New South Wales council

Lake Macquarie

224,540 residents (ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025) across 649 km², 94 suburbs. Council website: lakemac.com.au.

Council series run to July 2026.

Population

224,540

ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025 · +1.1% in a year

Density

346/km²

649 km² · ERP 2025 over the ABS 2024 boundary

Council-wide house median

$880k

Established-house transfers across the whole council, FY 2023-24 (ABS)

Federal grants per resident

$94

Financial Assistance Grant 2025-26 over ERP 2025

Dwelling approvals

5.3 per 1,000

Residents, 12 months to July 2026 (ABS Building Approvals)

Advantage decile

7 of 10

SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, national (10 = most advantaged)

Suburbs

94

Where it holds most residents (ABS mesh-block allocation)

Council-level series. Each chart names its source and period.

PopulationABS estimated resident population at 30 June, 2001–2025
Council-wide median sale pricesABS Data by Region: median transfer price across the whole council by financial year, 2018-19–2023-24. Not any one suburb's price.
Dwelling approvalsABS Building Approvals, monthly, 2021-07–2026-07
Federal Financial Assistance GrantsTotal grant by financial year, 2017-18–2025-26 (Dept of Infrastructure)

People and housing

Council-wide figures from the ABS Census of 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (national deciles, 10 = most advantaged).

Median age
42
Median household income
$1,623/week
Median rent
$375/week
Median mortgage repayment
$1,950/month
Households renting
23.2%
Average household
2.5 people
Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD)
decile 7 of 10
Disadvantage (IRSD)
decile 7 of 10

Suburbs

94 suburbs where Lake Macquarie holds most residents, plus 2 it shares with a neighbouring council (share of residents shown). Population is Census 2021 for the whole suburb. A median here is the suburb’s own Valuer-General median — suburbs without one are blank, never filled with the council figure.

SuburbPopulationIn this councilMedian house (VG)Flood / bushfireIRSAD
Charlestown (NSW)13,601All$980kDec 2025 / 45%7
Cameron Park9,977All$934kDec 2025 / 78%8
Warners Bay8,237All$1.1MDec 2025 / 40%7
Belmont (NSW)7,289All$1.0MDec 2025 / 69%4
Cooranbong7,077All$925kDec 2025 / 92%6
Eleebana6,460All$1.3MDec 2025 / 50%10
Edgeworth6,401All$765kDec 2025 / 56%2
Cardiff (NSW)6,318All$850kDec 2025 / 24%4
Belmont North6,291All$965kDec 2025 / 38%4
Toronto5,973All$790kDec 2025 / 70%2
Valentine5,773All$1.2MDec 2025 / 68%9
Adamstown Heights5,62116%$1.2MDec 2025 / 50%10
Swansea (NSW)5,044All$1.1MDec 2025 / 38%2
Morisset4,078All$877kDec 2025 / 83%1
Bonnells Bay4,066All$884kDec 2025 / 58%4
Caves Beach4,016All$1.4MDec 2025 / 46%7
Redhead3,785All$1.6MDec 2025 / 72%8
Mount Hutton (NSW)3,712All$880kDec 2025 / 65%3
Macquarie Hills3,605All$915kDec 2025 / 56%8
Windale3,421All$773kDec 2025 / 31%1
Speers Point3,400All$1.2MDec 2025 / 39%7
Glendale (NSW)3,260All$830kDec 2025 / 49%3
Gateshead3,121All$756kDec 2025 / 73%1
West Wallsend2,981All$810kDec 2025 / 93%3
Cardiff South2,931All$920kDec 2025 / 30%4
Wangi Wangi2,920All$895kDec 2025 / 50%5
Wyee2,909All$938kDec 2025 / 91%4
Whitebridge2,900All$1.3MDec 2025 / 90%9
Blackalls Park2,812All$791kDec 2025 / 47%3
Teralba2,654All$1.0MDec 2025 / 81%6
New Lambton Heights2,61061%$1.3MDec 2025 / 76%10
Kahibah2,603All$1.2MDec 2025 / 33%8
Rankin Park2,54747%$870kDec 2025 / 53%9
Dudley2,505All$1.3MDec 2025 / 88%10
Jewells2,452All$1.1MDec 2025 / 77%8
Bolton Point2,124All$823kDec 2025 / 57%1
Rathmines2,076All$865kDec 2025 / 70%5
Tingira Heights2,043All$850kDec 2025 / 79%5
Garden Suburb1,959All$951kDec 2025 / 72%9
Blacksmiths1,881All$1.3MDec 2025 / 62%3
Marks Point1,861All$938kDec 2025 / 57%2
Floraville1,814All$1.3MDec 2025 / 68%8
Fennell Bay1,780All$820kDec 2025 / 74%3
Coal Point1,749All$1.3MDec 2025 / 26%10
Dora Creek1,739All$765kDec 2025 / 73%3
Barnsley1,735All$778kDec 2025 / 80%3
Boolaroo1,636All$980kDec 2025 / 16%4
Booragul1,623All$870kDec 2025 / 24%2
Kilaben Bay1,516All$1.1MDec 2025 / 59%9
Lakelands (NSW)1,445All$1.3MDec 2025 / 99%10
Arcadia Vale1,431All$820kDec 2025 / 71%5
Holmesville1,413All$821kDec 2025 / 51%2
Cardiff Heights1,384All$953kDec 2025 / 63%9
Argenton1,352All$793kDec 2025 / 12%1
Kotara South1,267All$1.0MDec 2025 / 25%9
Buttaba1,204All$920kDec 2025 / 83%6
Woodrising1,176All$788kDec 2025 / 68%3
Wyee Point1,171All$964kDec 2025 / 95%4
Fishing Point1,105All$1.1MDec 2025 / 0%8
Morisset Park1,085All$1.1MDec 2025 / 67%6
Belmont South1,053All$923kDec 2025 / 60%2
Balcolyn1,002All$858kDec 2025 / 53%3
Catherine Hill Bay943All$1.4MDec 2025 / 92%10
Highfields (NSW)936All$965kDec 2025 / 63%10
Nords Wharf895All$1.0MDec 2025 / 91%7
Murrays Beach882All$1.2MDec 2025 / 91%10
Brightwaters875All$1.1MDec 2025 / 82%6
Pelican (NSW)874All$1.0MDec 2025 / 66%4
Carey Bay865All$1.1MDec 2025 / 9%7
Mirrabooka (NSW)809All$810kDec 2025 / 67%5
Marmong Point765All$940kDec 2025 / 83%7
Balmoral (Lake Macquarie - NSW)730All$800kDec 2025 / 67%8
Windermere Park722All$745kDec 2025 / 7%2
Killingworth (NSW)690All$910kDec 2025 / 99%5
Croudace Bay641All$973kDec 2025 / 0%8
Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie - NSW)641All$880kDec 2025 / 79%5
Swansea Heads609All$1.6MDec 2025 / 97%9
Fassifern (NSW)586All$700kDec 2025 / 91%2
Sunshine (NSW)475All$1.3MDec 2025 / 99%4
Mandalong433All$1.3MDec 2025 / 98%7
Awaba430All$733kDec 2025 / 99%3
Yarrawonga Park390All$700kDec 2025 / 81%3
Martinsville389All$1.5MDec 2025 / 99%9
Seahampton292All$780kDec 2025 / 100%3
Silverwater (Lake Macquarie - NSW)274All / 100%2
Eraring221All$2.0MDec 2025 / 60%9
Cams Wharf182All / 74%4
Wakefield144All$1.5MDec 2025 / 96%8
Freemans Waterhole120All / 100%3
Ryhope35All / 96%6
Bennetts GreenAll / 72%
Lake MacquarieAll / 100%
Little PelicanAll / 0%1
Moonee88% / 98%
Myuna BayAll / 77%
Pinny BeachAll / 97%

