Rutherford is an outer metropolitan suburb of Sydney, in Maitland Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Health access is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs. Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places, with median house prices 27% below the peer median. Population has been growing faster than in comparable places. The main trade-offs are lower school ICSEA scores and thinner park access, with park access 62% below the peer median.
Rutherford's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in New South Wales (504)
Strengths
Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places
Health access is a relative strength
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
Park access is thinner than in comparable places
What stands out
Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Rutherford compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$816k
+10% change
Median rent
$600/wk
Houses $620 · Units $485
Population (ERP)
13,013
+3.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.5%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#137
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Crime rate
69th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
95th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
36%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
19th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
39.9/100 — Below average
National rank
4415th in Australia
State rank
1510th in NSW
Peer rank
#137 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#712 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
98%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$485
Houses (January to March 2026)
$620
All types (January to March 2026)
$600
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
357
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$816,000
Median price change
+10%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+3.2% annual · +18.0% over 5 years · 95th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+3.2%
5-year growth
+18.0%
Change in 1 year
+407
Change in 5 years
+1,981
Growth rank in NSW
95th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~15,050), extrapolated at +2.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
13,091
Median age
35
Median household income / week
$1,475
Dwelling vacancy
4.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
227 of 5,062
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$360
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
25.5% / 38.5% / 36%
Employment rate
54.9%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.8% / 0.7% / 69.2%
Walked or cycled to work
1.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
4,203 / 528 / 94
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
8.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 26% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified8.8% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified7.4% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational26% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below57.7% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies24.2%
Management and commerce19.7%
Society and culture13.7%
Health11.7%
Food, hospitality and personal services9.7%
Education7.4%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$62,015
69th percentile in NSW · +6% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$66,912
64th percentile in NSW · +3% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
10.0%
15th percentile in NSW · -27% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$76,939
59th percentile in NSW · +22% vs Australia
Residents with business income
7.0%
6th percentile in NSW · -33% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2320 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
24,091
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,495
Median net rent
-$1,713
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,759
Taxable income vs state median
+11%
Salary / wages vs state median
+7%
Rental investment vs state median
-29%
Super vs state median
+9%
Business income vs state median
-30%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
5.5% speak a language other than English at home; 9.1% born overseas
Language at home
11,754 English only · 683 other
Non-English at home
5.5%
Born overseas
1,132 (9.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
1,354 (10.3%)
Australian citizens
12,017
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
28
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Punjabi36 · 13.7%
Afrikaans21 · 8%
Italian17 · 6.5%
Tagalog17 · 6.5%
Mandarin14 · 5.3%
Urdu13 · 4.9%
Malayalam12 · 4.6%
Spanish12 · 4.6%
Religion
52.8%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 52.8%, while 38.2% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
38.2%
32.8%
Christianity
52.8%
47.6%
Other / not stated
9%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
22.4%
22.4%
Anglican
19.5%
11.9%
Uniting Church
3%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.2%
1.9%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2320, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
1,241
Against the person
341
Against property
451
Rate per 1,000 residents
95.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 38 residents
State crime-rate percentile
69.3th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-5.2%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
105
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
8.07
Most common offence types
Breach Bail Conditions182
Domestic Violence Related Assault98
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment114
Malicious Damage To Property92
Steal From Motor Vehicle71
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
3
Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
933
Median ICSEA percentile
19th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Rutherford Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 933 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 1,007 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Rutherford Technology High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 922 · 16th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 1,405 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
St Paul's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 996 · 45th percentile · LBOTE 19% · 370 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Lochinvar PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Maitland Grossmann HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Maitland PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Rutherford PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
RutherfordHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Telarah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Maitland-Wesleyan Methodist Church
34 Dunkley Street
Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
27° / 18°
Rainfall
295 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 14°
Rainfall
366 mm · ~46 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
18° / 8°
Rainfall
272 mm · ~34 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 13°
Rainfall
230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Industrial development; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Light industry
88 MUSTANG DRIVE RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Shop; Neighbourhood supermarket
25 WEST MALL RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Shed; Erection of a new structure
13 CANTER CLOSE RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
August 2026
Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Residential Accommodation
2 WATERWORKS ROAD RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
50 HAGUE STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Subdivision
112 MUSTANG DRIVE RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Industrial development; Erection of a new structure
8 FARRIER PLACE RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
July 2026
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool
7 QUINTON CLOSE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Industrial development; Erection of a new structure
12 FARRIER PLACE RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Vehicle body repair workshop; Vehicle repair station
194 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise
15 NORTH MALL RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor)
435 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY RUTHERFORD 2320Under Assessment
Shed; Erection of a new structure
28 MIDFIELD CLOSE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
June 2026
Industrial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
91 GARDINER STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
55 RICHARD ROAD RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Subdivision
20 DENTON PARK DRIVE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Vehicle repair station
9 MIRAGE ROAD RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
54 TOURNAMENT STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Subdivision
7 AARON COVE RUTHERFORD 2320Additional Information Requested
Erection of a new structure; Recreation facility (outdoor)
91 GRAND PARADE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
18 BINGARA STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Subdivision
372 NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Waste or resource transfer station; Waste or resource management facility
71 KYLE STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Light industry
79 MUSTANG DRIVE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
99 GRAND PARADE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
67 TOURNAMENT STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
23 PETER STREET RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
18 BUNNING AVENUE RUTHERFORD 2320Determined
Subdivision
39 & 41 fairfax street rutherfordUnder Assessment
May 2026
Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
Check signage. Exercise caution. Local residents will be allowed access. Traffic controllers will be on site to direct motorists.Queen Street, Aberglasslyn Road24 Aug 2026 – 08 Feb 2027
Data sources & freshness
Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Paterson
Member of Parliament
Meryl SWANSON (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,926
Turnout (2025)
92.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+4.3 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.1%Labor 56.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.1 km away).
Coalition 36.3%Labor 63.7%
6.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Rutherford WestLabor 62.7% · Coalition 37.3% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
Rutherford NorthLabor 67.1% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
RutherfordLabor 61.4% · Coalition 38.6% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
TelarahLabor 65.1% · Coalition 34.9% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
AberglasslynLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)