Median house price
$1.17M
+8.8% change
NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Blacksmiths, 2281
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,915
Growth (1 yr)
-0.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+1.0%
Median age
50
Median income
$1,252/wk
Employment rate
49.6%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,170,000
Languages at home
3%non-English
Most common: Mandarin, German, Afrikaans
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Life in Blacksmiths revolves around the coast at a genuine remove from Sydney. Day-to-day life leans on nearby towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life.
Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many coastal suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Buses are a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.
Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
Against similar coastal suburbs, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because community and employment lag behind, despite relative strength in growth momentum. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Blacksmiths snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$725/wk
Houses $750 · Units $550
Population (ERP)
1,915
-0.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
9.6%
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
#40
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
37th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
6th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
38th
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
- 42.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 47% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 3266th in Australia
- State rank
- 993rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #40 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #98 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $550
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $725
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 90
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,170,000
- Median price change
- +8.8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
1,915(June 2025)
-0.3% annual · +1.0% over 5 years · 6th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.3%
- 5-year growth
- +1.0%
- Change in 1 year
- -6
- Change in 5 years
- +19
- Growth rank in NSW
- 6th 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 (~1,900), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,881
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,252
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 82 of 850
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 49.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 675 / 53 / 18 (+ 16 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 107
- Against the person
- 27
- Against property
- 39
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 55.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 70 residents
- State safety percentile
- 36.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +2.2%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order78
- Domestic Violence Related Assault78
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment96
- Malicious Damage To Property83
- Other Offences210
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- 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)
- 981
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 38th
School list
- Blacksmiths Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1004 · 48th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 103 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
- Pelican Flat Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 981 · 38th percentile · LBOTE 1% · 94 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Marks Point Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 935 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 141 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
47 public transport stops in this suburb
- Pacific Hwy After Turea St
- Pacific Hwy At Awabakal Av
- Pacific Hwy At Docker St
- Pacific Hwy At Maneela St
- Pelican Flat Park, Pacific Hwy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
64 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 pubs · 1 bakeries · 5 playgrounds · 1 swimming pools · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb, 5 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 47 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 34/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.06
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.53
Food & drink(2)
- The Bakers DenBakery
- Orana HotelPub
Community(1)
- Blacksmiths Primary SchoolSchool
Blacksmiths
Sport & outdoors(8)
- Dobinson ReservePark
- Playground (5)
- Sports field
- Swimming pool
Entertainment(2)
- Viewpoint (2)
Transport(10)
10 bus stops
Other(14)
- Bicycle Parking
- Fish Cleaning
- Garden (3)
- Blue Pacific Motor InnMotel
- Studio 73 MusicMusic School
- Nature Reserve
- Boat trailer parkingParking
- Parking (11)
- Picnic Table (14)
- Blacksmiths Post OfficePost office
80 Turea Street
- Public toilets
- Shelter (3)
- Shower
- Slipway
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Dobinson ReservePark
- Park or reserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Belmont Hospital (5.6 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 66
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 34.5
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.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
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 (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 14 proposals
August 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool3 PACIFIC HIGHWAY BLACKSMITHS 2281Under Assessment
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure20 MANEELA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure4 MITTI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure15 KOLANG STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Additional Information Requested
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool8 TIRRIKI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure157 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
April 2026
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (external)145 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool91 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
March 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool13 KOLANG STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool4 AWABAKAL AVENUE BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
February 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)3 WAREA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 MITTI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure4 AWABAKAL AVENUE BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool19 MITTI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
2025· 17 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure9 BINDA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
October 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure12 CARAWA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure3 BIWONG STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
September 2025
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (external)145 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure3 GOMMERA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 PARK PARADE BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Garage, carport or carparking space13 GOMMERA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure11 MANEELA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
August 2025
- Temporary building, structure or use; Swimming pool1 AMAROO STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3 GARRAWANTARA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 GOMMERA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
June 2025
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)59 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
May 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure13 KOLANG STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 CARAWA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
February 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool3 GOMMERA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool16 KALINDA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
January 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 MITTI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
2024· 14 proposals
December 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 BOIKON STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 MITTI STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
November 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool28 KOLANG STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
September 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure91 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 AMAROO STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
August 2024
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure29 PACIFIC HIGHWAY BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Garage, carport or carparking space; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development14 TIRRANNA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 MANEELA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 ALDUNGA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
May 2024
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure7 KALINDA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Recreation/Tourist Premise; Recreation facility (indoor); Recreation facility (outdoor)118 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
April 2024
- Business premises; Erection of a new structure78 Pacific Highway, BLACKSMITHS NSW 2281Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport; Garage, carport or carparking space14 BINDA STREET BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
February 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport81 UNGALA ROAD BLACKSMITHS 2281Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Shortland
- Member of Parliament
- Pat CONROY (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 122,971
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +5.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 38.5%Labor 61.5%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 5.2 km away).
Coalition 37.9%Labor 62.1%
0.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +3.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- BlacksmithsLabor 62.2% · Coalition 37.8% TPP (2025)0.2 km away
- Marks PointLabor 59.5% · Coalition 40.5% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
- SwanseaLabor 61.8% · Coalition 38.2% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Swansea CentralLabor 60.3% · Coalition 39.7% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
- Caves BeachLabor 58.7% · Coalition 41.3% TPP (2025)3.7 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.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Lake Macquarie Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.