Upper Dartbrook vs Owens Gap

Owens Gap is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 42 in Upper Dartbrook. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Upper Dartbrook, about half of households are couple families. In Owens Gap, most households are couple families. On these figures, Owens Gap tends to suit 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

Upper Dartbrook

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 60/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 83%)

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

First-home buyers

Owens Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 34%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Upper Dartbrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $290/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Upper Dartbrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 60/100)

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

Investors

Owens Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (33.3% vs 4.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
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.

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Walkability 0 / 5
Upper Dartbrook — Walkability: 0/100 Owens Gap — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 90 / 40
Upper Dartbrook — Safety: 90/100 Owens Gap — Safety: 40/100
Low fire risk 62 / 80
Upper Dartbrook — Low fire risk: 62/100 Owens Gap — Low fire risk: 80/100

Demographics

Upper Dartbrook has more residents (152 vs 80); Owens Gap rents higher ($290/wk vs $235/wk).

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Population 152
+47% vs other
 80
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +33.3%
Median age 42 37
Median household income $95,836/yr $107,224/yr
+12% vs other
Median weekly rent $235/wk $290/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
0-4 6.6% / 11.2%
Upper Dartbrook — 0-4: 6.6% Owens Gap — 0-4: 11.2%
5-14 18.4% / 17.5%
Upper Dartbrook — 5-14: 18.4% Owens Gap — 5-14: 17.5%
15-19 4.6% / 5.0%
Upper Dartbrook — 15-19: 4.6% Owens Gap — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 — / 3.8%
Upper Dartbrook — 20-24: not among its largest Owens Gap — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 11.8% / 7.5%
Upper Dartbrook — 25-34: 11.8% Owens Gap — 25-34: 7.5%
35-44 11.8% / 20.0%
Upper Dartbrook — 35-44: 11.8% Owens Gap — 35-44: 20.0%
45-54 12.5% / 10.0%
Upper Dartbrook — 45-54: 12.5% Owens Gap — 45-54: 10.0%
55-64 19.1% / 12.5%
Upper Dartbrook — 55-64: 19.1% Owens Gap — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 9.2% / 11.2%
Upper Dartbrook — 65-74: 9.2% Owens Gap — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 5.9% / 5.0%
Upper Dartbrook — 75-84: 5.9% Owens Gap — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 2.0% / —
Upper Dartbrook — 85+: 2.0% Owens Gap — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Upper Dartbrook 50.0% couple families
Upper Dartbrook — Couple Families: 50.0% Upper Dartbrook — Lone Person: 36.8% Upper Dartbrook — One Parent Families: 13.2%
Owens Gap 63.6% couple families
Owens Gap — Couple Families: 63.6% Owens Gap — Lone Person: 36.4% Owens Gap — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Upper Dartbrook 20.0% renting
Upper Dartbrook — Owned Outright: 42.2% Upper Dartbrook — Mortgage: 37.8% Upper Dartbrook — Renting: 20.0%
Owens Gap 0.0% renting
Owens Gap — Owned Outright: 33.3% Owens Gap — Mortgage: 66.7% Owens Gap — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Upper Dartbrook 100.0% houses
Upper Dartbrook — Houses: 100.0% Upper Dartbrook — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Owens Gap 82.9% houses
Owens Gap — Houses: 82.9% Owens Gap — Flats / Apartments: 17.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Certificate III & IV 21.1% / 21.2%
Upper Dartbrook — Certificate III & IV: 21.1% Owens Gap — Certificate III & IV: 21.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 12.5%
Upper Dartbrook — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Owens Gap — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 5.0%
Upper Dartbrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Owens Gap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / —
Upper Dartbrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Owens Gap — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

Property market

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Median house price $1,150,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Upper Dartbrook has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 0%); Owens Gap has more rural and farming land (98% vs 86%).

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Rural and farming 86% 98%
Environmental 14% 0%
Residential 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

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
New dwellings approved 41
across Upper Hunter
same for both
Approvals change year on year -20%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
House price Higher than 59% of NSW —
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 50% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW

Liveability

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Owens Gap carries more crime risk (60 vs 10); Upper Dartbrook carries more bushfire risk (38 vs 20).

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Bushfire Low
38/100
 Low
20/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Moderate
60/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
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

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 76 41

Mobility

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 298.3 km 298.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 221 min 219 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2336
 0.2%
postcode 2337
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2336
 41
postcode 2337

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.

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Car (driver) 81.5% / 68.9%
Upper Dartbrook — Car (driver): 81.5% Owens Gap — Car (driver): 68.9%
Worked from Home 18.5% / 24.4%
Upper Dartbrook — Worked from Home: 18.5% Owens Gap — Worked from Home: 24.4%
Car (passenger) — / 6.7%
Upper Dartbrook — Car (passenger): not among its largest Owens Gap — Car (passenger): 6.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.5%).

Setting

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Elevation 343 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 335 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Connectivity score 20/100 19/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
50 premises
 0%
38 premises

Climate

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
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

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Average residential rate $968/yr
same for both
Council Upper Hunter
same for both

Federal electorate

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Division New England
same for both
Member Barnaby Joyce
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Dartbrook Owens Gap
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Upper Dartbrook

Family River Rural

Owens Gap

Family River Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Dartbrook

Upper Dartbrook vs Scone Upper Dartbrook vs Middle Brook Upper Dartbrook vs Moobi Upper Dartbrook vs Warrah Creek Upper Dartbrook vs Big Jacks Creek

Other comparisons with Owens Gap

Owens Gap vs Moobi Owens Gap vs Bunnan Owens Gap vs Manobalai
Full data on Upper Dartbrook Full data on Owens Gap
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.

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