Boolaroo vs Speers Point

Boolaroo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 45 in Speers Point. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Speers Point: a median of $1.31 million, against $1.03 million in Boolaroo. On these figures, Boolaroo tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Speers Point

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 93/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Boolaroo

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($600,000 vs $930,000)
  • has cheaper units ($697,500 vs $900,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,032,500 vs $1,310,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Speers Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (72/100 vs 93/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Boolaroo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (57.5% vs 2.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Boolaroo and Speers Point drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Boolaroo Speers Point
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Boolaroo Speers Point
Walkability 58 / 51
Boolaroo — Walkability: 58/100 Speers Point — Walkability: 51/100
Safety 7 / 28
Boolaroo — Safety: 7/100 Speers Point — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 63 / 70
Boolaroo — Low fire risk: 63/100 Speers Point — Low fire risk: 70/100

Demographics

Speers Point has more residents (3,400 vs 1,636); Speers Point has higher household incomes ($91,832 vs $78,208).

Boolaroo Speers Point
Population 1,636 3,400
+108% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +57.5% +2.6%
Median age 39 45
Median household income $78,208/yr $91,832/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+2% vs other
 $393/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Boolaroo Speers Point
0-4 6.0% / 5.2%
Boolaroo — 0-4: 6.0% Speers Point — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 11.4% / 11.4%
Boolaroo — 5-14: 11.4% Speers Point — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 4.8% / 5.9%
Boolaroo — 15-19: 4.8% Speers Point — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 6.1% / 5.1%
Boolaroo — 20-24: 6.1% Speers Point — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 15.0% / 9.1%
Boolaroo — 25-34: 15.0% Speers Point — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 12.8% / 12.2%
Boolaroo — 35-44: 12.8% Speers Point — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 11.3% / 14.1%
Boolaroo — 45-54: 11.3% Speers Point — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 12.8% / 14.7%
Boolaroo — 55-64: 12.8% Speers Point — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 10.3% / 12.9%
Boolaroo — 65-74: 10.3% Speers Point — 65-74: 12.9%
75-84 7.5% / 6.8%
Boolaroo — 75-84: 7.5% Speers Point — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 1.7% / 2.7%
Boolaroo — 85+: 1.7% Speers Point — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Boolaroo 37.9% lone person
Boolaroo — Lone Person: 37.9% Boolaroo — Couple Families: 34.0% Boolaroo — One Parent Families: 20.4% Boolaroo — Group Household: 5.7% Boolaroo — Other Families: 1.9%
Speers Point 39.2% lone person
Speers Point — Lone Person: 39.2% Speers Point — Couple Families: 39.3% Speers Point — One Parent Families: 17.3% Speers Point — Group Household: 3.0% Speers Point — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Boolaroo 30.7% renting
Boolaroo — Owned Outright: 32.2% Boolaroo — Mortgage: 37.1% Boolaroo — Renting: 30.7%
Speers Point 23.1% renting
Speers Point — Owned Outright: 40.1% Speers Point — Mortgage: 36.7% Speers Point — Renting: 23.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Boolaroo Speers Point
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 17.3%
Boolaroo — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Speers Point — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 13.6%
Boolaroo — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Speers Point — Bachelor Degree: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 9.4%
Boolaroo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Speers Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / 4.2%
Boolaroo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Speers Point — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.6%
Boolaroo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Speers Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Boolaroo Speers Point
England 2.4% / 2.6%
Boolaroo — England: 2.4% Speers Point — England: 2.6%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.1%
Boolaroo — New Zealand: 1.3% Speers Point — New Zealand: 1.1%
India 0.6% / 1.3%
Boolaroo — India: 0.6% Speers Point — India: 1.3%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.9%
Boolaroo — South Africa: 0.7% Speers Point — South Africa: 0.9%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.4%
Boolaroo — Scotland: 0.4% Speers Point — Scotland: 0.4%
Germany — / 0.5%
Boolaroo — Germany: not among its largest Speers Point — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Boolaroo 89.3% houses
Boolaroo — Houses: 89.3% Boolaroo — Townhouses: 6.3% Boolaroo — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Speers Point 80.4% houses
Speers Point — Houses: 80.4% Speers Point — Townhouses: 16.3% Speers Point — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Boolaroo Speers Point
Median house price $1,032,500 $1,310,000
Median unit price $697,500 $900,000
Median land price $600,000 $930,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 25 sales
 30 days
from 23 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Boolaroo Speers Point
3 bed $965K / $1.04M
Boolaroo — 3 bed: $965K (18 sales) Speers Point — 3 bed: $1.04M (17 sales)

18 vs 17 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.33M
Boolaroo — 4 bed: $1.2M (23 sales) Speers Point — 4 bed: $1.33M (7 sales)

23 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Speers Point has more land zoned for conservation (36% vs 13%); Boolaroo has more industrially zoned land (15% vs 0%).

Boolaroo Speers Point
Residential 54% 44%
Environmental 13% 36%
Industrial 15% 0%
Parks and recreation 4% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 4%
Commercial 2%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Boolaroo Speers Point
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Boolaroo Speers Point
Houses 4.1%
$750/wk on $949K
 4.0%
$820/wk on $1.06M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Boolaroo Speers Point
House price Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Income Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 79% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW

Liveability

Speers Point scores higher overall (46 vs 33).

Boolaroo Speers Point
Grade C
same for both
Score 33/100 46/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Boolaroo carries more crime risk (93 vs 72).

Boolaroo Speers Point
Bushfire Low
37/100
 Low
30/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
72/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Boolaroo Speers Point
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 9.4 km
 None

Schools in Boolaroo

  • Boolaroo Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Speers Point

  • Speers Point Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Boolaroo Speers Point
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 1 3
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 2 4

Mobility

Boolaroo Speers Point
Walkability score 58/100 51/100
Distance to Sydney 144.7 km 144.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 114 min 112 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 74/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 41.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 51.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2284
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2284
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Boolaroo Speers Point
Car (driver) 70.5% / 65.1%
Boolaroo — Car (driver): 70.5% Speers Point — Car (driver): 65.1%
Worked from Home 22.0% / 29.2%
Boolaroo — Worked from Home: 22.0% Speers Point — Worked from Home: 29.2%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.4%
Boolaroo — Car (passenger): 4.5% Speers Point — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only 1.8% / 0.7%
Boolaroo — Walked Only: 1.8% Speers Point — Walked Only: 0.7%
Bus 1.2% / 1.1%
Boolaroo — Bus: 1.2% Speers Point — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.5%).

Setting

Boolaroo Speers Point
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.8 km 9.4 km

NBN connectivity

Boolaroo Speers Point
Connectivity score 65/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 37%
921 premises
 46%
1,724 premises

Climate

Boolaroo Speers Point
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Boolaroo Speers Point
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Boolaroo Speers Point
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Boolaroo Speers Point
Division Shortland
same for both
Member Pat Conroy
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Boolaroo Speers Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Boolaroo

Large Blocks Quiet

Speers Point

River

More comparisons

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Boolaroo vs Cardiff Boolaroo vs Macquarie Hills Boolaroo vs Teralba Boolaroo vs Argenton

Other comparisons with Speers Point

Speers Point vs Warners Bay Speers Point vs Macquarie Hills Speers Point vs Teralba
Full data on Boolaroo Full data on Speers Point
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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