Warnervale is an outer metropolitan suburb of Sydney, in Central Coast Council. The Tuggerah Lake is part of the surrounding geography.
Housing is relatively affordable, with median house prices 16% below the peer median. Green cover is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The main trade-offs are limited school access and thinner local amenities, with school access 80% below the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising more affordable housing over school access.
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
Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in New South Wales (504)
Strengths
Green cover is a relative strength
Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
Housing is relatively affordable
Weaknesses
School access is sparse
Local amenity access is relatively limited
What stands out
Tuggerah Lake
Space is a strength, but car dependence is high
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 Warnervale compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$940k
+6.8% change
Median rent
$680/wk
Houses $700 · Units $500
Population (ERP)
722
+2.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.9%
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
#159
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Crime rate
71st
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
93rd
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
26%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
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
34.4/100 — Below average
National rank
5724th in Australia
State rank
1886th in NSW
Peer rank
#159 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#815 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
95%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$500
Houses (January to March 2026)
$700
All types (January to March 2026)
$680
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
472
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$940,000
Median price change
+6.8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+2.9% annual · +19.3% over 5 years · 93th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.9%
5-year growth
+19.3%
Change in 1 year
+20
Change in 5 years
+117
Growth rank in NSW
93th 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 (~900), extrapolated at +4.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
701
Median age
34
Median household income / week
$1,929
Dwelling vacancy
3.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
9 of 230
Median monthly mortgage
$2,167
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$490
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
31.9% / 41.9% / 26.2%
Employment rate
58.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
19.6% / 0.9% / 55.5%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
210 / 9 / 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.
10.6% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 29.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified10.6% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified8.9% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational29.3% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below51.2% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies23.9%
Management and commerce17.5%
Health12.3%
Architecture and building10.7%
Society and culture10.4%
Food, hospitality and personal services7.8%
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)
$57,267
55th percentile in NSW · -2% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,745
50th percentile in NSW · -3% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
11.0%
19th percentile in NSW · -20% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$63,771
39th percentile in NSW · +1% vs Australia
Residents with business income
8.0%
10th percentile in NSW · -23% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2259 — 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
38,707
Taxpayers reporting net rent
4,072
Median net rent
-$1,081
Taxpayers reporting business income
3,268
Taxable income vs state median
+2%
Salary / wages vs state median
0%
Rental investment vs state median
-21%
Super vs state median
-9%
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
6.5% speak a language other than English at home; 13.1% born overseas
Language at home
638 English only · 44 other
Non-English at home
6.5%
Born overseas
88 (13.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
43 (6.1%)
Australian citizens
642
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
3
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Punjabi6 · 50%
Hindi3 · 25%
Italian3 · 25%
Religion
49.6%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 49.6%, while 40.2% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
40.2%
32.8%
Christianity
49.6%
47.6%
Other / not stated
10.1%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
22.8%
22.4%
Anglican
18.1%
11.9%
Baptist
2.4%
1.2%
Christian (not further defined)
2%
2.4%
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 2259, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
71
Against the person
18
Against property
23
Rate per 1,000 residents
98.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 39 residents
State crime-rate percentile
71.3th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+6.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
13
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
18.01
Most common offence types
Breach Bail Conditions8
Domestic Violence Related Assault4
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment6
Malicious Damage To Property5
Transport Regulatory Offences10
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
1,054
Median ICSEA percentile
70th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Lakes Grammar - An Anglican SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1054 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 796 students · Top SEA quarter 25% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Porters Creek PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Wadalba CSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Wyong HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Wyong 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
Well connected by public transport — 29 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.43
Sport & outdoors(1)
Public toilets
Transport(2)
2 bus stops
Other(6)
Bench (2)
Warnervale AirportNo
Central Coast CouncilParking
Warnervale Airport Car ParkParking
Parking Entrance (2)
Picnic Table (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
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
Wyong Hospital (4.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public 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%)
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%)
Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation
6 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
27 DRAGONFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
11 SWALLOWTAIL STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
17 MAYFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
13 MAYFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
July 2026
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
77 VIRGINIA ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Subdivision
10 DHURALI AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
75 VIRGINIA ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
13 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Additional Information Requested
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
29 DRAGONFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
33 DRAGONFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation
20 GALAH DRIVE WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
17 DRAGONFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
79 VIRGINIA ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
1 BLACKBIRD AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Additional Information Requested
Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
16 LAPWING ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
June 2026
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
19 DRAGONFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
11 MAYFLY STREET WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
13 CELESTIAL DRIVE WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
14 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Carport
54 ST JOHNS ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Determined
May 2026
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation
52 SONGLARK AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Withdrawn
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation
20 GALAH DRIVE WARNERVALE 2259Withdrawn
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
17 GALAH DRIVE WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation
2 SPOONBILL AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Open
Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
12 DHURALI AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
13 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Rejected
2025· 5 proposals
December 2025
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
50 SONGLARK AVENUE WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Subdivision
38 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Determined
Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
4 HEDLEY ROAD WARNERVALE 2259Withdrawn
Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
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
Dobell
Member of Parliament
Emma McBRIDE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,541
Turnout (2025)
91.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+2.9 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 4.8 km away).
Coalition 38.8%Labor 61.2%
1.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Warnervale EastLabor 59.3% · Coalition 40.7% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
WatanobbiLabor 65.5% · Coalition 34.5% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
Hamlyn TerraceLabor 63.3% · Coalition 36.7% TPP (2025)3.3 km away
WyongLabor 55.5% · Coalition 44.5% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
WadalbaLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)3.8 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%)