Redhead is a coastal town in New South Wales, in Lake Macquarie Council. It is close to the Redhead Bluff and Lake Macquarie.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median, well above typical levels for coastal towns. Socio-economic advantage is stronger than in comparable places. The main trade-offs are thinner park access and thinner mapped green cover within the suburb boundary, with park access 83% below the peer median.
Overall, Redhead suits people prioritising daily services and school quality over open space.
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
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
Socio-economic advantage is a relative strength
Weaknesses
Park access is thinner than in comparable places
Mapped green cover within the suburb boundary is below comparable suburbs
What stands out
Redhead Beach
Little Redhead Beach
Redhead Bluff
Lake Macquarie
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 Redhead compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.11M
+17% change
Median rent
$670/wk
Houses $720 · Units $575
Population (ERP)
3,906
+5.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.4%
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
#24
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Crime rate
48th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
98th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
14%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
8/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
81st
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
54.6/100 — Average
State standing
Top 20% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1192nd in Australia
State rank
425th in NSW
Peer rank
#24 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#64 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
97%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$575
Houses (January to March 2026)
$720
All types (January to March 2026)
$670
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
207
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,115,000
Median price change
+17.4%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+5.2% annual · +5.1% over 5 years · 98th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+5.2%
5-year growth
+5.1%
Change in 1 year
+192
Change in 5 years
+191
Growth rank in NSW
98th 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 (~4,050), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
3,785
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,598
Dwelling vacancy
3.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
50 of 1,465
Median monthly mortgage
$2,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$420
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
57.3% / 29.2% / 13.6%
Employment rate
52.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
24.5% / 0% / 56.4%
Walked or cycled to work
2.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,310 / 83 / 11
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.
25% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 19.1% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified25% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified9.9% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational19.1% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below46.1% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies20.7%
Management and commerce19.2%
Health15.5%
Education12.7%
Society and culture11.4%
Architecture and building8.1%
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)
$62,884
72nd percentile in NSW · +7% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$67,887
67th percentile in NSW · +4% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
13.0%
39th percentile in NSW · -6% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$96,056
79th percentile in NSW · +52% 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 2290 — 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
21,405
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,832
Median net rent
-$480
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,816
Taxable income vs state median
+12%
Salary / wages vs state median
+8%
Rental investment vs state median
-7%
Super vs state median
+36%
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
4.3% speak a language other than English at home; 10.5% born overseas
Language at home
3,392 English only · 154 other
Non-English at home
4.3%
Born overseas
381 (10.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
121 (3.2%)
Australian citizens
3,532
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
7
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
German13 · 25%
Macedonian10 · 19.2%
French8 · 15.4%
Italian8 · 15.4%
Portuguese6 · 11.5%
Spanish4 · 7.7%
Australian Indigenous languages3 · 5.8%
Religion
51.8%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 51.8%, while 40.5% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
40.5%
32.8%
Christianity
51.8%
47.6%
Other / not stated
7.7%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
20.2%
22.4%
Anglican
17%
11.9%
Uniting Church
4.2%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.4%
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 2290, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
258
Against the person
63
Against property
142
Rate per 1,000 residents
66.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 60 residents
State crime-rate percentile
48.4th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+1.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
18
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
4.61
Most common offence types
Domestic Violence Related Assault16
Fraud21
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment19
Malicious Damage To Property20
Steal From Retail Store46
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
1,089
Median ICSEA percentile
81th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
School list
Redhead Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1089 · 81th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 240 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Belmont HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Dudley PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Hunter Sp HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Jewells Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Redhead PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Whitebridge HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Wiripaang 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 — 1 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 67 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 44 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
82/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
