Brightwaters vs Windermere Park

Windermere 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. Houses cost more in Brightwaters: a median of $975,000, against $829,000 in Windermere Park. On these figures, Brightwaters tends to suit older residents.

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

Brightwaters

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Windermere Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($828,750 vs $975,000)

Weighs house 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

Windermere Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (61/100 vs 41/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (93 min vs 98 min)

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 54/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 18%)
  • But Windermere Park is more walkable (61/100 vs 41/100)

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

Investors

Windermere Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.7% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Brightwaters and Windermere 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 Windermere 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 Windermere Park
Walkability 41 / 61
Brightwaters — Walkability: 41/100 Windermere Park — Walkability: 61/100
Safety 79 / 46
Brightwaters — Safety: 79/100 Windermere Park — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 58 / 100
Brightwaters — Low fire risk: 58/100 Windermere Park — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Brightwaters skews older (50 vs 38).

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Population 875
+17% vs other
 722
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.1% +3.7%
Median age 50 38
Median household income $73,788/yr $75,192/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+3% vs other
 $380/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brightwaters Windermere Park
0-4 4.6% / 7.5%
Brightwaters — 0-4: 4.6% Windermere Park — 0-4: 7.5%
5-14 10.3% / 10.7%
Brightwaters — 5-14: 10.3% Windermere Park — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 4.2% / 7.1%
Brightwaters — 15-19: 4.2% Windermere Park — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 5.3% / 7.5%
Brightwaters — 20-24: 5.3% Windermere Park — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 8.1% / 13.6%
Brightwaters — 25-34: 8.1% Windermere Park — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 9.1% / 11.6%
Brightwaters — 35-44: 9.1% Windermere Park — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 13.9% / 11.4%
Brightwaters — 45-54: 13.9% Windermere Park — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 16.2% / 14.3%
Brightwaters — 55-64: 16.2% Windermere Park — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 16.0% / 9.7%
Brightwaters — 65-74: 16.0% Windermere Park — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 8.8% / 6.5%
Brightwaters — 75-84: 8.8% Windermere Park — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 2.1% / 2.1%
Brightwaters — 85+: 2.1% Windermere Park — 85+: 2.1%

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%
Windermere Park 35.0% couple families
Windermere Park — Couple Families: 35.0% Windermere Park — Lone Person: 36.4% Windermere Park — One Parent Families: 23.8% Windermere Park — Group Household: 4.9% Windermere 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%
Windermere Park 27.2% renting
Windermere Park — Owned Outright: 34.1% Windermere Park — Mortgage: 38.8% Windermere Park — Renting: 27.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Certificate III & IV 21.5% / 21.9%
Brightwaters — Certificate III & IV: 21.5% Windermere Park — Certificate III & IV: 21.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 7.5%
Brightwaters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Windermere Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.2% / 6.8%
Brightwaters — Bachelor Degree: 10.2% Windermere Park — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 1.5%
Brightwaters — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Windermere Park — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.9%
Brightwaters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Windermere Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).

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 Windermere Park
England 3.2% / 4.4%
Brightwaters — England: 3.2% Windermere Park — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.1%
Brightwaters — New Zealand: 1.5% Windermere Park — New Zealand: 1.1%
South Africa 1.4% / —
Brightwaters — South Africa: 1.4% Windermere Park — South Africa: not among its largest
Philippines 0.3% / 1.0%
Brightwaters — Philippines: 0.3% Windermere Park — Philippines: 1.0%
Germany 0.8% / —
Brightwaters — Germany: 0.8% Windermere Park — Germany: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.8%
Brightwaters — Italy: not among its largest Windermere Park — Italy: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Brightwaters — Scotland: not among its largest Windermere Park — Scotland: 0.6%
China 0.5% / —
Brightwaters — China: 0.5% Windermere Park — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

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%
Windermere Park 98.2% houses
Windermere Park — Houses: 98.2% Windermere Park — Townhouses: 1.1% Windermere Park — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Median house price $975,000 $828,750
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $665,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 6 sales
 34 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

Brightwaters has more land zoned for conservation (64% vs 25%).

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Residential 32% 71%
Environmental 64% 25%
Parks and recreation 3% 1%
Rural and farming 0% 2%
Planning zones cover 100% of Brightwaters and 99% of Windermere Park. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 Windermere 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 Windermere Park
House price Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW

Liveability

Windermere Park is more walkable (61 vs 41).

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Grade B
same for both
Score 53/100 50/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Brightwaters carries more bushfire risk (42 vs 0); Windermere Park carries more crime risk (54 vs 21).

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Bushfire Moderate
42/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
21/100
 Moderate
54/100
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
same for both

Schools

Brightwaters Windermere 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 Windermere Park

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

Amenities in the suburb

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Parks & reserves 1 0

Mobility

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Walkability score 41/100 61/100
Distance to Sydney 120.2 km
+2% vs other
 118.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 93 min
Public transport score 34/100
Bus
 31/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 6.2
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 Windermere Park
Car (driver) 61.2% / 81.3%
Brightwaters — Car (driver): 61.2% Windermere Park — Car (driver): 81.3%
Worked from Home 32.4% / 12.8%
Brightwaters — Worked from Home: 32.4% Windermere Park — Worked from Home: 12.8%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.3%
Brightwaters — Car (passenger): 4.5% Windermere Park — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.1%
Brightwaters — Walked Only: 1.9% Windermere Park — Walked Only: 1.1%
Train — / 1.5%
Brightwaters — Train: not among its largest Windermere Park — Train: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.3%).

Setting

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.1 km 10.1 km

NBN connectivity

Brightwaters Windermere Park
Connectivity score 80/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 64%
432 premises
 56%
302 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Brightwaters Windermere 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

Windermere Park

Large Blocks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brightwaters

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

Other comparisons with Windermere Park

Windermere Park vs Bonnells Bay Windermere Park vs Morisset Park
Full data on Brightwaters Full data on Windermere 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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