Brightwaters vs Morisset Park

Morisset Park is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 50 in Brightwaters. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Morisset Park, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Morisset Park: a median of $1.16 million, against $975,000 in Brightwaters, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brightwaters tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Morisset Park suits families with children.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Brightwaters carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 57/100)
  • Morisset Park is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 60%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Brightwaters has cheaper houses ($975,000 vs $1,157,500)
  • Morisset Park leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Brightwaters has cheaper rent ($390/wk vs $480/wk)
  • Morisset Park has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 20%)

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

Brightwaters

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Morisset Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (46.0% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brightwaters Morisset Park
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.

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Walkability 41 / 39
Brightwaters — Walkability: 41/100 Morisset Park — Walkability: 39/100
Safety 79 / 43
Brightwaters — Safety: 79/100 Morisset Park — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 58 / 100
Brightwaters — Low fire risk: 58/100 Morisset Park — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Brightwaters skews older (50 vs 38); Morisset Park has higher household incomes ($96,616 vs $73,788).

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Population 875 1,085
+24% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.1% +46.0%
Median age 50 38
Median household income $73,788/yr $96,616/yr
+31% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $480/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brightwaters Morisset Park
0-4 4.6% / 7.1%
Brightwaters — 0-4: 4.6% Morisset Park — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 10.3% / 15.5%
Brightwaters — 5-14: 10.3% Morisset Park — 5-14: 15.5%
15-19 4.2% / 6.5%
Brightwaters — 15-19: 4.2% Morisset Park — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 5.3% / 5.1%
Brightwaters — 20-24: 5.3% Morisset Park — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 8.1% / 11.8%
Brightwaters — 25-34: 8.1% Morisset Park — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 9.1% / 12.0%
Brightwaters — 35-44: 9.1% Morisset Park — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 13.9% / 12.4%
Brightwaters — 45-54: 13.9% Morisset Park — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 16.2% / 10.2%
Brightwaters — 55-64: 16.2% Morisset Park — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 16.0% / 12.5%
Brightwaters — 65-74: 16.0% Morisset Park — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 8.8% / 6.5%
Brightwaters — 75-84: 8.8% Morisset Park — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 2.1% / 1.5%
Brightwaters — 85+: 2.1% Morisset Park — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brightwaters 42.8% couple families
Brightwaters — Couple Families: 42.8% Brightwaters — Lone Person: 35.6% Brightwaters — One Parent Families: 17.3% Brightwaters — Group Household: 2.9% Brightwaters — Other Families: 1.4%
Morisset Park 52.3% couple families
Morisset Park — Couple Families: 52.3% Morisset Park — Lone Person: 18.9% Morisset Park — One Parent Families: 25.5% Morisset Park — Group Household: 3.3% Morisset Park — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brightwaters 20.2% renting
Brightwaters — Owned Outright: 48.6% Brightwaters — Mortgage: 31.2% Brightwaters — Renting: 20.2%
Morisset Park 33.9% renting
Morisset Park — Owned Outright: 35.1% Morisset Park — Mortgage: 31.0% Morisset Park — Renting: 33.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Certificate III & IV 21.5% / 17.9%
Brightwaters — Certificate III & IV: 21.5% Morisset Park — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.2% / 9.2%
Brightwaters — Bachelor Degree: 10.2% Morisset Park — Bachelor Degree: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 8.8%
Brightwaters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Morisset Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 3.0%
Brightwaters — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Morisset Park — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.0%
Brightwaters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Morisset Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

Brightwaters Morisset Park
England 3.2% / 3.3%
Brightwaters — England: 3.2% Morisset Park — England: 3.3%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.4%
Brightwaters — New Zealand: 1.5% Morisset Park — New Zealand: 1.4%
South Africa 1.4% / 0.8%
Brightwaters — South Africa: 1.4% Morisset Park — South Africa: 0.8%
Germany 0.8% / 0.6%
Brightwaters — Germany: 0.8% Morisset Park — Germany: 0.6%
Netherlands 0.5% / 0.7%
Brightwaters — Netherlands: 0.5% Morisset Park — Netherlands: 0.7%
China 0.5% / —
Brightwaters — China: 0.5% Morisset Park — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brightwaters 97.7% houses
Brightwaters — Houses: 97.7% Brightwaters — Townhouses: 1.4% Brightwaters — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Morisset Park 95.6% houses
Morisset Park — Houses: 95.6% Morisset Park — Townhouses: 3.9% Morisset Park — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Median house price $975,000 $1,157,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $665,000 $728,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 6 sales
 56 days
from 7 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.

Brightwaters Morisset Park
4 bed $1.22M / $1.09M
Brightwaters — 4 bed: $1.22M (10 sales) Morisset Park — 4 bed: $1.09M (16 sales)

10 vs 16 sales

5 bed $2.25M / $1.48M
Brightwaters — 5 bed: $2.25M (5 sales) Morisset Park — 5 bed: $1.48M (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Brightwaters has more land zoned for conservation (64% vs 8%); Morisset Park has more rural and farming land (17% vs 0%).

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Residential 32% 67%
Environmental 64% 8%
Rural and farming 0% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 4%
Parks and recreation 3% 4%
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

Brightwaters Morisset Park
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Brightwaters Morisset Park
House price Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
Income Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW

Liveability

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Grade B
same for both
Score 53/100 54/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brightwaters carries more bushfire risk (42 vs 0); Morisset Park carries more crime risk (57 vs 21).

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Bushfire Moderate
42/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
21/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Brightwaters

  • Brightwaters Christian College Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in Morisset Park

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 0 1

Mobility

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Walkability score 41/100 39/100
Distance to Sydney 120.2 km 119.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 95 min
Public transport score 34/100
Bus
 28/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2264
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2264
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.

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Car (driver) 61.2% / 67.3%
Brightwaters — Car (driver): 61.2% Morisset Park — Car (driver): 67.3%
Worked from Home 32.4% / 28.6%
Brightwaters — Worked from Home: 32.4% Morisset Park — Worked from Home: 28.6%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.3%
Brightwaters — Car (passenger): 4.5% Morisset Park — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.9% / —
Brightwaters — Walked Only: 1.9% Morisset Park — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus — / 0.8%
Brightwaters — Bus: not among its largest Morisset Park — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.3%).

Setting

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.1 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Connectivity score 80/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 64%
432 premises
 71%
528 premises

Climate

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brightwaters Morisset Park
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.27 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brightwaters Morisset Park
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brightwaters

Large Blocks Retirees

Morisset Park

Family Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brightwaters

Brightwaters vs Bonnells Bay Brightwaters vs Mirrabooka Brightwaters vs Windermere Park Brightwaters vs Yarrawonga Park Brightwaters vs Silverwater

Other comparisons with Morisset Park

Morisset Park vs Morisset Morisset Park vs Bonnells Bay Morisset Park vs Windermere Park
Full data on Brightwaters Full data on Morisset Park
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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