NSW · Lake Macquarie Council
Lakelands, 2282
Current weather
16.9°CClear sky
67% humidity · 13.5 km/h wind · 20.8° / 13.8° today · 3.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Lakelands is a well-connected smaller community in Lake Macquarie with everyday amenities close at hand. Well placed between the city and outer suburbs, it offers practical access in every direction. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Everyday errands and local outings are straightforward, with the wider metro area adding variety. Buses and trains connect the area to surrounding suburbs, keeping the wider city within easy reach. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker housing affordability and transport and access against similar metro suburbs, even with community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 1,445
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $2,315
- Dwelling vacancy
- 0.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 4 of 511
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 66.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 19 / 29 / 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)
- $670
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $760
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $748
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 76
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)
- 55
- Against the person
- 14
- Against property
- 34
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 38.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 103 residents
- State safety percentile
- 13.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +6.1%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault43
- Fraud72
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment44
- Malicious Damage To Property68
- Steal From Motor Vehicle69
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
16 public transport stops in this suburb
- Ambleside Cct At Derwent Cres
- Ambleside Cct Before Lakelands Dr
- Lakelands Tennis Courts, Medcalf St
- Lakelands Tennis Courts, Medcalf St
- Macquarie Rd After Medcalf 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)
Amenities
202 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Lakelands Tennis Courts, Medcalf StBus stop
- Macquarie Rd after Medcalf StBus stop
- R&R TakeawayFast food
- Playground
- Shelter
- Lakelands OvalSports field
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (194)
- Telephone
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)
- 10/10
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
- No overlay at centroid
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)
- 2
- 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
- 23.8/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6197th in Australia
- State rank
- 1933rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #403 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #841 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 65%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Lakelands Ovalamenitiespitch
- Lakelands Tennis Courts, Medcalf Stamenitiesbus_stop
- Macquarie Rd after Medcalf Stamenitiesbus_stop
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- R&R Takeawayamenitiesfast_food
- Shelteramenitiesshelter
- Sports fieldamenitiespitch
- Swimming poolamenitiesswimming_pool
- Swimming poolamenitiesswimming_pool
- Swimming poolamenitiesswimming_pool
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Lake Macquarie Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.