1.06
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.59
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.26
Food & drink(6)
Redhead BakehouseBakery
Cargo Espresso BarCafe
2a Beach Road
Industrial TakewayCafe
Surge CafeCafe
The Villa CafeCafe
19 Beach Road
Seaview Malaysian RestuarantRestaurant
Shopping(3)
Anglican Church Op ShopOp shop
Friendly Grocer RedheadSupermarket
117B Cowlishaw Street
Everyday services(2)
Metro PetroleumPetrol station
Post office
Community(3)
Redhead Men's ShedCommunity centre
Redhead Community PreschoolKindergarten
Redhead Community LibraryLibrary
16 Hutchinson Street
Health & services(3)
Redhead Family DentalDentist
Redhead General PracticeMedical clinic
Redhead PharmacyPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(55)
Little Redhead BeachBeach
Redhead BeachBeach
Fernleigh TrackCycling route
R10 - Warners Bay to RedheadCycling route
The Durham Mine WalkwayCycling route
Drinking water (3)
Freshwater Creek ReserveNature reserve
Cain Street ReservePark
Playground (3)
Public toilets
Sports field
Swimming pool (40)
Entertainment(3)
George Stanton LookoutViewpoint
Viewpoint (2)
Transport(19)
19 bus stops
Other(15)
Bench (10)
Bicycle Parking
Redhead AutomotiveCar repair
Redhead Vehicle RepairsCar repair
Garden (2)
Ice Cream
Parking (15)
Webb Park parkingParking
Picnic Table (15)
Place of worship
Shelter (4)
Shower (4)
Roscos Pump TrackTrack
Waste Basket
Water Point
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
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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%)
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool
24 SHORTLAND STREET REDHEAD 2290Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
62 COWLISHAW STREET REDHEAD 2290Under Assessment
August 2026
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Manufactured home; Non-standard Housing
69 KALAROO ROAD REDHEAD 2290Under Assessment
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool
3 CAIN STREET REDHEAD 2290Under Assessment
July 2026
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
24 DODDS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
51 WOODS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Secondary dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
27 STEEL STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
1 STEEL STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
13 BROWN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool
37 BEACH ROAD REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
10 WHITE CAP CLOSE REDHEAD 2290Determined
June 2026
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
62 COWLISHAW STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah
39 WOODS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
137A COWLISHAW STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
May 2026
Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (external)
2 ELSDON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
12 BOMBORA CLOSE REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
5 COWLISHAW STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
April 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
15 HIGH STREET REDHEAD 2290Additional Information Requested
Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
10 EBSWORTH STREET REDHEAD 2290Additional Information Requested
March 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
24 DODDS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
13 BROWN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Light industry
30 KALAROO ROAD REDHEAD 2290Determined
February 2026
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
5 CAIN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation
9 EBSWORTH STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
21 DODDS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
50A WOODS STREET REDHEAD 2290Withdrawn
January 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space
17 HUTCHINSON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
5 BURNS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Subdivision
28 SHORTLAND STREET REDHEAD 2290Under Assessment
2025· 23 proposals
December 2025
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
17 HUTCHINSON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
50 ELSDON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
November 2025
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
3 BENNETT STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
24 ELSDON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
October 2025
Subdivision
9 WOODS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Subdivision; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
30 HUTCHINSON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Subdivision
19 ALLARD STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
September 2025
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
25 ALLARD STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
50 ELSDON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool
10 WHITE CAP CLOSE REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
41 BURNS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool
34 SEA SCAPE DRIVE REDHEAD 2290Determined
Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
43B BROWN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
46 COLLIER STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
13 BROWN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
August 2025
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
9 OCEAN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
July 2025
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool
19 STOKES STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Environmental protection works
100 Oakdale Road, RedheadDetermined
Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
11 DODDS STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
22A BROWN STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house
25 ALLARD STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
2 39 HUTCHINSON STREET REDHEAD 2290Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
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
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 4.5 km away).
Coalition 37.5%Labor 62.5%
1.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
RedheadLabor 61.0% · Coalition 39.0% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
DudleyLabor 67.3% · Coalition 32.7% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
JewellsLabor 62.0% · Coalition 38.0% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
GatesheadLabor 68.8% · Coalition 31.2% TPP (2025)3.1 km away
WindaleLabor 76.1% · Coalition 23.9% TPP (2025)3.7 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%)