Brunkerville vs Freemans Waterhole

Freemans Waterhole is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 48 in Brunkerville. In Brunkerville, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In Freemans Waterhole, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Brunkerville: a median of $875,000, against $435,000 in Freemans Waterhole, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brunkerville tends to suit couples and older residents, while Freemans Waterhole suits renters, people living alone, and 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

Brunkerville

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 98/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (85% vs 44%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 52%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Brunkerville leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 101%)
  • Freemans Waterhole has cheaper houses ($435,000 vs $875,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Freemans Waterhole

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (71% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $350/wk)
  • But Brunkerville leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Freemans Waterhole

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (95 min vs 105 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (128.4 km vs 134 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Brunkerville

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 98/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 12%)

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

Investors

Freemans Waterhole

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.2% vs 5.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
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.

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Walkability 10 / 10
Brunkerville — Walkability: 10/100 Freemans Waterhole — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 78 / 2
Brunkerville — Safety: 78/100 Freemans Waterhole — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 38 / 41
Brunkerville — Low fire risk: 38/100 Freemans Waterhole — Low fire risk: 41/100

Demographics

Brunkerville has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $32,188); Brunkerville has more residents (216 vs 120).

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Population 216
+44% vs other
 120
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.9% +21.2%
Median age 48 39
Median household income $117,000/yr
+72% vs other
 $32,188/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+37% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
0-4 3.2% / 10.0%
Brunkerville — 0-4: 3.2% Freemans Waterhole — 0-4: 10.0%
5-14 7.9% / 10.8%
Brunkerville — 5-14: 7.9% Freemans Waterhole — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 4.6% / 4.2%
Brunkerville — 15-19: 4.6% Freemans Waterhole — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 3.7% / 5.8%
Brunkerville — 20-24: 3.7% Freemans Waterhole — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 9.7% / 14.2%
Brunkerville — 25-34: 9.7% Freemans Waterhole — 25-34: 14.2%
35-44 8.8% / 16.7%
Brunkerville — 35-44: 8.8% Freemans Waterhole — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 17.1% / 16.7%
Brunkerville — 45-54: 17.1% Freemans Waterhole — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 14.8% / 7.5%
Brunkerville — 55-64: 14.8% Freemans Waterhole — 55-64: 7.5%
65-74 23.6% / 12.5%
Brunkerville — 65-74: 23.6% Freemans Waterhole — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 2.3% / —
Brunkerville — 75-84: 2.3% Freemans Waterhole — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Brunkerville — 85+: not among its largest Freemans Waterhole — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brunkerville 58.5% couple families
Brunkerville — Couple Families: 58.5% Brunkerville — Lone Person: 14.6% Brunkerville — One Parent Families: 26.8% Brunkerville — Group Household: 0.0%
Freemans Waterhole 28.8% couple families
Freemans Waterhole — Couple Families: 28.8% Freemans Waterhole — Lone Person: 50.0% Freemans Waterhole — One Parent Families: 15.4% Freemans Waterhole — Group Household: 5.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brunkerville 11.8% renting
Brunkerville — Owned Outright: 47.1% Brunkerville — Mortgage: 41.2% Brunkerville — Renting: 11.8%
Freemans Waterhole 71.1% renting
Freemans Waterhole — Owned Outright: 13.2% Freemans Waterhole — Mortgage: 15.8% Freemans Waterhole — Renting: 71.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brunkerville 100.0% houses
Brunkerville — Houses: 100.0% Brunkerville — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Freemans Waterhole 51.9% houses
Freemans Waterhole — Houses: 51.9% Freemans Waterhole — Flats / Apartments: 48.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Certificate III & IV 20.4% / 12.5%
Brunkerville — Certificate III & IV: 20.4% Freemans Waterhole — Certificate III & IV: 12.5%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 5.0%
Brunkerville — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Freemans Waterhole — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 2.5%
Brunkerville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Freemans Waterhole — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.5%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / 2.5%
Brunkerville — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Freemans Waterhole — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Property market

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Median house price $875,000 $435,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Rural and farming 57% 56%
Environmental 42% 41%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
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

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
Approvals change year on year -31% +2%

Ranking within NSW

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
House price Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW

Liveability

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Freemans Waterhole carries more crime risk (98 vs 22).

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Bushfire Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
59/100
Crime Low
22/100
 High
98/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Parks & reserves 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 3 7

Mobility

Brunkerville sits further from the CBD (134 km vs 128.4 km).

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Walkability score 10/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 134 km
+4% vs other
 128.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 105 min 95 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2323
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2323
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.

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Car (driver) 64.4% / 51.7%
Brunkerville — Car (driver): 64.4% Freemans Waterhole — Car (driver): 51.7%
Worked from Home 26.4% / 48.3%
Brunkerville — Worked from Home: 26.4% Freemans Waterhole — Worked from Home: 48.3%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / —
Brunkerville — Car (passenger): 5.7% Freemans Waterhole — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 3.4% / —
Brunkerville — Walked Only: 3.4% Freemans Waterhole — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.4%).

Setting

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Elevation 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 87 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.2 km 17.5 km

NBN connectivity

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Connectivity score 30/100 15/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
80 premises
 0%
10 premises

Climate

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
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

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Average residential rate $1,405/yr $1,708/yr
Council Cessnock Lake Macquarie

Federal electorate

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brunkerville

Retirees River Rural

Freemans Waterhole

Affordable Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Brunkerville

Brunkerville vs Killingworth Brunkerville vs Mount Vincent

Other comparisons with Freemans Waterhole

Freemans Waterhole vs Cooranbong Freemans Waterhole vs Killingworth Freemans Waterhole vs Awaba Freemans Waterhole vs Martinsville Freemans Waterhole vs Mount Vincent Freemans Waterhole vs Wakefield
Full data on Brunkerville Full data on Freemans Waterhole
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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