NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Pelican (NSW), NSW, 2281
Desirability index
#705 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Pelican (NSW) is a small locality in the Lake Macquarie area, home to around 874 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 1,016 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with relatively stable year-on-year trends (+2%), roughly 1162.5 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $725 (flats $550, houses $750), strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, and a quieter amenity profile than busier neighbouring suburbs. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 874
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,448
- Dwelling vacancy
- 8.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 30 of 372
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,785
- Employment rate
- 51%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 31 / 15 / 3
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)
- $550
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $725
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 90
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)
- 1,016
- Against the person
- 260
- Against property
- 374
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 1,162.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 3 residents
- State safety percentile
- 35.6th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- +2.5%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order78
- Domestic Violence Related Assault78
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment96
- Malicious Damage To Property83
- Other Offences210
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
25 public transport stops in this suburb
- Lake Macquarie Airport, Pacific Hwy
- Pacific Hwy At Soldiers Rd
- Pacific Hwy Opp Maneela St
- Pacific Hwy Opp Pelican Flat Park
- Pacific Hwy Opp Pelican Flat Park
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Amenities
14 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Lake Macquarie Airport, Pacific HwyBus stop
- Pacific Hwy at Soldiers RdBus stop
- Pacific Hwy opp Maneela StBus stop
- Pacific Hwy opp Pelican Flat ParkBus stop
- Pelican RSL, Piriwal StBus stop
- Piriwal St after Karoburra StBus stop
- Piriwal St before Bato StBus stop
- Pirriwal St at Kullara StBus stop
- Pirriwal St before Karoburra StBus stop
- Pirriwal St opp Pelican RSLBus 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
- Memorial ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
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)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- 4.9/100
- Cohort rank
- #705 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
- Lake Macquarie Airport, Pacific Hwytransport
- Pacific Hwy At Soldiers Rdtransport
- Pacific Hwy Opp Maneela Sttransport
- Pacific Hwy Opp Pelican Flat Parktransport
- Pacific Hwy Opp Pelican Flat Parktransport
- Memorial Parkgovernmentpark
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime78
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime78
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime96
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime83
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a comparable population profile, socio-economic decile, and location.