Thornton vs Woodberry

Thornton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 36 in Woodberry. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Thornton, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Thornton: a median of $860,000, against $645,000 in Woodberry, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Thornton tends to suit couples, while Woodberry suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Thornton

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 2)
  • is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 61%)
  • carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 82/100)

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

  • Thornton leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)
  • Woodberry has cheaper houses ($645,000 vs $860,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Thornton leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 27%)
  • Woodberry has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Thornton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 35/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (155.7 km vs 158.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Thornton

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 35/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 82/100)
  • But Woodberry has more residents already 65 and over (15% vs 10%)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Thornton is growing faster (32.6% vs 1.0%)
  • Woodberry returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.8% vs 4.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Thornton and Woodberry 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 Woodberry
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 Woodberry
Walkability 68 / 35
Thornton — Walkability: 68/100 Woodberry — Walkability: 35/100
Safety 28 / 18
Thornton — Safety: 28/100 Woodberry — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 80 / 100
Thornton — Low fire risk: 80/100 Woodberry — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Thornton has more residents (10,690 vs 3,024); Thornton has higher household incomes ($106,652 vs $61,724).

Thornton Woodberry
Population 10,690
+72% vs other
 3,024
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.6% +1.0%
Median age 32 36
Median household income $106,652/yr
+42% vs other
 $61,724/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+20% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Thornton Woodberry
0-4 7.7% / 6.9%
Thornton — 0-4: 7.7% Woodberry — 0-4: 6.9%
5-14 13.9% / 14.9%
Thornton — 5-14: 13.9% Woodberry — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 6.3% / 6.9%
Thornton — 15-19: 6.3% Woodberry — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 8.0% / 5.7%
Thornton — 20-24: 8.0% Woodberry — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 17.7% / 14.4%
Thornton — 25-34: 17.7% Woodberry — 25-34: 14.4%
35-44 13.0% / 10.4%
Thornton — 35-44: 13.0% Woodberry — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 12.0% / 12.0%
Thornton — 45-54: 12.0% Woodberry — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 11.0% / 13.1%
Thornton — 55-64: 11.0% Woodberry — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 6.9% / 9.7%
Thornton — 65-74: 6.9% Woodberry — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 2.7% / 4.6%
Thornton — 75-84: 2.7% Woodberry — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 0.6% / 1.1%
Thornton — 85+: 0.6% Woodberry — 85+: 1.1%

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%
Woodberry 31.0% couple families
Woodberry — Couple Families: 31.0% Woodberry — Lone Person: 30.6% Woodberry — One Parent Families: 30.3% Woodberry — Group Household: 4.7% Woodberry — Other Families: 3.5%
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%
Woodberry 34.3% renting
Woodberry — Owned Outright: 27.4% Woodberry — Mortgage: 38.2% Woodberry — Renting: 34.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Thornton Woodberry
Certificate III & IV 21.2% / 17.8%
Thornton — Certificate III & IV: 21.2% Woodberry — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 3.7%
Thornton — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Woodberry — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 4.9%
Thornton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Woodberry — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 0.3%
Thornton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Woodberry — Postgraduate Degree: 0.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 0.3%
Thornton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Woodberry — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.3%

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 Woodberry
England 1.8% / 1.9%
Thornton — England: 1.8% Woodberry — England: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.0%
Thornton — New Zealand: 1.1% Woodberry — New Zealand: 1.0%
Philippines 0.6% / 1.0%
Thornton — Philippines: 0.6% Woodberry — Philippines: 1.0%
India 0.8% / 0.3%
Thornton — India: 0.8% Woodberry — India: 0.3%
South Africa 0.6% / —
Thornton — South Africa: 0.6% Woodberry — South Africa: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.4%
Thornton — Scotland: not among its largest Woodberry — Scotland: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.9%).

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%
Woodberry 96.2% houses
Woodberry — Houses: 96.2% Woodberry — Townhouses: 3.6% Woodberry — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Thornton Woodberry
Median house price $860,000 $645,000
Median unit price $637,500 —
Median land price $760,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 146 sales
 24 days
from 4 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 Woodberry
3 bed $758K / $650K
Thornton — 3 bed: $758K (85 sales) Woodberry — 3 bed: $650K (33 sales)

85 vs 33 sales

4 bed $900K / $633K
Thornton — 4 bed: $900K (143 sales) Woodberry — 4 bed: $633K (5 sales)

143 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Woodberry has more rural and farming land (47% vs 24%).

Thornton Woodberry
Rural and farming 24% 47%
Environmental 37% 35%
Residential 25% 14%
Industrial 9% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Thornton Woodberry
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 Woodberry
Houses 4.2%
$660/wk on $822K
 4.8%
$670/wk on $720K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Thornton Woodberry
House price Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
Income Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 5% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW

Liveability

Thornton is more walkable (68 vs 35); Thornton scores higher overall (47 vs 28).

Thornton Woodberry
Grade C D
Score 47/100 28/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Thornton carries more bushfire risk (20 vs 0); Woodberry carries more crime risk (82 vs 72).

Thornton Woodberry
Bushfire Low
20/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
72/100
 High
82/100
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
 8
within 5 km

Schools

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

Schools in Thornton

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

Schools in Woodberry

  • Francis Greenway High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Woodberry Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Woodberry Learning Centre Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Thornton Woodberry
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 3
same for both
Childcare 9 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 2 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 9 2

Mobility

Woodberry sits further from the CBD (158.8 km vs 155.7 km).

Thornton Woodberry
Walkability score 68/100 35/100
Distance to Sydney 155.7 km 158.8 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 119 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 121.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2322
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2322
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.

Thornton Woodberry
Car (driver) 72.6% / 80.6%
Thornton — Car (driver): 72.6% Woodberry — Car (driver): 80.6%
Worked from Home 20.6% / 10.0%
Thornton — Worked from Home: 20.6% Woodberry — Worked from Home: 10.0%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 6.0%
Thornton — Car (passenger): 4.6% Woodberry — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Train 0.9% / 1.6%
Thornton — Train: 0.9% Woodberry — Train: 1.6%
Walked Only 0.9% / 1.4%
Thornton — Walked Only: 0.9% Woodberry — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.6%).

Setting

Thornton Woodberry
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.4 km 10.4 km

NBN connectivity

Thornton Woodberry
Connectivity score 84/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 70%
4,838 premises
 38%
1,247 premises

Climate

Thornton Woodberry
Annual rainfall 996 mm 1,181 mm
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C 28.7°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C 7.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Thornton Woodberry
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

Woodberry

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Thornton

Thornton vs East Maitland Thornton vs Metford Thornton vs Ashtonfield Thornton vs Chisholm Thornton vs Beresfield Thornton vs Black Hill

Other comparisons with Woodberry

Woodberry vs Beresfield Woodberry vs Tarro Woodberry vs Heatherbrae Woodberry vs Millers Forest Woodberry vs Tomago
Full data on Thornton Full data on Woodberry
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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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