NSW · Tenterfield Council
Drake, 2469
Current weather
13.9°COvercast
83% humidity · 9.3 km/h wind · 17.1° / 9.6° today · 0.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Tenterfield, Drake keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Public transport is a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods.
The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete. Steady development is bringing new homes and gradual renewal to parts of the suburb.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with community and employment and local dining and lifestyle amenities the main drags compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 244
- Median age
- 57
- Median household income / week
- $698
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 21 of 119
- Median monthly mortgage
- $604
- Employment rate
- 19.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 20 / 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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 22
- Against the person
- 7
- Against property
- 8
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 90.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 35 residents
- State safety percentile
- 63.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -15.2%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order31
- Breach Bail Conditions41
- Domestic Violence Related Assault37
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment47
- Malicious Damage To Property38
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 928
- Drake Public SchoolPrimary
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 · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
19 public transport stops in this suburb
- Bruxner Hwy At Mud Flat Rd
- Bruxner Hwy At Mud Flat Rd
- Fairfield St After Ruby St
- Fairfield St After West St
- Fairfield St After West St
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).
22 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure406 MUD FLAT ROAD DRAKE 2469Under Assessment
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structureLONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
2025· 5 proposals
December 2025
- Subdivision7841-7841A BRUXNER HIGHWAY DRAKE 2469Additional Information Requested
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structureLONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
July 2025
- Subdivision395 BRUXNER ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
June 2025
- Subdivision416 LONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
May 2025
- Subdivision1021B LONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
2024· 4 proposals
October 2024
- Subdivision395 BRUXNER ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
August 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Camping ground26 MUD FLAT ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
May 2024
- Subdivision62 MUD FLAT ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
March 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia1021B LONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
2023· 2 proposals
June 2023
- Farm buildings1040 Long Gully RoadDetermined
April 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development61 MUD FLAT ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
2022· 7 proposals
December 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing7841 Bruxner Highway Drake NSWDetermined
September 2022
- Subdivision of land197 BRUXNER ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
July 2022
- Dwelling62 LESLIE CREEK ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
- DwellingKIMS WAY DRAKE 2469Determined
May 2022
- Subdivision of land531A LONG GULLY ROAD DRAKE 2469Withdrawn
March 2022
- Subdivision of land241 BRUXNER ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
January 2022
- Subdivision of land7841 BRUXNER HIGHWAY DRAKE 2469Determined
2021· 2 proposals
December 2021
- Other7841 BRUXNER HIGHWAY DRAKE 2469Determined
July 2021
- Hotel or motel accommodation61 MUD FLAT ROAD DRAKE 2469Determined
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)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 18.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6684th in Australia
- State rank
- 2075th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #558 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #1007 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 68%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime31
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime41
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime37
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime47
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime38
- Bruxner Hwy At Mud Flat Rdtransport
- Bruxner Hwy At Mud Flat Rdtransport
- Fairfield St After Ruby Sttransport
- Fairfield St After West Sttransport
- Fairfield St After West Sttransport
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 Tenterfield Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.