Freemans Waterhole vs Mount Vincent

Freemans Waterhole is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 46 in Mount Vincent. In Freemans Waterhole, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In Mount Vincent, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mount Vincent: a median of $1.4 million, against $435,000 in Freemans Waterhole, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Freemans Waterhole tends to suit renters, people living alone, and families with children, while Mount Vincent suits couples.

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

Mount Vincent

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 98/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 52%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 44%)

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

  • Freemans Waterhole has cheaper houses ($435,000 vs $1,400,000)
  • Mount Vincent leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 101%)

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 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $300/wk)
  • But Mount Vincent leaves renters under less rental stress (13% 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 100 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (128.4 km vs 134 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Vincent

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 98/100)

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 3.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
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.

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Walkability 10 / 6
Freemans Waterhole — Walkability: 10/100 Mount Vincent — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 2 / 81
Freemans Waterhole — Safety: 2/100 Mount Vincent — Safety: 81/100
Low fire risk 41 / 39
Freemans Waterhole — Low fire risk: 41/100 Mount Vincent — Low fire risk: 39/100

Demographics

Mount Vincent has higher household incomes ($119,288 vs $32,188); Mount Vincent has more residents (380 vs 120).

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Population 120 380
+217% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.2% +3.5%
Median age 39 46
Median household income $32,188/yr $119,288/yr
+271% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk $300/wk
+36% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
0-4 10.0% / 3.4%
Freemans Waterhole — 0-4: 10.0% Mount Vincent — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 10.8% / 11.1%
Freemans Waterhole — 5-14: 10.8% Mount Vincent — 5-14: 11.1%
15-19 4.2% / 6.8%
Freemans Waterhole — 15-19: 4.2% Mount Vincent — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 5.8% / 6.1%
Freemans Waterhole — 20-24: 5.8% Mount Vincent — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 14.2% / 11.3%
Freemans Waterhole — 25-34: 14.2% Mount Vincent — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 16.7% / 10.3%
Freemans Waterhole — 35-44: 16.7% Mount Vincent — 35-44: 10.3%
45-54 16.7% / 17.6%
Freemans Waterhole — 45-54: 16.7% Mount Vincent — 45-54: 17.6%
55-64 7.5% / 15.5%
Freemans Waterhole — 55-64: 7.5% Mount Vincent — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 12.5% / 11.1%
Freemans Waterhole — 65-74: 12.5% Mount Vincent — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 — / 5.5%
Freemans Waterhole — 75-84: not among its largest Mount Vincent — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ — / —
Freemans Waterhole — 85+: not among its largest Mount Vincent — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Mount Vincent 55.0% couple families
Mount Vincent — Couple Families: 55.0% Mount Vincent — Lone Person: 20.0% Mount Vincent — One Parent Families: 21.2% Mount Vincent — Group Household: 3.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Freemans Waterhole 71.1% renting
Freemans Waterhole — Owned Outright: 13.2% Freemans Waterhole — Mortgage: 15.8% Freemans Waterhole — Renting: 71.1%
Mount Vincent 4.8% renting
Mount Vincent — Owned Outright: 54.8% Mount Vincent — Mortgage: 40.5% Mount Vincent — Renting: 4.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

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

Qualifications

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

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Certificate III & IV 12.5% / 21.1%
Freemans Waterhole — Certificate III & IV: 12.5% Mount Vincent — Certificate III & IV: 21.1%
Bachelor Degree 5.0% / 13.9%
Freemans Waterhole — Bachelor Degree: 5.0% Mount Vincent — Bachelor Degree: 13.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.5% / 8.4%
Freemans Waterhole — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.5% Mount Vincent — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 4.2%
Freemans Waterhole — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Mount Vincent — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.8%
Freemans Waterhole — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Mount Vincent — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Property market

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Median house price $435,000 $1,400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Mount Vincent has more rural and farming land (84% vs 56%); Freemans Waterhole has more land zoned for conservation (41% vs 15%).

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Rural and farming 56% 84%
Environmental 41% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
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

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

Ranking within NSW

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
House price Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 2% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 56% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 8% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW

Liveability

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Freemans Waterhole carries more crime risk (98 vs 19).

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
61/100
Crime High
98/100
 Low
19/100
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

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
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

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 7 2

Mobility

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

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Walkability score 10/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 128.4 km 134 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 95 min 100 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.

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Car (driver) 51.7% / 61.6%
Freemans Waterhole — Car (driver): 51.7% Mount Vincent — Car (driver): 61.6%
Worked from Home 48.3% / 30.8%
Freemans Waterhole — Worked from Home: 48.3% Mount Vincent — Worked from Home: 30.8%
Car (passenger) — / 5.8%
Freemans Waterhole — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mount Vincent — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Walked Only — / 1.7%
Freemans Waterhole — Walked Only: not among its largest Mount Vincent — Walked Only: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.6%).

Setting

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Elevation 87 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.5 km 22.6 km

NBN connectivity

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
Connectivity score 15/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
10 premises
 0%
131 premises

Climate

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
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)

Freemans Waterhole Mount Vincent
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 11.6 µg/m³ 16.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.27 pphm 0.53 pphm

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Freemans Waterhole

Affordable Rural Young Families

Mount Vincent

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Freemans Waterhole

Freemans Waterhole vs Cooranbong Freemans Waterhole vs Killingworth Freemans Waterhole vs Awaba Freemans Waterhole vs Martinsville Freemans Waterhole vs Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole vs Wakefield

Other comparisons with Mount Vincent

Mount Vincent vs Killingworth Mount Vincent vs Mulbring Mount Vincent vs Quorrobolong Mount Vincent vs Brunkerville
Full data on Freemans Waterhole Full data on Mount Vincent
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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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