Median house price
$669k
-3.8% change
NSW · Hawkesbury Council
Lower Macdonald, 2775
Est. population · Jun 2025
231
Growth (1 yr)
-0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
-2.5%
Median age
53
Median income
$1,278/wk
Employment rate
46.5%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$669,000
Languages at home
3.6%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Lower Macdonald is a quieter smaller community in Hawkesbury Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield. Housing is more affordable than in many parts of the state.
Reported crime has been rising recently. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability picture is below average, weighed down by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Lower Macdonald snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
231
-0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
38.2%
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
#595
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
83rd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
3rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
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
- 17.5/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6832nd in Australia
- State rank
- 2135th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #595 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #1047 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 71%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $669,000
- Median price change
- -3.8%
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
231(June 2025)
-0.9% annual · -2.5% over 5 years · 3th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.9%
- 5-year growth
- -2.5%
- Change in 1 year
- -2
- Change in 5 years
- -6
- Growth rank in NSW
- 3th 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 (~250), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 244
- Median age
- 53
- Median household income / week
- $1,278
- Dwelling vacancy
- 38.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 71 of 186
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,907
- Employment rate
- 46.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 116 / 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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 27
- Against the person
- 10
- Against property
- 11
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 116.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 24 residents
- State safety percentile
- 83th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +35.4%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault8
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment21
- Liquor Offences8
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault11
- Other Theft30
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
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- 550 Settlers Rd
- 559 Settlers Rd
- 562 Settlers Rd
- Settlers Rd At Walmsley Rd
- Settlers Rd Opp Walmsley 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
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
- Hawkesbury District Health Service (31.1 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)
- 4
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 17.3
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° / 16°
- Rainfall
- 308 mm · ~38 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 258 mm · ~32 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 16° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 150 mm · ~19 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 203 mm · ~25 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· 1 proposal
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia226 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Determined
2025· 1 proposal
April 2025
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Portable offices261 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Deferred Commencement
2024· 3 proposals
December 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Eco-tourist facility316 ST ALBANS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Determined
September 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool253 Settlers Road, Lower Macdonald 2775Determined
August 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Carport; Manufactured home261 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Operational consent issued
2022· 3 proposals
August 2022
- Dwelling537 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Determined
July 2022
- Other236 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Determined
May 2022
- Port, wharf, boating facilities261 Settlers Road Lower MacdonaldDetermined
2020· 1 proposal
October 2020
- Dwelling192 SETTLERS ROAD LOWER MACDONALD 2775Determined
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
- Macquarie
- Member of Parliament
- Susan TEMPLEMAN (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 121,939
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.9%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.4 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 42.3%Labor 57.7%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 26.8 km away).
Coalition 50.8%Labor 49.2%
8.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -4.9 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- St AlbansLabor 56.2% · Coalition 43.8% TPP (2025)7.3 km away
- EbenezerLabor 36.5% · Coalition 63.5% TPP (2025)20.9 km away
- Colo HeightsLabor 52.9% · Coalition 47.1% TPP (2025)21.2 km away
- CattaiLabor 33.8% · Coalition 66.2% TPP (2025)22.9 km away
- Kurrajong EastLabor 34.8% · Coalition 65.2% TPP (2025)24.5 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)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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 Hawkesbury Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.