Median house price
$930k
+12% change
NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Macquarie Hills, 2285
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,777
Growth (1 yr)
+0.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.0%
Median age
35
Median income
$2,241/wk
Employment rate
69.4%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$930,000
Languages at home
5.8%non-English
Most common: Greek, Vietnamese, Arabic
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Macquarie Hills sits up in the Lake Macquarie Council hills, a mid-sized suburb where elevation and tree cover define the mood. The capital is not on the doorstep: Sydney is a proper journey, while nearby towns cover more day-to-day needs. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many metro suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Buses are a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. The suburb still has an emerging character, as newer residents settle in and local identity forms.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer safety compared with similar metro suburbs, though community and employment, plus schools and education remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Macquarie Hills snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$700/wk
Houses $720 · Units $500
Population (ERP)
3,777
+0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
1.7%
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
#129
among Metro Sydney · Emerging
Safety
47th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
51st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
8/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
51st
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
- 45.3/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 41% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2877th in Australia
- State rank
- 878th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #129 among Metro Sydney · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #585 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)
- $500
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $720
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $700
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 226
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $930,000
- Median price change
- +12.1%
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
3,777(June 2025)
+0.6% annual · +4.0% over 5 years · 51th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.6%
- 5-year growth
- +4.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +21
- Change in 5 years
- +144
- Growth rank in NSW
- 51th 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 (~3,850), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,605
- Median age
- 35
- Median household income / week
- $2,241
- Dwelling vacancy
- 1.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 21 of 1,261
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 69.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,219 / 25 / 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 decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 244
- Against the person
- 60
- Against property
- 115
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 64.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 60 residents
- State safety percentile
- 46.8th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -8%
Most common offence types
- Fraud222
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment170
- Malicious Damage To Property232
- Steal From Motor Vehicle186
- Transport Regulatory Offences264
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
- 4
- Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
- 1,008.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 51th
School list
- Cardiff Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1000 · 47th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 283 students · Top SEA quarter 14% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Biddabah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1065 · 74th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 348 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
- Cardiff South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1017 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 298 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
- Argenton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 934 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 46 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 2.0 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
67 public transport stops in this suburb
- Delasala Dr At Exford Av
- Delasala Dr Before Kenley Cres
- Lawson Rd At Malwood Av
- Lawson Rd At Newbold Rd
- Lawson Rd Opp Fitzwilliam Cct
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
37 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 places of worship · 2 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Decent local green space — 3 parks in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 67 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.83
Community(1)
- Macquarie HallCommunity centre
Sport & outdoors(6)
- Park (3)
- Playground (2)
- Sports field
Transport(17)
17 bus stops
Other(5)
- Nature Reserve
- Parking (5)
- Macquarie Life ChurchPlace of worship
- Place of worship
- Track (5)
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Park or reserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 12
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
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
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Macquarie Life Church
- Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Pendlebury Clinc Private Hospital (1.4 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)
- 168
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 44.5
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· 7 proposals
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure21 MONTEREY AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool15 FITZWILLIAM CIRCUIT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
April 2026
- Subdivision26 BLANTYRE ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
March 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation1 SACRAMENTO AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool7 KURAMAN CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool16 ROSEBERY AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)1 SACRAMENTO AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Withdrawn
2025· 23 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool2 HUME CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure35 FITZWILLIAM CIRCUIT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure8 DALMENY DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Place of public worship; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure127 MACQUARIE ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home; Residential Accommodation8 KURAMAN CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation29 DALMENY DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool16 ROSEBERY AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool29 FITZWILLIAM CIRCUIT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 DELAWARE DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure31 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Shade structures of canvas, fabric, mesh or the like8 HUME CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 HARCOURT PARADE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
June 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Shade structures of canvas, fabric, mesh or the like8 HUME CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure71 DELAWARE DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Garage, carport or carparking space27 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
May 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure16 LUCILLA RIDGE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home; Residential Accommodation8 KURAMAN CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool83 DELAWARE DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
March 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure29 NEWBOLD ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1 CARMEN ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
February 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Shade structures of canvas, fabric, mesh or the like8 HUME CLOSE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)1 SACRAMENTO AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
2024· 10 proposals
December 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure35 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure5 NINA PLACE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
November 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support71 DELAWARE DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Place of public worship; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure127 MACQUARIE ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
October 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure28 KENLEY CRESCENT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
September 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation44 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure17 BLAXLAND ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
July 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development17 FITZWILLIAM CIRCUIT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)17 BLANTYRE ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support71 DELAWARE DRIVE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Determined
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
- Shortland
- Member of Parliament
- Pat CONROY (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 122,971
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +5.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 38.5%Labor 61.5%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 2.7 km away).
Coalition 35.0%Labor 65.0%
3.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- CardiffLabor 65.5% · Coalition 34.5% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Warners Bay NorthLabor 58.2% · Coalition 41.8% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
- ArgentonLabor 70.8% · Coalition 29.2% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
- Cardiff SouthLabor 65.9% · Coalition 34.1% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Warners BayLabor 60.5% · Coalition 39.5% TPP (2025)2.2 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)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
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 Lake Macquarie Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.