Chain Valley Bay vs Lake Munmorah

Lake Munmorah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 63 in Chain Valley Bay. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Chain Valley Bay, most households are people living alone. In Lake Munmorah, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Chain Valley Bay tends to suit people living alone and 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

Lake Munmorah

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 40%)
  • But Chain Valley Bay carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 69/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lake Munmorah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (35% vs 44%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lake Munmorah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (33% vs 43%)

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

Commuting to the city

Lake Munmorah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (67/100 vs 21/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (113.7 km vs 116.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Chain Valley Bay carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 69/100)
  • Lake Munmorah is more walkable (67/100 vs 21/100)

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

Investors

Chain Valley Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.8% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Chain Valley Bay and Lake Munmorah drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
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.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Walkability 21 / 67
Chain Valley Bay — Walkability: 21/100 Lake Munmorah — Walkability: 67/100
Safety 76 / 31
Chain Valley Bay — Safety: 76/100 Lake Munmorah — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 21 / 17
Chain Valley Bay — Low fire risk: 21/100 Lake Munmorah — Low fire risk: 17/100

Demographics

Lake Munmorah has more residents (5,084 vs 2,773); Lake Munmorah has higher household incomes ($60,060 vs $45,032).

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Population 2,773 5,084
+83% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.8% -3.1%
Median age 63 50
Median household income $45,032/yr $60,060/yr
+33% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk $380/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
0-4 3.4% / 4.8%
Chain Valley Bay — 0-4: 3.4% Lake Munmorah — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 7.3% / 10.3%
Chain Valley Bay — 5-14: 7.3% Lake Munmorah — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 4.0% / 5.3%
Chain Valley Bay — 15-19: 4.0% Lake Munmorah — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 3.2% / 4.6%
Chain Valley Bay — 20-24: 3.2% Lake Munmorah — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 6.5% / 10.1%
Chain Valley Bay — 25-34: 6.5% Lake Munmorah — 25-34: 10.1%
35-44 7.3% / 9.2%
Chain Valley Bay — 35-44: 7.3% Lake Munmorah — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 7.8% / 10.8%
Chain Valley Bay — 45-54: 7.8% Lake Munmorah — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 13.2% / 14.3%
Chain Valley Bay — 55-64: 13.2% Lake Munmorah — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 22.2% / 15.7%
Chain Valley Bay — 65-74: 22.2% Lake Munmorah — 65-74: 15.7%
75-84 19.8% / 12.0%
Chain Valley Bay — 75-84: 19.8% Lake Munmorah — 75-84: 12.0%
85+ 5.0% / 3.1%
Chain Valley Bay — 85+: 5.0% Lake Munmorah — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chain Valley Bay 56.0% lone person
Chain Valley Bay — Lone Person: 56.0% Chain Valley Bay — Couple Families: 26.1% Chain Valley Bay — One Parent Families: 13.7% Chain Valley Bay — Group Household: 2.8% Chain Valley Bay — Other Families: 1.4%
Lake Munmorah 45.1% lone person
Lake Munmorah — Lone Person: 45.1% Lake Munmorah — Couple Families: 32.1% Lake Munmorah — One Parent Families: 17.9% Lake Munmorah — Group Household: 4.0% Lake Munmorah — Other Families: 0.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chain Valley Bay 9.8% renting
Chain Valley Bay — Owned Outright: 66.7% Chain Valley Bay — Mortgage: 23.6% Chain Valley Bay — Renting: 9.8%
Lake Munmorah 18.4% renting
Lake Munmorah — Owned Outright: 50.9% Lake Munmorah — Mortgage: 30.7% Lake Munmorah — Renting: 18.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
England 5.8% / 4.1%
Chain Valley Bay — England: 5.8% Lake Munmorah — England: 4.1%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.7%
Chain Valley Bay — New Zealand: 1.7% Lake Munmorah — New Zealand: 1.7%
Scotland 1.2% / 0.4%
Chain Valley Bay — Scotland: 1.2% Lake Munmorah — Scotland: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.9% / 0.3%
Chain Valley Bay — Netherlands: 0.9% Lake Munmorah — Netherlands: 0.3%
Germany 0.5% / 0.6%
Chain Valley Bay — Germany: 0.5% Lake Munmorah — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

