Medowie is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Port Stephens Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 22% above the peer median. Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 68% below the peer median, and reported crime is lower than in most comparable places. Housing costs a little more than in comparable places. Median house prices have risen 18% year on year.
Medowie is a better fit for people who value daily services and lower crime more than lower housing costs.
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)
Strengths
Population growth is a relative strength
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Housing costs a little more than in comparable places
What stands out
Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★★☆☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★★☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Medowie compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.02M
+18% change
Median rent
$660/wk
Population (ERP)
12,427
+3.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
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
#8
among Country & regional · Growth area
Crime rate
18th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
95th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
22%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
41st
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
50.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 30% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1826th in Australia
State rank
637th in NSW
Peer rank
#8 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#141 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
97%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (January to March 2026)
$700
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
63
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,020,000
Median price change
+17.9%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+3.2% annual · +16.2% over 5 years · 95th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+3.2%
5-year growth
+16.2%
Change in 1 year
+388
Change in 5 years
+1,732
Growth rank in NSW
95th 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 (~13,700), extrapolated at +2.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
10,879
Median age
37
Median household income / week
$2,044
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
193 of 3,789
Median monthly mortgage
$1,950
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$430
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
30.5% / 47.2% / 22.3%
Employment rate
63.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
21% / 0.2% / 59.7%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
3,507 / 74 / 17 (+ 6 other)
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
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
14.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 28.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified14.5% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified11.5% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational28.5% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below45.4% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies26.6%
Management and commerce20.7%
Health12%
Society and culture12%
Education8.4%
Architecture and building6.7%
How these groups are defined
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
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$60,649
66th percentile in NSW · +3% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$67,285
66th percentile in NSW · +3% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
13.0%
38th percentile in NSW · -6% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$94,563
78th percentile in NSW · +49% vs Australia
Residents with business income
8.0%
9th percentile in NSW · -23% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2318 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
8,741
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,163
Median net rent
-$585
Taxpayers reporting business income
657
Taxable income vs state median
+8%
Salary / wages vs state median
+7%
Rental investment vs state median
-7%
Super vs state median
+34%
Business income vs state median
-20%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
3.7% speak a language other than English at home; 9.7% born overseas
Language at home
10,199 English only · 393 other
Non-English at home
3.7%
Born overseas
1,027 (9.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
753 (6.9%)
Australian citizens
10,271
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
18
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Afrikaans25 · 19.7%
Mandarin14 · 11%
Spanish10 · 7.9%
Greek9 · 7.1%
Italian9 · 7.1%
Arabic7 · 5.5%
German7 · 5.5%
Korean7 · 5.5%
Religion
51.4%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 51.4%, while 42.7% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
42.7%
32.8%
Christianity
51.4%
47.6%
Other / not stated
5.9%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
18.9%
22.4%
Anglican
18.7%
11.9%
Uniting Church
3.6%
2.1%
Christian (not further defined)
2.8%
2.4%
Baptist
2.6%
1.2%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.2%
1.9%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2318, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
488
Against the person
184
Against property
198
Rate per 1,000 residents
39.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 59 residents
State crime-rate percentile
17.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-10.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
38
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
3.06
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order28
Domestic Violence Related Assault55
Fraud71
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment71
Malicious Damage To Property31
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
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
1
Median school ICSEA
988
Median ICSEA percentile
41th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Wirreanda Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 988 · 41th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 530 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Hunter River HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Irrawang HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Karuah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Medowie PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Salt Ash PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Wirreanda PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
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
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Great for outdoor family life — 6 parks mapped in suburb, 5 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 268 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 11 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
79/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.28
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.1
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.55
Food & drink(12)
Bakehouse & CafeBakery
Medowie Macadamia CafeCafe
672 Medowie Road
Sports CafeCafe
Tall Trees cafeCafe
Call "n" KitchenFast food
Domino'sFast food
KFCFast food
Magic NoodleFast food
McDonald'sFast food
Medowie ChineseFast food
Bull "n" Bush HotelPub
Jasmine ThaiRestaurant
Shopping(4)
BWSBottle shop
Medowie MeatsButcher
ColesSupermarket
7 Peppertree Road
WoolworthsSupermarket
Everyday services(4)
ATM
BPPetrol station
Australia postPost office
Medowie Post OfficePost office
37c Ferodale Road
Community(3)
Medowie Community CentreCommunity centre
Medowie Community PreschoolKindergarten
Wirreanda Public SchoolSchool
43 Brocklesby Road, Medowie
Sport & outdoors(18)
Raymond Terrace to Medowie CyclewayCycling route
Active FitnessGym
58 Ferodale Road
Plus FitnessGym
12 Peppertree Road
Moffats Swamp Nature ReserveNature reserve
Coolabah ReservePark
Kindlebark OvalPark
Park (2)
Playground (5)
Public toilets
Medowie Tennis ClubSports centre
Boyd OvalSports field
Elain Hurst OvalSports field
Sports field
Transport(46)
46 bus stops
Other(8)
WashZone CARWASHCar wash
Unit 2 787 Medowie Road
Medowie Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
47B Medowie Road
Parking (4)
Shelter
Tallowood Resort LivingSocial Facility
Track (4)
Trolley Bay (10)
Medowie TyresTyres
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
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
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
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Health access
Nearest hospital
Hunter New England Mental Health Service (22.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
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%)
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.
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 (12%)
Subdivision; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Dual occupancy (attached)
17 NUT BUSH DRIVE MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
Shed; Erection of a new structure
120 SUNNINGDALE CIRCUIT MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Home business; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
5 SAM COURT MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
August 2026
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)
52 PORTMARNOCK CLOSE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
30 PEPPERTREE ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation
9 COBALT WAY MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
Secondary dwelling; Shed; Erection of a new structure
30 SYLVAN AVENUE MEDOWIE 2318Additional Information Requested
Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development
7 INGRA CLOSE MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
8 LIBERTY ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
49 LEWIS DRIVE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Subdivision
8 WAROPARA ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
July 2026
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
10 KAPALUA CRESCENT MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Educational establishment; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; School; Infrastructure
6A WAROPARA ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Additional Information Requested
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
25 FORD AVENUE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
10 BOWER ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Home business; 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; Hours of operation and trading
6 JOANNE CLOSE MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
45 ROSEWOOD DRIVE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Secondary dwelling; Shed; Erection of a new structure
8A ABUNDANCE ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
28 BROCKLESBY ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Erection of a new structure; Minor building alterations (external)
10 TURNBERRY LANE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
56A KULA ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
16A FAIRLANDS ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
1 KULA ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
5B FERODALE ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Subdivision
6 OLD FARM ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Home business; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
79 JAMES ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
June 2026
Shed; Erection of a new structure
19 WINDEYER CLOSE MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Subdivision
39A BROCKLESBY ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
27 RYAN ROAD MEDOWIE 2318Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah
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
Bushfire and flood 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 12.6 km away).
Coalition 46.4%Labor 53.6%
3.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +8.6 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Wirreanda MedowieLabor 55.3% · Coalition 44.7% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
MedowieLabor 44.5% · Coalition 55.5% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
Salt AshLabor 45.7% · Coalition 54.3% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
WilliamtownLabor 49.6% · Coalition 50.4% TPP (2025)8.7 km away
Tanilba BayLabor 51.0% · Coalition 49.0% TPP (2025)10.8 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.
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 (12%)