Herons Creek vs King Creek

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Herons Creek, about half of households are couple families. In King Creek, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in King Creek: a median of $1.4 million, against $852,000 in Herons Creek, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Herons Creek tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while King Creek 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

King Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 73/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 63%)

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

First-home buyers

Herons Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($852,500 vs $1,400,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Herons Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (16% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $410/wk)
  • But King Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Herons Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (249 min vs 254 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (366.9 km vs 373.7 km)
  • But King Creek is more walkable (9/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

King Creek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (9/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

King Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.8% vs -0.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Herons Creek King Creek
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.

Herons Creek King Creek
Walkability 0 / 9
Herons Creek — Walkability: 0/100 King Creek — Walkability: 9/100
Safety 27 / 82
Herons Creek — Safety: 27/100 King Creek — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 46 / 49
Herons Creek — Low fire risk: 46/100 King Creek — Low fire risk: 49/100

Demographics

King Creek has more residents (1,863 vs 246); King Creek has higher household incomes ($108,576 vs $65,832).

Herons Creek King Creek
Population 246 1,863
+657% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.4% +18.8%
Median age 46 45
Median household income $65,832/yr $108,576/yr
+65% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $410/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek King Creek
0-4 4.5% / 5.1%
Herons Creek — 0-4: 4.5% King Creek — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 16.7% / 14.1%
Herons Creek — 5-14: 16.7% King Creek — 5-14: 14.1%
15-19 4.1% / 8.3%
Herons Creek — 15-19: 4.1% King Creek — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 3.3% / 3.8%
Herons Creek — 20-24: 3.3% King Creek — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 7.7% / 6.7%
Herons Creek — 25-34: 7.7% King Creek — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 12.6% / 11.2%
Herons Creek — 35-44: 12.6% King Creek — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 15.4% / 16.0%
Herons Creek — 45-54: 15.4% King Creek — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 13.8% / 14.4%
Herons Creek — 55-64: 13.8% King Creek — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 13.8% / 13.3%
Herons Creek — 65-74: 13.8% King Creek — 65-74: 13.3%
75-84 5.3% / 6.4%
Herons Creek — 75-84: 5.3% King Creek — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 1.2% / 1.0%
Herons Creek — 85+: 1.2% King Creek — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek 45.2% couple families
Herons Creek — Couple Families: 45.2% Herons Creek — Lone Person: 32.3% Herons Creek — One Parent Families: 17.7% Herons Creek — Group Household: 4.8% Herons Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
King Creek 69.7% couple families
King Creek — Couple Families: 69.7% King Creek — Lone Person: 16.3% King Creek — One Parent Families: 10.3% King Creek — Group Household: 3.0% King Creek — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek 16.0% renting
Herons Creek — Owned Outright: 52.0% Herons Creek — Mortgage: 32.0% Herons Creek — Renting: 16.0%
King Creek 4.6% renting
King Creek — Owned Outright: 49.1% King Creek — Mortgage: 46.3% King Creek — Renting: 4.6%
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.

Herons Creek King Creek
England 4.1% / 4.4%
Herons Creek — England: 4.1% King Creek — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 3.3% / 0.8%
Herons Creek — New Zealand: 3.3% King Creek — New Zealand: 0.8%
South Africa — / 0.6%
Herons Creek — South Africa: not among its largest King Creek — South Africa: 0.6%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Herons Creek — Scotland: not among its largest King Creek — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands — / 0.3%
Herons Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest King Creek — Netherlands: 0.3%

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

Qualifications

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

Herons Creek King Creek
Certificate III & IV 18.7% / 20.0%
Herons Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.7% King Creek — Certificate III & IV: 20.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.1% / 11.5%
Herons Creek — Bachelor Degree: 6.1% King Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.7% / 10.0%
Herons Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7% King Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 2.0%
Herons Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% King Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.5%
Herons Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest King Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek 100.0% houses
Herons Creek — Houses: 100.0% Herons Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Herons Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
King Creek 98.0% houses
King Creek — Houses: 98.0% King Creek — Flats / Apartments: 1.5% King Creek — Townhouses: 0.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Herons Creek King Creek
Median house price $852,500 $1,400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,515,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 16 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Herons Creek has more rural and farming land (96% vs 42%); King Creek has more land zoned for conservation (17% vs 0%).

Herons Creek King Creek
Rural and farming 96% 42%
Residential 0% 40%
Environmental 0% 17%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Herons Creek King Creek
New dwellings approved 546
across Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both
Approvals change year on year +33%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Herons Creek King Creek
House price Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Income Higher than 28% of NSW —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 4% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 44% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW

Liveability

King Creek is more walkable (9 vs 0).

Herons Creek King Creek
Grade — C
Score — 47/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Herons Creek carries more crime risk (73 vs 18).

Herons Creek King Creek
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
51/100
Crime High
73/100
 Low
18/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Herons Creek King Creek
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Herons Creek

  • Herons Creek Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in King Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Herons Creek King Creek
Waterways 25 3

Mobility

King Creek sits further from the CBD (373.7 km vs 366.9 km).

Herons Creek King Creek
Walkability score 0/100 9/100
Distance to Sydney 366.9 km 373.7 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 249 min 254 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2439
 0.5%
postcode 2446
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 86
postcode 2439
 69
postcode 2446

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.

Herons Creek King Creek
Car (driver) 66.0% / 80.5%
Herons Creek — Car (driver): 66.0% King Creek — Car (driver): 80.5%
Worked from Home 16.5% / 14.9%
Herons Creek — Worked from Home: 16.5% King Creek — Worked from Home: 14.9%
Car (passenger) 6.2% / 4.6%
Herons Creek — Car (passenger): 6.2% King Creek — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Walked Only 6.2% / —
Herons Creek — Walked Only: 6.2% King Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 5.2% / —
Herons Creek — Bicycle: 5.2% King Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.5%).

Setting

Herons Creek King Creek
Elevation 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.8 km 11.4 km

NBN connectivity

Herons Creek King Creek
Connectivity score 17/100 53/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
51 premises
 16%
633 premises

Climate

Herons Creek King Creek
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm 2,842 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 29.0°C
Winter min (Jul) — 6.7°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Herons Creek King Creek
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.92 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Herons Creek King Creek
Average residential rate $1,325/yr
same for both
Council Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both

Federal electorate

Herons Creek King Creek
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Herons Creek King Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Herons Creek

Rural

King Creek

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Herons Creek

Herons Creek vs Wauchope Herons Creek vs Kew Herons Creek vs Kendall Herons Creek vs Lake Innes Herons Creek vs Logans Crossing Herons Creek vs Bobs Creek

Other comparisons with King Creek

King Creek vs Wauchope King Creek vs Sancrox King Creek vs Lake Innes
Full data on Herons Creek Full data on King Creek
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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