Hazards

Share of each member suburb's land inside the mapped layer, averaged across the council weighted by the residents each suburb contributes. Only suburbs a source covers count; the rest are left out, not counted as zero.

Bushfire-prone land

60%

Over 96 of 96 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Observed surface water (1986–present)

2%

Over 94 of 96 member suburbs (the rest are not mapped)

Show the layer on the map →

Suburb prices

Across the 84 member suburbs with their own Valuer-General median (unweighted; each suburb's latest figure, periods ending Dec 2025).

Lowest suburb median
$700k
Median of suburb medians
$945k
Highest suburb median
$2.0M

Recorded crime

Offences per 100,000 residents over the 39 member suburbs the source covers, financial year ending 2025. Small suburbs and unreliable rates are excluded.

Break and enter
555
per 100k · NSW 2025
Motor vehicle theft
258
per 100k · NSW 2025
property_damage
1,289
per 100k · NSW 2025
Violent crime
2,450
per 100k · NSW 2025

Representation

Federal electorates and state districts covering the council, by share of the residents its suburbs contribute (each suburb counts once, for the seat containing a representative interior point).

Federal electorates

  • Shortland · Pat CONROY (ALP)58%
  • Hunter · Dan REPACHOLI (ALP)40%
  • Newcastle · Sharon CLAYDON (ALP)2%

State districts

  • Lake Macquarie · Greg Piper (IND)37%
  • Charlestown · Jodie Harrison (ALP)27%
  • Swansea · Yasmin Catley (ALP)22%
  • Cessnock · Clayton Barr (ALP)11%
  • Wallsend · Sonia Hornery (ALP)4%

Neighbouring councils

Councils in the same state whose suburbs share a boundary with this one's, and councils it splits a suburb with.

Compare it with every New South Wales council on the council map or the New South Wales council list.

Boundaries: ABS ASGS Edition 3, LGA 2024 boundaries; suburbs allocated by 2021 mesh block, weighted by Census 2021 residents. Population: ABS estimated resident population 2025. Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021: ABS. Council-wide medians: ABS Data by Region. Approvals: ABS Building Approvals. Grants: Financial Assistance Grants, Dept of Infrastructure. Suburb prices: state Valuer-General. Flood and bushfire: state planning layers. Observed water: Geoscience Australia DEA Water Observations. Crime: state police statistics. Website and identity: Wikidata (CC0). ABS, Dept of Infrastructure and state government data CC BY 4.0. Council facts loaded 2026-09-24.