NSW · Central Coast Council

Patonga, 2256

Est. population · Jun 2025

207

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+0.5%

Median age

65

Median income

$1,069/wk

Employment rate

35.6%

University qualified

23.1%

Work from home

50%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$1,107,000

Languages at home

4.4%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

43.1/100
Average

1230th in NSW

Verified 87% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • National parks
  • Holiday parks
What Patonga is known for: Beach, National parks, Holiday parks

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Patonga, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Patonga, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/patonga

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Suburb profile

Patonga is a coastal town in New South Wales, in Central Coast Council. It is close to the Brisk Bay and the Hawkesbury River.

Dining and cafés are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked coastal towns. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places. Rents sit a little below those in comparable places, with median rents 8% below the peer median. Working from home is an exceptional strength. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Employment is a relative weakness, with employment 30% below the peer median.

Patonga is a better fit for people who value dining and open space more than employment.

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

Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in New South Wales (162)

Strengths

  • Dining and cafés are a relative strength
  • Working from home is a relative strength
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Rents sit a little below those in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Employment is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Patonga Beach
  • Little Patonga Beach
  • Brisk Bay
  • Hawkesbury River
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Patonga compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$1.11M

+2.2% change

Median rent

$595/wk

Houses $625 · Units $520

Population (ERP)

207

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

50.9%

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

#90

among Coastal & beach · Mature

Crime rate

80th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

30th

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

13%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

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
43.1/100 — Average
National rank
3600th in Australia
State rank
1230th in NSW
Peer rank
#90 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#153 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
87%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$520
Houses (January to March 2026)
$625
All types (January to March 2026)
$595
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
127
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,107,000
Median price change
+2.2%

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 (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

207(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +0.5% over 5 years · 30th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+0.5%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+1
Growth rank in NSW
30th 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 (~200), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
235
Median age
65
Median household income / week
$1,069
Dwelling vacancy
50.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
113 of 222
Median monthly mortgage
$1,517
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$390
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
63.2% / 23.6% / 13.2%
Employment rate
35.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
50% / 0% / 38.2%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
97 / 3 / 0

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.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

23.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 17.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified23.1% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified8% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational17.3% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below51.6% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce23.7%
  • Society and culture20.3%
  • Architecture and building14.4%
  • Engineering and related technologies14.4%
  • Education11%
  • Creative arts5.9%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 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)
$54,020

43rd percentile in NSW · -8% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$61,565

47th percentile in NSW · -5% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

39th percentile in NSW · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$81,774

66th percentile in NSW · +29% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

37th percentile in NSW · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2256 — 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
9,147
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,214
Median net rent
$1,070
Taxpayers reporting business income
888
Taxable income vs state median
-3%
Salary / wages vs state median
-2%
Rental investment vs state median
-7%
Super vs state median
+16%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

4.4% speak a language other than English at home; 18.8% born overseas

Language at home
196 English only · 9 other
Non-English at home
4.4%
Born overseas
39 (18.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
3 (1.3%)
Australian citizens
203

Religion

42.6%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 42.6%, while 41.3% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion41.3%32.8%
Christianity42.6%47.6%
Other / not stated16.2%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican16.2%11.9%
Catholic15.3%22.4%
Uniting Church4.7%2.1%

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 2256, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
23
Against the person
5
Against property
6
Rate per 1,000 residents
111.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 47 residents
State crime-rate percentile
80th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-3.9%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
14
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
67.63

Most common offence types

  • Breach Bail Conditions4
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault1
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment2
  • Malicious Damage To Property2
  • Transport Regulatory Offences4

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

School list
School catchments
  • Asquith HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Brooklyn PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • BWSC UminaGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • BWSC Woy WoyGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Umina Beach PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Woy Woy SPSGovernment 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

Public transport

21 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Bay St Opp Brisk St
  • Bay St Opp Meroo Av
  • Patonga Dr Before Bay St
  • Patonga St After Brisk St
  • Patonga St At Brisk St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

