Median house price
$917k
-6.0% change
NSW · Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Herons Creek, 2439
Est. population · Jun 2025
272
Growth (1 yr)
+2.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+9.7%
Median age
46
Median income
$1,266/wk
Employment rate
54.1%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$917,000
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Herons Creek keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Property prices run toward the upper end of the local market. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because growth momentum, plus schools and education trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Herons Creek snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
272
+2.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
13.9%
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
#560
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
12th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
90th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
4/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
15th
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
- 23.3/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6436th in Australia
- State rank
- 2064th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #560 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #991 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 79%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $917,000
- Median price change
- -6%
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 · October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
272(June 2025)
+2.3% annual · +9.7% over 5 years · 90th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +2.3%
- 5-year growth
- +9.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +6
- Change in 5 years
- +24
- Growth rank in NSW
- 90th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +1.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 246
- Median age
- 46
- Median household income / week
- $1,266
- Dwelling vacancy
- 13.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 14 of 101
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,473
- Employment rate
- 54.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 83 / 0 / 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 are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 9
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 33.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 82 residents
- State safety percentile
- 11.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions12
- Fraud11
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment31
- Malicious Damage To Property25
- Prohibited And Regulated Weapons Offences10
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
- 919
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 15th
School list
- Herons Creek Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 919 · 15th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 25 students · Top SEA quarter 2%View 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
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- Bago Rd At Little Bago Lane
- Bago Rd Opp Little Bago Lane
- Herons Creek Rd At Pacific Hwy
- Kew Kendall Sewerage Plant, Pacific Hwy
- Pacific Hwy At Miles Dr
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
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Wauchope District Memorial Hospital (11.4 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)
- 8
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 29.4
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
- 417 mm · ~52 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 459 mm · ~57 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 256 mm · ~32 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 273 mm · ~34 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· 2 proposals
June 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Extractive Industries (non-mining); Environmental protection works; Other Infrastructure31 LOOKOUT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Under Assessment
February 2026
- Shed; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Supporting Development438 BLACKBUTT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Withdrawn
2025· 3 proposals
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation129 CLULEYS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
May 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; General industry359 HERONS CREEK ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Withdrawn
January 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Extractive Industries (non-mining)31 LOOKOUT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Withdrawn
2024· 4 proposals
July 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Rural industry; Sawmill or log processing works167 MILES DRIVE HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
May 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Extractive Industries (non-mining)31 LOOKOUT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Withdrawn
March 2024
- Attached dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure127 CLULEYS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
January 2024
- Secondary dwelling; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Residential Accommodation23 NELSONS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Determined
2023· 5 proposals
December 2023
- Restaurant or cafe; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Food and drink premise197 LAMBS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
November 2023
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Vehicle Sales or Hire Premises359 HERONS CREEK ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Rural worker's dwelling58 NELSONS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
September 2023
- Other31 LOOKOUT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Determined
August 2023
- Secondary dwelling; Change of use23 NELSONS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Determined
2022· 3 proposals
October 2022
- Signage5499 PACIFIC HIGHWAY HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
September 2022
- Dwelling122 BLACKBUTT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
July 2022
- Dwelling; Shed142 RON BANKS ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
2021· 2 proposals
November 2021
- Signage31 LOOKOUT ROAD HERONS CREEK 2443Determined
October 2021
- Other; Change of use142 OLD SCHOOL ROAD HERONS CREEK 2439Determined
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)
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- RoadworksPacific Highway, Johns River16 Aug 2026 – 25 Sep 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
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
- Lyne
- Member of Parliament
- Alison PENFOLD (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 129,584
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.9%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 59.8%Labor 40.2%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 12.4 km away).
Coalition 61.2%Labor 38.8%
1.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- KendallLabor 38.6% · Coalition 61.4% TPP (2025)7.5 km away
- KewLabor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)8.5 km away
- HuntingdonLabor 35.2% · Coalition 64.8% TPP (2025)10.8 km away
- Wauchope SouthLabor 36.4% · Coalition 63.6% TPP (2025)10.8 km away
- Lake CathieLabor 42.9% · Coalition 57.1% TPP (2025)11.0 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)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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
More in Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.