NSW · Lake Macquarie Council

Warners Bay, 2282

Est. population · Jun 2025

8,391

Growth (1 yr)

+2.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+8.5%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,494/wk

Employment rate

55.7%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$1,263,000

Languages at home

5.6%non-English

Most common: Arabic, Macedonian, Mandarin

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

65.1/100
Good

Top 7% of New South Wales' suburbs

Verified 93% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • High desirability
  • National parks
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Café precinct
What Warners Bay is known for: High desirability, National parks, Excellent transport, Education hub, Café precinct

Suburb profile

In Lake Macquarie Council, Warners Bay is a settled established suburb with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Local schools rate highly against similar suburbs.

Local shops and services cover the basics well, with more choice a short trip into neighbouring suburbs. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many metro suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Daily life works well on foot, with buses also serving the suburb.

Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. Construction and infill projects are noticeably reshaping parts of the area.

The desirability picture is good, powered mainly by community and employment relative to similar metro suburbs.

At a glance

Warners Bay snapshot

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

Median house price

$1.26M

+5.2% change

Median rent

$748/wk

Houses $760 · Units $670

Population (ERP)

8,391

+2.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

5.5%

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

#5

among Metro Sydney · Mature

Safety

15th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

91st

percentile in NSW

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

70th

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
65.1/100 — Good
State standing
Top 7% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
547th in Australia
State rank
138th in NSW
Peer rank
#5 among Metro Sydney · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#102 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
93%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$670
Houses (January to March 2026)
$760
All types (January to March 2026)
$748
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
76
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,263,000
Median price change
+5.2%

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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

8,391(June 2025)

+2.4% annual · +8.5% over 5 years · 91th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.4%
5-year growth
+8.5%
Change in 1 year
+193
Change in 5 years
+658
Growth rank in NSW
91th 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 (~8,850), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
8,237
Median age
46
Median household income / week
$1,494
Dwelling vacancy
5.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
196 of 3,586
Median monthly mortgage
$2,058
Employment rate
55.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
2,293 / 783 / 302 (+ 4 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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)
310
Against the person
76
Against property
193
Rate per 1,000 residents
36.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 108 residents
State safety percentile
15.1th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+5.4%

Most common offence types

  • Domestic Violence Related Assault43
  • Fraud72
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment44
  • Malicious Damage To Property68
  • Steal From Motor Vehicle69

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • BOCSAR postcode crime statisticsNSW 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
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
1,056
Median ICSEA percentile
70th
School list
  • Warners Bay High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1056 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 1,161 students · Top SEA quarter 25% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
  • St Mary's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1093 · 82th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 418 students · Top SEA quarter 37% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Warners Bay Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1027 · 59th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 340 students · Top SEA quarter 18% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
  • Biddabah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1065 · 74th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 348 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Mount Hutton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 940 · 21th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 166 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

179 public transport stops in this suburb

  • King St After Howard St
  • The Esplanade After Macquarie Dr
  • The Esplanade At James St
  • The Esplanade Before Warners Bay Rd
  • The Esplanade Opp Warners Bay 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

259 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 restaurants · 3 pubs · 1 bars · 2 supermarkets · 2 pharmacies · 9 fast food · 5 places of worship · 5 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Highly walkable for everyday errands
  • Great for outdoor family life5 parks mapped in suburb, 5 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport179 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation12 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
98/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.7
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.61
Food & drink(14)
  • BarcadiaBar
  • Domino'sFast food
  • Guzman y GomezFast food
  • Henny PennyFast food
  • Hungry Jack'sFast food
  • KFCFast food
  • Lettuce Eat Take AwayFast food
  • McDonald'sFast food
  • SubwayFast food
  • Warners Bay TakeawayFast food
  • Warners at the BayPub

    320 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Warners Bay Bowling ClubPub
  • Warners Bay HotelPub
  • The DinerRestaurant
Shopping(5)
  • Butcher
  • BibinaSupermarket
  • ColesSupermarket

    32 John Street

Community(4)
  • Milestones Early Learning & PreschoolChildcare
  • St Mary's PrimarySchool
  • Warners Bay High SchoolSchool

    1 Myles Avenue, Warners Bay

  • Warners Bay Public SchoolSchool

    88 Mills Street, Warners Bay

Health & services(6)
  • Laverty PathologyClinic
  • SmilesHQDentist

    Unit Shop 10 6 King Street

  • Warners Bay Medical CentreMedical clinic
  • AmcalPharmacy
  • GuardianPharmacy
  • Warners Bay VetVeterinary
Sport & outdoors(17)
  • Allen ParkPark
  • Chartley Street ReservePark
  • Leo ParkPark
  • Park (2)
  • Playground (5)
  • Dullboy's Social CoSports centre

    326 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Genetics FitnessSports centre

    314 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Indoor Sports CentreSports centre

    314 Hillsborough Road

  • Red AlertSports centre
  • Hard CourtSports field
  • Sports field
  • Coghlan's Swim CentreSwimming pool
Entertainment(2)
  • Arts centre
  • Viewpoint
Transport(70)

70 bus stops

Other(60)
  • Alcohol
  • BWSAlcohol
  • LiquorlandAlcohol
  • Warners at the Bay BottleshopAlcohol

    320 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Artwork
  • CommonwealthATM
  • Auto Electrician
  • NABBank
  • The Bay ArcadeBank
  • Bench (13)
  • Bay Bike CoBicycle

