NSW · Unincorporated NSW Council
Est. population · Jun 2025
442
Growth (1 yr)
-1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+0.9%
Median age
46
Median income
$1,699/wk
Employment rate
63.3%
University qualified
19.3%
Work from home
11.6%
Languages at home
7.7%non-English
Most common: Portuguese, Japanese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
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Suburb profile
Lord Howe Island is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Unincorporated NSW, characterised by volcanic landscape. It is close to the Lord Howe's Island and the Norfolk Island.
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 21% above the peer median. Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres. Recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 100% below the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on thinner local amenities and limited school access, with local amenities 47% below the peer median.
Overall, Lord Howe Island suits people prioritising open space and employment over local amenities.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in New South Wales (276)
Who it suits
Housing, growth and risk
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent (Census)
$310/wk
2021 Census median weekly rent
Population (ERP)
442
-1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
19.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#47
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Pop. growth
2nd
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
40%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
51st
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Data sources & freshness
Estimated resident population
442(June 2025)
-1.1% annual · +0.9% over 5 years · 2th percentile in NSW
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
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 (~450), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
19.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 24.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
| Measure | Definition |
|---|---|
| University qualified | Bachelor degree or higher |
| Diploma qualified | Advanced Diploma / Diploma |
| Trade / vocational | Certificate III + IV |
| Year 12 | Year 12 as highest attainment |
| Below Year 12 | Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below |
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
7.7% speak a language other than English at home; 18.8% born overseas
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
48.5%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 48.5%, while Christianity accounts for 38.9%.
| Measure | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | 48.5% | 32.8% |
| Christianity | 38.9% | 47.6% |
| Other / not stated | 12.6% | 19.6% |
| Denomination | Suburb | State |
|---|---|---|
| Anglican | 14.4% | 11.9% |
| Catholic | 9.9% | 22.4% |
| Seventh-day Adventist | 8.3% | 0.3% |
| Christian (not further defined) | 2.2% | 2.4% |
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Data sources & freshness
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
28 mapped amenities
1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 12 beaches
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
4 named sporting clubs in this suburb
Lawn Bowls
Golf
Golf
Golf
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Data sources & freshness
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
Data sources & freshness
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Hospitals, GPs and aged care
Data sources & freshness
1 heritage place
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Two-party preferred (2025)
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 780.7 km away).
3.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
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
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).
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 (12%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)
Data sources & freshness
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in New South Wales or interstate.