Median house price
$820k
+13% change
NSW · Port Stephens Council
Heatherbrae, 2324
Est. population · Jun 2025
693
Growth (1 yr)
+0.4%
Growth (5 yr)
+5.3%
Median age
47
Median income
$1,066/wk
Employment rate
42.8%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$820,000
Languages at home
12.3%non-English
Most common: Urdu, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- Café precinct
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Heatherbrae is a practical smaller community in Port Stephens Council, well placed for families who want metro access without the inner-city squeeze. The capital is not on the doorstep: Sydney is a proper journey, while nearby towns cover more day-to-day needs. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
For metro suburbs, the café and dining scene is notably rich, with locals returning to favourite spots. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. Buses connect the area to surrounding suburbs, keeping the wider city within easy reach.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. Steady development is bringing new homes and gradual renewal to parts of the suburb.
The overall desirability read is below average, pulled by softer community and employment, plus schools and education compared with similar metro suburbs, though growth momentum remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Heatherbrae snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$578/wk
Houses $610 · Units $498
Population (ERP)
693
+0.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
6.5%
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
#96
among Metro Sydney · Mature
Safety
76th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
47th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
10th
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
- 34.9/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4708th in Australia
- State rank
- 1496th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #96 among Metro Sydney · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #770 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $498
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $610
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $578
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 194
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $820,000
- Median price change
- +13.1%
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
693(June 2025)
+0.4% annual · +5.3% over 5 years · 47th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.4%
- 5-year growth
- +5.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +3
- Change in 5 years
- +35
- Growth rank in NSW
- 47th 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 (~700), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 654
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income / week
- $1,066
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 18 of 277
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 42.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 106 / 13 / 0 (+ 136 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 decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 73
- Against the person
- 23
- Against property
- 25
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 105.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 28 residents
- State safety percentile
- 76.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -11.8%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions384
- Domestic Violence Related Assault228
- Fraud159
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment331
- Malicious Damage To Property237
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
- 899
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 10th
School list
- Hunter River High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 899 · 10th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 762 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 0.8 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
27 public transport stops in this suburb
- 187 Masonite Rd
- Hunter River High School, Elkin Av
- Masonite Rd Before Archibald Pl
- Masonite Rd Opp Archibald Pl
- Pacific Hwy After Masonite Rd
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
61 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 5 fast food · 1 playgrounds · 3 swimming pools · 2 ev charging · 4 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Decent local green space — 1 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 27 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 42/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 1.53
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 9.17
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.53
Food & drink(6)
- Heatherbrae's PiesCafe
- Fast food
- Hungry Jack'sFast food
- KFCFast food
- McDonald'sFast food
- SubwayFast food
Shopping(3)
- 7-ElevenConvenience store
- BP ShopConvenience store
- FoodaryConvenience store
Community(1)
- Hunter River High SchoolSchool
36 Elkin Avenue, Heatherbrae
Sport & outdoors(6)
- Park
- Playground
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (3)
Transport(11)
11 bus stops
Other(13)
- Bellhaven Caravan ParkCaravan Site
- Heatherbrae Holiday VillageCaravan Site
2231 Pacific Highway, Heatherbrae
- Bunnings WarehouseDoityourself
- BP PulseEV charging
- Tesla SuperchargerEV charging
- Motto Farm MotelMotel
- Sir Francis Drake InnMotel
- Parking (12)
- 7-ElevenPetrol station
- AmpolPetrol station
- BPPetrol station
- Metro PetroleumPetrol station
- Trolley Bay (11)
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 7
- 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
- Hunter Valley Private Hospital (11.1 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)
- 38
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 54.8
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· 23 proposals
August 2026
- Advertising and signage; 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); Hours of operation and trading2179 PACIFIC HIGHWAY HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; General industry18 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Caravan park2231 PACIFIC HIGHWAY HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)23 COMANCHE CLOSE HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- 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 facility17 IVORY CLOSE HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
July 2026
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation18 COMANCHE CLOSE HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- Signage; Advertising and signage; Advertising structure81 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
May 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Supporting Development431 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Subdivision470 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)1 OCTAGONAL DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
April 2026
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)2 MAKYBE DIVA DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)17 OCTAGONAL DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)21 COMANCHE CLOSE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation1 MAKYBE DIVA DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
March 2026
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)10 MAKYBE DIVA DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)8 MAKYBE DIVA DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry97 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Signage; Advertising and signage; Advertising structure81 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Withdrawn
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; General industry49 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
February 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; General industry7 MOTTO LANE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool18 KINGSTON PARADE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
January 2026
- Industrial development; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia65 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Industrial development; Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure45 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
2025· 19 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Ancillary commercial development; Depot2 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure26 ELKIN AVENUE HEATHERBRAE 2324Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool33 KINGSTON PARADE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Subdivision5A SPEEDY LOCK LANE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
October 2025
- Advertising and signage; Retail Premise8 GRIFFIN STREET HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Restaurant or cafe; Advertising and signage; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Highway service centre; Take away food and drink485 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Supporting Development431 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; General industry16 GIGGINS ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
August 2025
- Subdivision5 SPEEDY LOCK LANE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
July 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Supporting Development431 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
June 2025
- Educational establishment; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; School36 ELKIN AVENUE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia37 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- 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; Resource recovery facility15 IVORY CLOSE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Educational establishment; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; School; Infrastructure36 ELKIN AVENUE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
May 2025
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure58 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
April 2025
- Industrial development; Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure65 KIERMAN CIRCUIT HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Vehicle body repair workshop; Vehicle repair station; Hours of operation and trading19 HEATHER STREET HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
March 2025
- Advertising and signage; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Light industry2 62 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
- Subdivision470 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
2024· 5 proposals
November 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support2209 PACIFIC HIGHWAY HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
October 2024
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure54 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
August 2024
- Industrial development; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; General industry18 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Withdrawn
- Advertising and signage; Business identification sign24 CAMFIELD DRIVE HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
July 2024
- Temporary building, structure or use; Waste or resource transfer station470 MASONITE ROAD HEATHERBRAE 2324Determined
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
- 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 7.5 km away).
Coalition 36.6%Labor 63.4%
6.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Raymond TerraceLabor 69.7% · Coalition 30.3% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
- Raymond Terrace CentralLabor 60.2% · Coalition 39.8% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
- Raymond Terrace NorthLabor 67.8% · Coalition 32.2% TPP (2025)4.1 km away
- Raymond Terrace EastLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
- Millers ForestLabor 37.5% · Coalition 62.5% TPP (2025)4.8 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)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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 Port Stephens Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.