    Unit 8 56 Medcalf Street, Warners Bay

  • Cheeky BikesBicycle

    Unit 4B 311 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Bleachers
  • SuperStrikeBowling Alley
  • AutobarnCar Parts
  • RepcoCar Parts
  • Supercheap AutoCar Parts

    240-260 Hillsborough Road

  • Mitre 10Doityourself
  • Drinking water (4)
  • JaycarElectronics

    Unit 2 276 Macquarie Road, Warners Bay

  • Evie NetworksEV charging
  • Sala's Function CentreEvents Venue
  • Fitness Station (4)
  • Garden
  • Lee Rowan'sGarden Centre
  • Menz Hair Co.Hairdresser
  • Warners Bay HotelHotel
  • Hunter Ice-Skating StadiumIce Rink

    230 Macquarie Road, Warners Bay

  • 472 The EsplanadeMall
  • Mall (2)
  • The Bay ArcadeMall
  • Warners Bay Shopping CentreMall
  • X-RayMedical Supply
  • Dullboys Social CoMiniature Golf
  • Warners at the BayMotel

    320 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay

  • Service NSWMotor Registry
  • Nature Reserve
  • Camping CountryOutdoor
  • Parking (37)
  • Underground ParkingParking
  • Parking Entrance
  • 7-ElevenPetrol station
  • AmpolPetrol station
  • Ampol FoodaryPetrol station
  • BP Warners BayPetrol station
  • MetroPetrol station
  • Picnic Table (17)
  • Central Church - NewcastlePlace of worship
  • Church of ChristPlace of worship
  • St Mary'sPlace of worship
  • Uniting Church at the WillowsPlace of worship
  • Warners Bay Seventh-day Adventist ChurchPlace of worship

    19 East Street

  • Music in the PodiumPodium
  • Post Box (2)
  • Australia PostPost office
  • Public toilets
  • Shelter (9)
  • Extreme Go kartsTrack
  • Track

    308 Hillsborough Road

  • Waste Basket (4)

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

4 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Allen ParkPark
  • Chartley Street ReservePark
  • Leo ParkPark
  • Park or reserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
19
Parks (OSM)
5

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

Places of worship

5 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • Central Church - Newcastle
  • Church of Christ
  • St Mary's
  • Uniting Church at the Willows
  • Warners Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church

    19 East Street

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
5
Nearest hospital
Pendlebury Clinc Private Hospital (3.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
  • AmcalPharmacy
  • GuardianPharmacy
  • Laverty PathologyClinic
  • SmilesHQKing StreetDentist
  • Warners Bay Medical CentreDoctor

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
260
Participants per 1,000 residents
31.0

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
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 (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.

2026· 49 proposals
  • July 2026

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    53 SEAMAN AVENUE WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    6 MARGARET STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Under Assessment
  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Barbecues and other outdoor cooking structures
    566 THE ESPLANADE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    40 EAST STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    34 JONES AVENUE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Swimming pool
    4 MYLES AVENUE WARNERS BAY 2282Under Assessment
  • Secondary dwelling; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
    34 COANE STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
    28 BONARIUS STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    25 PANORAMA PARADE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • June 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
    3 AUGUSTA STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development
    61 EAST STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • May 2026

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool
    37 CHELSTON STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    240-260 HILLSBOROUGH ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Light industry
    212-214 MACQUARIE ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    98 MYLES AVENUE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    15 TAYLOR CRESCENT WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • April 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    10 CAMPBELL STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure
    3 MARTIN STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Light industry
    5 WALKER STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Carport; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
    112 MYLES AVENUE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • March 2026

  • Secondary dwelling; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
    34 COANE STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah
    16 KANANGRA STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure
    22 CHARLES STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
    6 WELLINGS STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Residential flat building; Erection of a new structure
    51 ALBERT STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    69 MEDCALF STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool
    9 BERYL STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure
    8 CHARLES STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Industrial development; Subdivision; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; General industry
    204 MACQUARIE ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    6 BERYL STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Multi-dwelling housing; Medium Density Housing; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    22 QUEEN STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    69 WARNERS BAY ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    5 EAST STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Shed; Erection of a new structure
    96 FAIRFAX ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Additional Information Requested
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    5 JAMES STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • February 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    30 BERYL STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    91 WARNERS BAY ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
    47 MARTIN STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Retail Premise; Kiosk
    568 THE ESPLANADE WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
  • Seniors housing; Erection of a new structure
    280 HILLSBOROUGH ROAD WARNERS BAY 2282Determined
2025· 1 proposal
  • December 2025

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    18 CHELSTON STREET WARNERS BAY 2282Determined

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • RoadworksHillsborough Road, Barker Ave14 Jun 2026 – 30 Oct 2027

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closuresState road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

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 overlaysState 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 3.0 km away).

Coalition 39.5%Labor 60.5%

1.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.6 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Warners BayLabor 60.5% · Coalition 39.5% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
  • Warners Bay NorthLabor 58.2% · Coalition 41.8% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
  • Warners Bay CentralLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
  • Mount HuttonLabor 60.9% · Coalition 39.1% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
  • Cardiff SouthLabor 65.9% · Coalition 34.1% TPP (2025)2.3 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

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

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Lake Macquarie Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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