Median house price
$618k
+12% change
NSW · Muswellbrook Council
Sandy Hollow, 2333
Est. population · Jun 2025
161
Growth (1 yr)
+1.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.5%
Median age
44
Median income
$1,300/wk
Employment rate
52%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$618,000
Languages at home
4%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Sandy Hollow offers a slower smaller community life in Muswellbrook Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with plenty of young families in the mix. For comparable suburbs, the café and dining scene is notably rich, with locals returning to favourite spots.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.
Purchase and rent costs sit on the more affordable side of the local range. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
At a glance
Sandy Hollow snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$530/wk
Houses $555 · Units $360
Population (ERP)
161
+1.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
11.5%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
91st
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
74th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
3rd
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
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $360
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $555
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $530
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 159
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $618,000
- Median price change
- +12.3%
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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
161(June 2025)
+1.3% annual · +4.5% over 5 years · 74th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.3%
- 5-year growth
- +4.5%
- Change in 1 year
- +2
- Change in 5 years
- +7
- Growth rank in NSW
- 74th 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 (~150), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 188
- Median age
- 44
- Median household income / week
- $1,300
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 9 of 78
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,509
- Employment rate
- 52%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 70 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 23
- Against the person
- 7
- Against property
- 9
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 142.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 27 residents
- State safety percentile
- 91.2th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +9.8%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order153
- Breach Bail Conditions221
- Domestic Violence Related Assault159
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment244
- Malicious Damage To Property169
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- 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
- 814
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 3th
School list
- Sandy Hollow Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 814 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 23 students · Top SEA quarter 0% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- Merriwa Rd After Honey Lane
- Merriwa Rd Before Goulburn Dr
- Merriwa Rd Before Honey Lane
- Richmond Grove Rd At Bylong Valley Way
- Sandy Hollow Public School, Merriwa Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
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
9 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 pubs · 1 petrol stations · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 13 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 22/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 5.32
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Food & drink(1)
- Tourist HotelPub
Community(1)
- Sandy Hollow Public SchoolSchool
Sandy Hollow
Other(4)
- Sandy Hollow Tourist ParkCamp Site
- Parking (4)
- Petrol station
- Sandy Hollow Post OfficePost office
1612 Merriwa Road
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Denman Multi-Purpose Service (11.8 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 4
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 24.8
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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
- 30° / 16°
- Rainfall
- 230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 150 mm · ~19 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 16° / 3°
- Rainfall
- 122 mm · ~15 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 9°
- Rainfall
- 168 mm · ~21 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
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· 9 proposals
August 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure155 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Under Assessment
- Subdivision1607 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333On Exhibition
July 2026
- Subdivision12 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333On Exhibition
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1635 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Additional Information Requested
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure511 RICHMOND GROVE ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
April 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure153 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
February 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Moveable dwelling155 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure511 RICHMOND GROVE ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure151 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
2025· 4 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1559 GOLDEN HIGHWAY SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure151 GOULBURN DRIVE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation1639 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Electricity generating facility (solar and wind)511 RICHMOND GROVE ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
2024· 4 proposals
July 2024
- Subdivision1607 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
April 2024
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Electricity generating facility (solar and wind)511 RICHMOND GROVE ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
January 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation1639 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
- Subdivision20 HONEY LANE SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
2023· 6 proposals
September 2023
- Shed1554 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
August 2023
- Recreational Uses; Other659 PEBERDYS ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
- Other1607 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
June 2023
- Shed7 PEBERDYS ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
- Signage1581 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
January 2023
- ShedMERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
2022· 3 proposals
December 2022
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces1559 GOLDEN HIGHWAY SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
May 2022
- Dwelling9 PEBERDYS ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
April 2022
- OtherMERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Withdrawn
2021· 2 proposals
October 2021
- Telecommunications and communication facilities1647 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
September 2021
- Subdivision of land1607 MERRIWA ROAD SANDY HOLLOW 2333Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- RoadworksGolden Highway, Peberdys Road16 Aug 2026 – 05 Sep 2026
- RoadworksGolden Highway, Bylong Valley Way07 Jul 2026 – 29 Aug 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- New England
- Member of Parliament
- Barnaby JOYCE (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 131,238
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.6%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.9 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 67.1%Labor 32.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 41.9 km away).
Coalition 64.2%Labor 35.8%
2.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -7.9 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Sandy HollowLabor 35.8% · Coalition 64.2% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
- DenmanLabor 40.6% · Coalition 59.4% TPP (2025)12.0 km away
- MerriwaLabor 37.9% · Coalition 62.1% TPP (2025)30.4 km away
- Muswellbrook EastLabor 46.1% · Coalition 53.9% TPP (2025)30.5 km away
- MuswellbrookLabor 43.9% · Coalition 56.1% TPP (2025)31.3 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Muswellbrook Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.