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

50 mapped amenities

1 restaurants · 1 fast food · 1 swimming pools · 5 beaches · 1 caravan parks · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
  • Well connected by public transport — 21 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
34/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
8.51
Parks per 1,000 residents
4.26
Food & drink(2)
  • Fast food
  • The BoathouseRestaurant
Sport & outdoors(13)
  • Beach (2)
  • Little Patonga BeachBeach
  • Patonga BeachBeach
  • Pearl BeachBeach
  • Boat ramp
  • Patonga Boat RampBoat ramp
  • Park
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
  • Great North Walk - Alternate route via Little WobbyWalking trail
  • Great North Walk - Alternate route via WondabyneWalking trail
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Patonga Rest AreaCampground
  • Patonga Foreshore Caravan & Camping AreaCaravan park
Entertainment(2)
  • Viewpoint (2)
Transport(6)

6 bus stops

Other(15)
  • Artwork
  • Bench
  • Chalet
  • The Old School HouseChalet
  • Patonga Bakehouse GalleryGallery

    19 Bay Street

  • Information (2)
  • The Great North WalkInformation
  • WaratahInformation
  • National Parks and Wildlife ServiceParking
  • Parking (6)
  • Van Dahls Track CarparkParking
  • Picnic Table (3)
  • Recycling
  • Shelter (2)
  • Waste Basket (2)

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
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
25°C

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
Think Well Hypnotherapy (13.0 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%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
6
Participants per 1,000 residents
29.0

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

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
25° / 17°
Rainfall
321 mm · ~40 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
22° / 14°
Rainfall
359 mm · ~45 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 8°
Rainfall
263 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
21° / 12°
Rainfall
242 mm · ~30 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

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· 8 proposals
  • August 2026

  • Erection of a new structure; Jetty; Water Infrastructure
    115 PATONGA CREEK PATONGA 2256Under Assessment
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    85 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Under Assessment
  • July 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    19 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • May 2026

  • Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
    69 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Supporting Development
    37 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    85 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    69 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • April 2026

  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    96 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
2025· 7 proposals
  • July 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    25 PATONGA CREEK PATONGA 2256Determined
  • June 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    85 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • May 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    9 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • April 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    8 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • March 2025

  • Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home
    3 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • February 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    40 PATONGA DRIVE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • January 2025

  • Demolition; Recreation area
    470 HAWKESBURY RIVER PATONGA 2256Determined
2024· 7 proposals
  • October 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    46 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    8 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • August 2024

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    65 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    HAWKESBURY RIVER PATONGA 2256Determined
  • June 2024

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    37 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • March 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    23 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • January 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    16 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
2023· 7 proposals
  • December 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    18A PATONGA DRIVE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • October 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    25 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • September 2023

  • Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers
    19 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling
    19 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    58 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • March 2023

  • Dwelling
    HAWKESBURY RIVER PATONGA 2256Determined
  • January 2023

  • Dwelling; Demolition
    90 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
2022· 11 proposals
  • October 2022

  • Secondary dwelling
    8 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • September 2022

  • Dwelling
    47 PATONGA DRIVE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Other
    470 Hawkesbury River PatongaDetermined
  • August 2022

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    30 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • May 2022

  • Dwelling
    11 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling
    22 PATONGA DRIVE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • March 2022

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    HAWKESBURY RIVER PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Pools / decks / fencing
    6 bay street patongs 2256Determined
  • February 2022

  • Pools / decks / fencing; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    11 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Secondary dwelling
    8 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • January 2022

  • Dwelling; Demolition
    5 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
2021· 3 proposals
  • October 2021

  • Dwelling
    11 JACARANDA AVENUE PATONGA 2256Determined
  • August 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    22 BAY STREET PATONGA 2256Determined
  • Dwelling
    54 PATONGA STREET PATONGA 2256Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

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
Robertson
Member of Parliament
Gordon REID (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
114,922
Turnout (2025)
92.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+7.1 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 40.6%Labor 59.4%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 5.4 km away).

Coalition 33.0%Labor 67.0%

7.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +8.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Umina WestLabor 70.0% · Coalition 30.0% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
  • Umina BeachLabor 66.4% · Coalition 33.6% TPP (2025)3.5 km away
  • UminaLabor 64.3% · Coalition 35.6% TPP (2025)4.1 km away
  • Woy Woy SouthLabor 70.4% · Coalition 29.6% TPP (2025)5.1 km away
  • Woy Woy WestLabor 64.9% · Coalition 35.1% TPP (2025)5.1 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Central Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.