Median house price
$1.11M
+17% change
NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Dudley, 2290
Est. population · Jun 2025
2,741
Growth (1 yr)
+0.5%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.5%
Median age
39
Median income
$2,487/wk
Employment rate
63.4%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,115,000
Languages at home
3.5%non-English
Most common: Macedonian, French, Italian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Well away from Sydney, Dudley is a coastal mid-sized suburb built around sand, sea and space. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Open space is thinner than in many coastal suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer safety compared with similar coastal suburbs, though community and employment, plus growth momentum remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Dudley snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$670/wk
Houses $720 · Units $575
Population (ERP)
2,741
+0.5% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.2%
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
#15
among Coastal & beach · Emerging
Safety
48th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
49th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
83rd
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
- 46.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 37% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2584th in Australia
- State rank
- 782nd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #15 among Coastal & beach · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #82 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)
- $575
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $720
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $670
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 207
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,115,000
- Median price change
- +17.4%
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
2,741(June 2025)
+0.5% annual · +3.5% over 5 years · 49th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.5%
- 5-year growth
- +3.5%
- Change in 1 year
- +13
- Change in 5 years
- +93
- Growth rank in NSW
- 49th 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 (~2,800), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,505
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $2,487
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 48 of 922
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,324
- Employment rate
- 63.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 804 / 66 / 0
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)
- 181
- Against the person
- 44
- Against property
- 100
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 66
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 57 residents
- State safety percentile
- 48.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.8%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault162
- Fraud206
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment188
- Malicious Damage To Property201
- Steal From Retail Store455
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
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,095
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 83th
School list
- Dudley Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1095 · 83th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 245 students · Top SEA quarter 44% · 0.6 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
48 public transport stops in this suburb
- Burwood Rd Opp Cindi Cl
- Ocean St After Tumut Street
- Ocean St Before John St
- Seacourt Av At Banksia Av
- Seacourt Av Opp Ashby St
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
62 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 pubs · 2 playgrounds · 14 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Decent local green space — 1 parks in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 48 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 20 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 34/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.8
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.4
Food & drink(2)
- Ocean View HotelPub
- Royal Crown HotelPub
Community(1)
- Awabakal Environmental Education Centre - Dudley CampusSchool
Dudley
Sport & outdoors(21)
- Frank Watkins ParkPark
- Playground (2)
- Half court tennis, basketball, netballSports field
- John Balcom FieldSports field
- Lydon FieldSports field
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (14)
Entertainment(4)
- Viewpoint (4)
Transport(23)
23 bus stops
Other(10)
- Bbq
- Bench
- Drinking water
- Parking (2)
- Picnic Table
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Dudley Pensioners HallSocial Facility
- Waste Basket
- Watering Place
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Frank Watkins ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- 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
- Lake Macquarie Private Hospital (3.1 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)
- 93
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 33.9
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· 13 proposals
August 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation15 FREDERICK STREET DUDLEY 2290Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah8 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Under Assessment
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation11 FREDERICK STREET DUDLEY 2290Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation4 TUMUT STREET DUDLEY 2290Additional Information Requested
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation73A OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Additional Information Requested
June 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool7 BICKTON CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
April 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure8 IVY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Fences16 BICKTON CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure21 FREDERICK ST DUDLEY 2290Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Awnings, blinds and canopies; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah139 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah9 KNOLL AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure32 TUMUT STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
2025· 33 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)1 COOPER STREET DUDLEY 2290Additional Information Requested
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool10 ASHBY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development31 CALDWELL AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure143 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure9 CHORLEY CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Pub; Advertising and signage; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Food and drink premise94 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Under Assessment
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support24 GOULBURN STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
October 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation27 THOMAS STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure119 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool12 FOXDALE AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah8 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool7 GEORGE STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool61 SEACOURT AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Awnings, blinds and canopies; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Rainwater tanks; Skylights, roof windows and ventilators; Swimming pool13 BATHURST STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure26 OCEAN STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure26 CALDWELL AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure33 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 BOMBALA STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 IVY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support11A ALBURY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3 WINSLEY CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool10 ASHBY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation17 THOMAS STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure18 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
May 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 BIMBAE CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 SHERRIAN CLOSE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure10 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure35 ELIZABETH STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool12 TUMUT STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 ALBURY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
March 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool61 SEACOURT AVENUE DUDLEY 2290Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 IVY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation2 ALBURY STREET DUDLEY 2290Determined
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
- Overlay applies
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 4.1 km away).
Coalition 32.9%Labor 67.1%
5.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- DudleyLabor 67.3% · Coalition 32.7% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
- WhitebridgeLabor 63.5% · Coalition 36.5% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
- RedheadLabor 61.0% · Coalition 39.0% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
- Charlestown EastLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
- GatesheadLabor 68.8% · Coalition 31.2% TPP (2025)2.9 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)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
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.