitland 33.2% couple families
East Maitland — Couple Families: 33.2% East Maitland — Lone Person: 43.8% East Maitland — One Parent Families: 18.0% East Maitland — Group Household: 3.3% East Maitland — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Thornton 34.7% renting
Thornton — Owned Outright: 24.0% Thornton — Mortgage: 41.3% Thornton — Renting: 34.7%
East Maitland 37.6% renting
East Maitland — Owned Outright: 30.8% East Maitland — Mortgage: 31.6% East Maitland — Renting: 37.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thornton East Maitland
Certificate III & IV 21.2% / 17.9%
Thornton — Certificate III & IV: 21.2% East Maitland — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 10.4%
Thornton — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% East Maitland — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 8.0%
Thornton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% East Maitland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 2.5%
Thornton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% East Maitland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.6%
Thornton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% East Maitland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

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.

Thornton East Maitland
England 1.8% / 1.8%
Thornton — England: 1.8% East Maitland — England: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Thornton — New Zealand: 1.1% East Maitland — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.8%
Thornton — Philippines: 0.6% East Maitland — Philippines: 0.8%
India 0.8% / 0.4%
Thornton — India: 0.8% East Maitland — India: 0.4%
China 0.3% / 0.4%
Thornton — China: 0.3% East Maitland — China: 0.4%
South Africa 0.6% / —
Thornton — South Africa: 0.6% East Maitland — 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.

Thornton 92.8% houses
Thornton — Houses: 92.8% Thornton — Townhouses: 6.2% Thornton — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
East Maitland 74.5% houses
East Maitland — Houses: 74.5% East Maitland — Townhouses: 17.4% East Maitland — Flats / Apartments: 8.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Thornton East Maitland
Median house price $860,000 $825,000
Median unit price $637,500 $557,500
Median land price $760,000 $825,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 146 sales
 28 days
from 190 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.

Thornton East Maitland
2 bed $660K / $720K
Thornton — 2 bed: $660K (6 sales) East Maitland — 2 bed: $720K (25 sales)

6 vs 25 sales

3 bed $758K / $786K
Thornton — 3 bed: $758K (85 sales) East Maitland — 3 bed: $786K (174 sales)

85 vs 174 sales

4 bed $900K / $892K
Thornton — 4 bed: $900K (143 sales) East Maitland — 4 bed: $892K (88 sales)

143 vs 88 sales

5 bed $1.09M / $1.1M
Thornton — 5 bed: $1.09M (20 sales) East Maitland — 5 bed: $1.1M (23 sales)

20 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

Thornton has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 9%).

Thornton East Maitland
Environmental 37% 9%
Residential 25% 35%
Rural and farming 24% 29%
Parks and recreation 2% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 12%
Industrial 9% 0%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Thornton East Maitland
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.

Thornton East Maitland
Houses 4.2%
$660/wk on $822K
 3.9%
$660/wk on $890K
Units — 4.1%
$498/wk on $631K

Ranking within NSW

Thornton East Maitland
House price Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Income Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 86% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 27% of NSW

Liveability

East Maitland is more walkable (89 vs 68).

Thornton East Maitland
Grade C B
Score 47/100 51/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

East Maitland carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 20); East Maitland carries more crime risk (92 vs 72).

Thornton East Maitland
Bushfire Low
20/100
 Low
34/100
Crime High
72/100
 High
92/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Thornton East Maitland
Inside the suburb 2 6
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Thornton

  • Thornton Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Aspect Hunter School Independent · Combined · Special school below peers

Schools in East Maitland

  • Maitland High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • OneSchool Global NSW - Maitland Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Linuwel School Ltd Independent · Combined at peers
  • Maitland Grossmann High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Maitland East Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Thornton East Maitland
Supermarkets 1 6
Cafes & restaurants 3 18
Parks & reserves 3 22
Childcare 9 12
GPs 0 7
Pharmacies 2 3
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 10
Fuel stations 3 6
Waterways 9 25

Mobility

East Maitland sits further from the CBD (160.4 km vs 155.7 km).

Thornton East Maitland
Walkability score 68/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 155.7 km 160.4 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 118 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 121.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 326.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2322
 0.5%
postcode 2323
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2322
 44
postcode 2323

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.

Thornton East Maitland
Car (driver) 72.6% / 69.5%
Thornton — Car (driver): 72.6% East Maitland — Car (driver): 69.5%
Worked from Home 20.6% / 23.0%
Thornton — Worked from Home: 20.6% East Maitland — Worked from Home: 23.0%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.2%
Thornton — Car (passenger): 4.6% East Maitland — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 0.9% / 1.5%
Thornton — Walked Only: 0.9% East Maitland — Walked Only: 1.5%
Train 0.9% / 1.1%
Thornton — Train: 0.9% East Maitland — Train: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.6%).

Setting

Thornton East Maitland
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.4 km 19.6 km

NBN connectivity

Thornton East Maitland
Connectivity score 84/100 98/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 70%
4,838 premises
 95%
6,608 premises

Climate

Thornton East Maitland
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)

Thornton East Maitland
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

Thornton East Maitland
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Maitland
same for both

Federal electorate

Thornton East Maitland
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Thornton East Maitland
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Thornton

Large Blocks Regional Centre

East Maitland

Parks Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thornton

Thornton vs Metford Thornton vs Ashtonfield Thornton vs Chisholm Thornton vs Beresfield Thornton vs Woodberry Thornton vs Black Hill

Other comparisons with East Maitland

East Maitland vs Metford East Maitland vs Ashtonfield East Maitland vs Chisholm East Maitland vs Tenambit East Maitland vs Raworth East Maitland vs Maitland
Full data on Thornton Full data on East Maitland
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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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