East Maitland NSW 2323
East Maitland is a suburb in New South Wales, 160 km from Sydney CBD, around 2 hours by car. Population is 11,860; the median age is 40 and the median household income is $73,944 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $330 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. East Maitland is characterised by high crime risk. Of 6 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is East Maitland a good suburb?
East Maitland scores a B (51/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools and transit, weaker on safety.
Above the state average
6 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 14% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 89/100 · 160.4 km · 118 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $825K
High crime risk
Fire 34/100 · Crime 92/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 40 · 11,860 residents
Liveability Rating
51 / 100 · Ranked #732 in NSWEach bar is East Maitland's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in East Maitland?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
51 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataEast Maitland's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $825,000, roughly 14% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$825,000
4% below its 11 neighbours (median $860,000)
Based on 326 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 190 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 25 sales $720K
- 3 bed 174 sales $786K
- 4 bed 88 sales $892K
- 5 bed 23 sales $1.1M
Units
$557,500
13% below its 3 neighbours (median $637,500)
Based on 46 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 25 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 31 sales $530K
- 3 bed 8 sales $691K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in East Maitland are currently listed at around $890,000 on average. Based on 44 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$890K
44 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$631K
8 units listed in the last 6 months.
52 of the suburb's 4,895 dwellings (1.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in East Maitland rent for around $660 a week on average, based on 74 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$660/wk
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $668/wk)
74 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$498/wk
12 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
86 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,841 rented homes (4.7%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $638/wk
- 78 bonds
- +41% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $490/wk
- 20 bonds
- +55% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2323 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202593 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 32% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2323.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$660/week ($34,000 a year) on a $890,000 median
$498/week ($26,000 a year) on a $631,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is East Maitland safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in East Maitland sits in the high band, with 1,522 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 17% on the prior year.
1,522 offences
17.2% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202536 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Maitland City Council has published 6 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Six schools serve East Maitland, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Maitland High School and OneSchool Global NSW - Maitland lead the pack.
- • 3,218 students across 6 schools (avg 536)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 2 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 947-1063, median 975 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Maitland High School (958 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
East Maitland is very walkable on foot — at 89/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 6 supermarkets, 22 parks and 18 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside East Maitland.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 326.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 206.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 123.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 23.6 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in East Maitland.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 95%
- Premises covered
- 6,608
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Maitland: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 31 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
East Maitland is home to about 11,900 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $74,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
11,860
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$73,944/yr
Census Median Rent
$330/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$38,688/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.4%
Total Dwellings
4,895
Owner-Occupier Rate
62.4%
Houses
74.5%
Rental Stress
23.2%
Mortgage Stress
28.1%
Work From Home
23.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
226 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 130 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,781 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 85.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.2%
- Employment Rate
- 55.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
169 residents (1.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
4.0% of residents (451) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (286).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 11,206 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (49 of 5,484).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 6,493 people work here; 5,484 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 11% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,908 a year through Maitland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 35%
- Rural and farming 29%
- Parks and recreation 13%
- Infrastructure and transport 12%
- Environmental 9%
- Commercial 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Maitland
In the year to August 2026, 1,413 new dwellings were approved across Maitland. That mix is 773 houses and 640 units. Approvals are up 19.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 17.5 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.72 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Beresfield monitoring station, 8.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Paterson (Tocal AWS), 14.6 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 32 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 19.6 km
- Annual rainfall
- 996 mm
- 89 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.0°C
- 20 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.1°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
3 facilities within 5 km- 1.8 kmWaste Remediation and Materials Recovery ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Sulfur dioxide
- 4.3 kmCoal MiningTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 4.6 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Hydrogen sulfide · Ammonia (total)
EV adoption
In postcode 2323, 111 of 20,191 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (633 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2323, 4,617 rooftop-solar systems totalling 30.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 10,594 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 304 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 8 across postcode 2323.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $825,000 this is $225,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Meryl Swanson Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Meryl Swanson | 56.9% | 43.1% | +4.3 |
| 2022 | Meryl Swanson | 53.3% | 46.7% | +1.7 |
| 2019 | Meryl Swanson | 55.0% | 45.0% | +5.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Jenny Aitchison Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jenny Aitchison ALP | 68.6% |
| 2019 | Jenny Aitchison ALP | 63.2% |
| 2015 | Jenny Aitchison ALP | 63.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in East Maitland?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 11,860 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
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- #3 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Filipino is spoken at home
- #5 in Best Newcastle suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #7 in Best Newcastle suburbs to rent in
- #8 in Where the Filipino community lives in Newcastle
- #10 in Newcastle suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #10 in Newcastle suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #12 in Newcastle suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #13 in Where the Greek community lives in Newcastle
- #13 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Sikh community
- #13 in Newcastle suburbs with the best public transport
- #15 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Mandarin is spoken at home
- #15 in Newcastle suburbs with the most rooftop solar
Nearby suburbs
Thornton NSW 2322
Metford NSW 2323
Ashtonfield NSW 2323
Chisholm NSW 2322
Tenambit NSW 2323
Raworth NSW 2321
Compare East Maitland to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about East Maitland
Is East Maitland a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in East Maitland is high (92/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect East Maitland?
East Maitland has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is East Maitland a good place to live?
East Maitland has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (51/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of East Maitland?
East Maitland, NSW had a population of 11,860 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for East Maitland, NSW?
The postcode for East Maitland, NSW is 2323.
How far is East Maitland from Sydney?
East Maitland is 160 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 118 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in East Maitland?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in East Maitland was $73,944 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in East Maitland?
The median advertised rent in East Maitland is $660 a week for houses (74 listings) and $498 a week for units (12 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in East Maitland?
The median age of residents in East Maitland was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is East Maitland at risk of bushfire?
East Maitland has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in East Maitland?
There are 6 schools inside the East Maitland boundary: 3 above, 2 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is East Maitland walkable?
East Maitland scores 89/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in East Maitland?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to East Maitland (Beresfield) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.5 µg/m³. That puts East Maitland below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in East Maitland?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to East Maitland, Paterson (Tocal AWS) (14.6 km away), summer days average 30°C, winter nights 7.1°C, 996 mm of rain a year over 89 rainy days, and 20 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in East Maitland?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does East Maitland belong to?
East Maitland sits within the Maitland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in East Maitland?
The average residential rates bill through Maitland is $1,908 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near East Maitland?
Across Maitland, 1,413 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 19.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is East Maitland in?
East Maitland sits within the federal Division of Paterson, currently held by Meryl Swanson (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.