Median house price
$766k
+2.2% change
NSW · Port Stephens Council
Lemon Tree Passage, 2319
Est. population · Jun 2025
2,749
Growth (1 yr)
+0.8%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.7%
Median age
52
Median income
$1,071/wk
Employment rate
40.7%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$766,000
Languages at home
4.4%non-English
Most common: German, Australian Indigenous languages, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- National parks
- Café precinct
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Lemon Tree Passage sits in Port Stephens Council as a regional mid-sized suburb that feels self-contained and a long way from big-city bustle. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town.
Green space punches above what many regional towns offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward. Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because community and employment trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Lemon Tree Passage snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$585/wk
Population (ERP)
2,749
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
12.8%
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
#183
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
39th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
59th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
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
- 38.6/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4022nd in Australia
- State rank
- 1239th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #183 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #408 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 81%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $620
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 40
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $766,000
- Median price change
- +2.2%
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
2,749(June 2025)
+0.8% annual · +2.7% over 5 years · 59th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.8%
- 5-year growth
- +2.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +21
- Change in 5 years
- +72
- Growth rank in NSW
- 59th 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 +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,686
- Median age
- 52
- Median household income / week
- $1,071
- Dwelling vacancy
- 12.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 163 of 1,272
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,600
- Employment rate
- 40.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 976 / 101 / 15 (+ 18 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)
- 160
- Against the person
- 53
- Against property
- 49
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 58.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 51 residents
- State safety percentile
- 39.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +20.6%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order43
- Domestic Violence Related Assault50
- Fraud41
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment65
- Other Offences46
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
Public transport
34 public transport stops in this suburb
- Club Lemon Tree, Kenneth Pde
- Elaine Av At Kenneth Pde
- Lemon Tree Passage Rd Opp Blanch St
- Lemon Tree Passage Rd Opp Crawley Av
- Meredith Av Opp Kenneth Pde
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
68 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
3 restaurants · 1 libraries · 2 playgrounds · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 34 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 36/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.12
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.98
Food & drink(3)
- Kippy's @Lemon TreeRestaurant
- Lemon Tree CafeRestaurant
- The Poyer'sRestaurant
Community(2)
- Lemon Tree Passage Old School CentreCommunity centre
- Tilligerry LibraryLibrary
Sport & outdoors(11)
- Henderson ParkPark
- John Parade ReservePark
- Koala ReservePark
- Lilli Pilli ParkPark
- McCann ParkPark
- Nyrang ReservePark
- Park (2)
- Playground (2)
- Sports field
Transport(19)
19 bus stops
Other(26)
- Liquor Legends Lemon Tree PassageAlcohol
5 Cook Parade, Lemon Tree Passage
- Bbq
- CaraBoatCar
- Lemon Tree Passage MechanicalCar repair
- Tanilba Bay Tyres & MechanicalCar repair
- Koala Shores Holiday ParkCaravan Site
7 Oyster Farm Road, Lemon Tree Passage
- Tourist CentreInformation
- Marina
- Lemon Tree Passage MotelMotel
47 Meredith Avenue, Lemon Tree Passage
- Lemontree Passage Boat RampParking
- Parking (5)
- Picnic Table (3)
- Lemon Tree Passage Police StationPolice
- Post Box
- Lemon Tree Passage LPOPost office
17 Cook Parade
- Public toilets
- Lemontree Passage Boat RampSlipway
- Slipway (2)
- Lemon Tree Passage Self StorageStorage Rental
- Telephone
- Lemon Tree Passage Waste Disposal Station (closed)Waste Transfer Station
Lemon Tree Passage Road
- Australian Premier FinanceYes
- Ethica CoffeeYes
- Lemon Tree Paint & PanelYes
- Port Stephens Sheet MetalYes
- Schionning MarineYes
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
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Henderson ParkPark
- John Parade ReservePark
- Koala ReservePark
- Lilli Pilli ParkPark
- McCann ParkPark
- Nyrang ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 12
- Parks (OSM)
- 8
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
- Hospital (10.7 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)
- 105
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 38.2
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· 11 proposals
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure8 MALVERN ROAD LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Additional Information Requested
- Shed; Erection of a new structure4 WHITBREAD DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Swimming pool61A TANILBA ROAD LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)4 CAMBRIDGE AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure61A TANILBA ROAD LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Under Assessment
June 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure35 KENNETH PARADE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
May 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Shop2 MEREDITH AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure19 GEER CLOSE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Under Assessment
April 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Shop2 MEREDITH AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Withdrawn
March 2026
- Secondary dwelling; 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; Minor building alterations (internal)4 CAMBRIDGE AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Withdrawn
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Light industry5 INDUSTRIAL CRESCENT LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Withdrawn
2025· 17 proposals
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure24 MORTON AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- 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; Ancillary commercial development; Recreation facility (indoor)12 INDUSTRIAL CRESCENT LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Demolition; Shed29 MARINE DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure23 JAMES SCOTT CRESCENT LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Shop top housing; Erection of a new structure; Shop2 MEREDITH AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure94 FRANCIS AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 JOHN PARADE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure41 Gibbers Drive Lemon Tree Passage 2319Determined
June 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise2 44 COOK PARADE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure9 RUSSELL STREET LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure21 GEER CLOSE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
May 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure23 JAMES SCOTT CRESCENT LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool24 WHITBREAD DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
March 2025
- Subdivision18 SHEARMAN AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
January 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure41 Gibbers Drive Lemon Tree Passage 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation1 BLANCH STREET LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
2024· 17 proposals
December 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure91 GOULD DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Carport34 TORPEY AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport16 ELIZABETH AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation41 RAISS CLOSE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
November 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation67 JAMES SCOTT CRESCENT LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure26 MORTON AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
October 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure29 MARINE DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation24 WHITBREAD DRIVE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
September 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure26 MORTON AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure8 WILLIAM CLOSE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport39 RAISS CLOSE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
July 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Carport27 TORPEY AVENUE LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation1 BLANCH STREET LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dual occupancy; Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation1 WARD STREET LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation20 STANLEY STREET LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
May 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support61A TANILBA ROAD LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation26 BEACH ROAD LEMON TREE PASSAGE 2319Determined
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 7.8 km away).
Coalition 45.4%Labor 54.6%
2.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +0.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Lemon Tree PassageLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)0.3 km away
- Tanilba BayLabor 51.0% · Coalition 49.0% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
- Soldiers PointLabor 53.5% · Coalition 46.5% TPP (2025)4.0 km away
- Bobs FarmLabor 48.4% · Coalition 51.6% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
- Salamander BayLabor 45.3% · Coalition 54.7% TPP (2025)4.7 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)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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.