NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Macquarie Hills, NSW, 2285
Desirability index
21.4/100
How this score is calculated#581 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Macquarie Hills is a smaller suburban community in the Lake Macquarie area, home to around 3,605 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 2,376 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with falling year-on-year trends (-8%), roughly 659.1 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $700 (flats $500, houses $720), strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, a solid spread of nearby amenities and everyday services, and notable planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb.
Population
- 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)
- 91 / 25 / 0
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
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 weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 2,376
- Against the person
- 581
- Against property
- 1,116
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 659.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 6 residents
- State safety percentile
- 27.7th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- -8.3%
Most common offence types
- Fraud222
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment170
- Malicious Damage To Property232
- Steal From Motor Vehicle186
- Transport Regulatory Offences264
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
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
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
113 planning-related records
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· 17 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
2023· 18 proposals
18 proposals lodged in 2023. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2022· 25 proposals
25 proposals lodged in 2022. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2021· 23 proposals
23 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026; 2021; 2022… · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
18 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- 163 Macquarie RdBus stop
- Delasala Dr at Exford AvBus stop
- Delasala Dr before Kenley CresBus stop
- Delasala Dr opp Exford AvBus stop
- Delasala Dr opp Kenley CresBus stop
- Grenada Av at Lawson RdBus stop
- Lawson Rd after Fitzwilliam CctBus stop
- Lawson Rd after Granada AvBus stop
- Lawson Rd at Malwood AvBus stop
- Lawson Rd at Newbold RdBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 12
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 21.4/100
- Cohort rank
- #581 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Delasala Dr At Exford Avtransport
- Delasala Dr Before Kenley Crestransport
- Lawson Rd At Malwood Avtransport
- Lawson Rd At Newbold Rdtransport
- Lawson Rd Opp Fitzwilliam Ccttransport
- Park or reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)planning17 BLANTYRE ROAD MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Lodged 19 Jul 2024 · Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Developmentplanning17 FITZWILLIAM CIRCUIT MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Lodged 30 Jul 2024 · Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)planning1 SACRAMENTO AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Lodged 17 Jan 2026 · Withdrawn
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)planning1 SACRAMENTO AVENUE MACQUARIE HILLS 2285Lodged 14 Jan 2025 · Determined
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
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