Cardiff vs Macquarie Hills.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $850,000 and $910,000. Cardiff edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Cardiff (median $850,000) is roughly 7% cheaper to buy into than Macquarie Hills ($910,000). Over the past year, Cardiff (+8.7%) ran 1.6 percentage points ahead of Macquarie Hills (+7.1%) on house-price growth.
On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Cardiff (1020) sits above Macquarie Hills (1010). Macquarie Hills skews owner-occupied (85%), Cardiff runs more rental-dense (66% owner).
For buyers
Cardiff is the lower entry point at $850,000 median, 7% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Cardiff carries both higher gross yield (4.44% vs 4.14%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
Cardiff edges out on average school ICSEA (1020 vs 1010). Macquarie Hills also has a higher family-household share (85% vs 67%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Cardiff or Macquarie Hills cheaper to buy in?
Cardiff has the lower median house price at $850,000, roughly 7% below Macquarie Hills ($910,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Cardiff or Macquarie Hills?
Over the past 12 months, Cardiff grew +8.7% vs +7.1% in Macquarie Hills, a gap of 1.6 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Cardiff or Macquarie Hills have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Cardiff scores 1020 vs 1010 in Macquarie Hills. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Cardiff or Macquarie Hills?
Gross rental yield on houses is 4.44% in Cardiff vs 4.14% in Macquarie Hills. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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