NSW · Central Coast (NSW) Council
Horsfield Bay, 2256
Current weather
16.1°CClear sky
58% humidity · 14.3 km/h wind · 21.8° / 13.6° today · 4.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Horsfield Bay is a well-connected smaller community in Central Coast (NSW) with everyday amenities close at hand. You get space and calm here, while the city and neighbouring suburbs are still close enough for regular outings. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Everyday errands and local outings are straightforward, with the wider metro area adding variety. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because growth momentum and transport and access lag similar metro suburbs, despite relative strength in community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 501
- Median age
- 46
- Median household income / week
- $2,083
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 19 of 206
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 61.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 12 / 4 / 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)
- $520
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $625
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $595
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 127
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)
- 62
- Against the person
- 13
- Against property
- 16
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 123.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 39 residents
- State safety percentile
- 84th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -1.3%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions335
- Domestic Violence Related Assault113
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment142
- Malicious Damage To Property158
- Transport Regulatory Offences375
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
6 public transport stops in this suburb
- Horsfield Rd At Woy Woy Rd
- Woy Woy Rd At Banyo Cl
- Woy Woy Rd At Banyo Cl
- Woy Woy Rd Opp Banyo Cl
- Woy Woy Rd Opp Banyo Cl
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).
17 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure21 GABAGONG ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Under Assessment
2025· 3 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure33 GABAGONG ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool15 GOONDI CLOSE HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
February 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure14 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
2024· 2 proposals
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
March 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space44 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Withdrawn
2023· 1 proposal
July 2023
- Dwelling33 GABAGONG ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
2022· 2 proposals
April 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing15 GOONDI CLOSE HORSFIELD BAY 2256Withdrawn
February 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development17 KUNALA LANE HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
2021· 5 proposals
June 2021
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs3 horsefield road, horsefield bayDetermined
- Secondary dwelling38 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
May 2021
- Shed23 GABAGONG ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
February 2021
- Dwelling; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs25 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development60 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
2020· 3 proposals
December 2020
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces27a gabagong road Horsfield Bay NSW 2256Determined
October 2020
- Shed18 BANYO CLOSE HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
- Secondary dwelling38 HORSFIELD ROAD HORSFIELD BAY 2256Determined
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
3 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Horsfield Rd at Woy Woy RdBus stop
- Woy Woy Rd at Banyo ClBus stop
- Woy Woy Rd opp Banyo ClBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
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)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
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
- 13.9/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6878th in Australia
- State rank
- 2126th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #149 among Metro Sydney · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #884 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 60%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Horsfield Rd at Woy Woy Rdamenitiesbus_stop
- Woy Woy Rd at Banyo Clamenitiesbus_stop
- Woy Woy Rd opp Banyo Clamenitiesbus_stop
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime335
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime113
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime142
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime158
- Transport Regulatory Offencescrime375
- Horsfield Rd At Woy Woy Rdtransport
- Woy Woy Rd At Banyo Cltransport
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)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Central Coast (NSW) Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.