Qualifications

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

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Certificate III & IV 20.7% / 20.9%
Chain Valley Bay — Certificate III & IV: 20.7% Lake Munmorah — Certificate III & IV: 20.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 6.8%
Chain Valley Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Lake Munmorah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Bachelor Degree 3.9% / 6.9%
Chain Valley Bay — Bachelor Degree: 3.9% Lake Munmorah — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 1.2%
Chain Valley Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Lake Munmorah — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 0.8%
Chain Valley Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Lake Munmorah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chain Valley Bay 90.1% houses
Chain Valley Bay — Houses: 90.1% Chain Valley Bay — Townhouses: 9.0% Chain Valley Bay — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Lake Munmorah 96.5% houses
Lake Munmorah — Houses: 96.5% Lake Munmorah — Townhouses: 1.9% Lake Munmorah — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Median house price $820,000 $800,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 21 sales
 31 days
from 62 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.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
3 bed $800K / $740K
Chain Valley Bay — 3 bed: $800K (24 sales) Lake Munmorah — 3 bed: $740K (45 sales)

24 vs 45 sales

4 bed $909K / $960K
Chain Valley Bay — 4 bed: $909K (10 sales) Lake Munmorah — 4 bed: $960K (32 sales)

10 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Chain Valley Bay has more land zoned for conservation (82% vs 27%); Lake Munmorah has more rural and farming land (14% vs 0%).

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Environmental 82% 27%
Residential 11% 33%
Parks and recreation 7% 18%
Rural and farming 0% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 6%
Commercial 0% 1%
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

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Houses — 3.7%
$620/wk on $878K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
House price Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 33% of NSW
Income Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 20% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 66% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 55% of NSW

Liveability

Lake Munmorah is more walkable (67 vs 21).

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Grade D
same for both
Score 27/100 25/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Lake Munmorah carries more crime risk (69 vs 24).

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Bushfire High
79/100
 High
83/100
Crime Low
24/100
 Moderate
69/100
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 3
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Inside the suburb 0 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Chain Valley Bay

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

Schools in Lake Munmorah

  • Lake Munmorah Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Brendan's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Lake Munmorah High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • St Brigid's Catholic College Catholic · Secondary below peers
  • EOC Broken Bay - Lake Munmorah Catholic · Primary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 5
Childcare 1 4
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Chain Valley Bay sits further from the CBD (116.4 km vs 113.7 km).

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Walkability score 21/100 67/100
Distance to Sydney 116.4 km
+2% vs other
 113.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 89 min
Public transport score 70/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 30.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 88.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2259
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2259
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.

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Car (driver) 71.9% / 71.4%
Chain Valley Bay — Car (driver): 71.9% Lake Munmorah — Car (driver): 71.4%
Worked from Home 22.6% / 23.2%
Chain Valley Bay — Worked from Home: 22.6% Lake Munmorah — Worked from Home: 23.2%
Car (passenger) 3.1% / 3.3%
Chain Valley Bay — Car (passenger): 3.1% Lake Munmorah — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.3%
Chain Valley Bay — Walked Only: 1.0% Lake Munmorah — Walked Only: 1.3%
Train 1.5% / 0.6%
Chain Valley Bay — Train: 1.5% Lake Munmorah — Train: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.9%).

Setting

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 5.1 km 3.3 km

NBN connectivity

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Connectivity score 62/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 30%
960 premises
 36%
2,466 premises

Climate

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
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)

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
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

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Division Shortland
same for both
Member Pat Conroy
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chain Valley Bay Lake Munmorah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chain Valley Bay

Acreage Retirees River

Lake Munmorah

Large Blocks Retirees

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Other comparisons with Lake Munmorah

Lake Munmorah vs Doyalson North
Full data on Chain Valley Bay Full data on Lake Munmorah
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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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