NSW · Cessnock Council
Buchanan, 2323
Current weather
17.5°CClear sky
65% humidity · 12.2 km/h wind · 21.9° / 12.6° today · 2.5 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Cessnock, Buchanan is a settled smaller community with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. You get space and calm here, while the city and neighbouring suburbs are still close enough for regular outings. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with family life visible on every street. Local shops and services cover the basics well, with more choice a short trip into neighbouring suburbs. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. A busy pipeline of new development is gradually changing the look and feel of the streets.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker transport and access and safety against similar metro suburbs, even with housing affordability and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 212
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $2,028
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 3 of 67
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,000
- Employment rate
- 63%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 8 / 0 / 0
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 · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $470
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $630
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $590
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 185
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 tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 23
- Against the person
- 6
- Against property
- 11
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 108.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 35 residents
- State safety percentile
- 76.6th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +15.3%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment254
- Malicious Damage To Property260
- Steal From Motor Vehicle212
- Steal From Retail Store289
- Transport Regulatory Offences250
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 · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
7 public transport stops in this suburb
- 1395 George Booth Dr
- 1424 George Booth Dr
- John Renshaw Dr At Averys Lane
- John Renshaw Dr At Averys Lane
- John Renshaw Dr Near Averys Lane
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 · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
70 planning-related records
2026· 7 proposals
June 2026
- Subdivision242A AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure203 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool220 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Under Assessment
April 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool244 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)744 BUCHANAN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
January 2026
- SubdivisionAVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Subdivision15 CAMARGO CIRCUIT BUCHANAN 2323Determined
2025· 18 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal)242 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
November 2025
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation221 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support213 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
September 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Pathways and paving; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool215 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support209 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
August 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Tennis courts671 BUCHANAN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation20 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Subdivision7 WIRRINA CLOSE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
July 2025
- Subdivision197 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation419 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport664 Buchanan road Buchanan 2323Determined
June 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)1459 GEORGE BOOTH DRIVE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
May 2025
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)2 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Pathways and paving; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool215 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure219 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure242 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
January 2025
- Subdivision259 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space1459 GEORGE BOOTH DRIVE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
2024· 15 proposals
December 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Garage, carport or carparking space19 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
October 2024
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation419 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure238 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)242B AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal)664 Buchanan road Buchanan 2323Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space242 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
April 2024
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)242A AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)8 WIRRINA CLOSE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
March 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation1500 GEORGE BOOTH DRIVE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
February 2024
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)242C AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure10 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)2 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation6 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
January 2024
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)236 AVERYS LANE BUCHANAN 2323Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)13 KOORALBYN ROAD BUCHANAN 2323Determined
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 · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 14
- 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 features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 26.6/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5831st in Australia
- State rank
- 1823rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #390 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #818 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 70%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime254
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime260
- Steal From Motor Vehiclecrime212
- Steal From Retail Storecrime289
- Transport Regulatory Offencescrime250
- 1395 George Booth Drtransport
- 1424 George Booth Drtransport
- John Renshaw Dr At Averys Lanetransport
- John Renshaw Dr At Averys Lanetransport
- John Renshaw Dr Near Averys Lanetransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Cessnock Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.