Herons Creek vs Lake Innes

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 Lake Innes, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lake Innes: a median of $1.55 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 Lake Innes 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

Lake Innes

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (86% vs 63%)
  • carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 73/100)

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 $1,554,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Herons Creek has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $400/wk)
  • Lake Innes leaves renters under less rental stress (18% 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 257 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (366.9 km vs 377.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lake Innes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

Lake Innes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.2% vs -0.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Herons Creek and Lake Innes 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 Lake Innes
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 Lake Innes
Walkability 0 / 6
Herons Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Lake Innes — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 27 / 39
Herons Creek — Safety: 27/100 Lake Innes — Safety: 39/100
Low fire risk 46 / 33
Herons Creek — Low fire risk: 46/100 Lake Innes — Low fire risk: 33/100

Demographics

Lake Innes has more residents (495 vs 246); Lake Innes has higher household incomes ($115,128 vs $65,832).

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Population 246 495
+101% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.4% +16.2%
Median age 46 44
Median household income $65,832/yr $115,128/yr
+75% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $400/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek Lake Innes
0-4 4.5% / 4.0%
Herons Creek — 0-4: 4.5% Lake Innes — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 16.7% / 13.9%
Herons Creek — 5-14: 16.7% Lake Innes — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 4.1% / 10.1%
Herons Creek — 15-19: 4.1% Lake Innes — 15-19: 10.1%
20-24 3.3% / 6.3%
Herons Creek — 20-24: 3.3% Lake Innes — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 7.7% / 6.3%
Herons Creek — 25-34: 7.7% Lake Innes — 25-34: 6.3%
35-44 12.6% / 10.7%
Herons Creek — 35-44: 12.6% Lake Innes — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 15.4% / 13.7%
Herons Creek — 45-54: 15.4% Lake Innes — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 13.8% / 18.2%
Herons Creek — 55-64: 13.8% Lake Innes — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 13.8% / 10.1%
Herons Creek — 65-74: 13.8% Lake Innes — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 5.3% / 4.8%
Herons Creek — 75-84: 5.3% Lake Innes — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 1.2% / 2.4%
Herons Creek — 85+: 1.2% Lake Innes — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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%
Lake Innes 61.9% couple families
Lake Innes — Couple Families: 61.9% Lake Innes — Lone Person: 14.4% Lake Innes — One Parent Families: 23.7% Lake Innes — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

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%
Lake Innes 17.6% renting
Lake Innes — Owned Outright: 47.7% Lake Innes — Mortgage: 34.6% Lake Innes — Renting: 17.6%
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 Lake Innes
England 4.1% / 4.2%
Herons Creek — England: 4.1% Lake Innes — England: 4.2%
New Zealand 3.3% / 1.2%
Herons Creek — New Zealand: 3.3% Lake Innes — New Zealand: 1.2%
Thailand — / 1.2%
Herons Creek — Thailand: not among its largest Lake Innes — Thailand: 1.2%
Ireland — / 0.8%
Herons Creek — Ireland: not among its largest Lake Innes — Ireland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

Qualifications

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

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Certificate III & IV 18.7% / 18.0%
Herons Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.7% Lake Innes — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.1% / 10.5%
Herons Creek — Bachelor Degree: 6.1% Lake Innes — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.7% / 8.3%
Herons Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7% Lake Innes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 3.2%
Herons Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Lake Innes — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.6%
Herons Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Lake Innes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Herons Creek 100.0% houses
Herons Creek — Houses: 100.0%
Lake Innes 100.0% houses
Lake Innes — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Median house price $852,500 $1,554,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Lake Innes has more land zoned for conservation (49% vs 0%); Herons Creek has more rural and farming land (96% vs 48%).

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Rural and farming 96% 48%
Environmental 0% 49%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Residential 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

Herons Creek Lake Innes
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 Lake Innes
House price Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Income Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 4% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW

Liveability

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Lake Innes carries more bushfire risk (67 vs 54); Herons Creek carries more crime risk (73 vs 61).

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Bushfire Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
67/100
Crime High
73/100
 Moderate
61/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Herons Creek Lake Innes
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 Lake Innes

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

Amenities in the suburb

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 25 13

Mobility

Lake Innes sits further from the CBD (377.6 km vs 366.9 km).

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Walkability score 0/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 366.9 km 377.6 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 249 min 257 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 Lake Innes
Car (driver) 66.0% / 77.0%
Herons Creek — Car (driver): 66.0% Lake Innes — Car (driver): 77.0%
Worked from Home 16.5% / 18.3%
Herons Creek — Worked from Home: 16.5% Lake Innes — Worked from Home: 18.3%
Car (passenger) 6.2% / 4.7%
Herons Creek — Car (passenger): 6.2% Lake Innes — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only 6.2% / —
Herons Creek — Walked Only: 6.2% Lake Innes — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 5.2% / —
Herons Creek — Bicycle: 5.2% Lake Innes — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.0%).

Setting

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Elevation 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.8 km 5.4 km

NBN connectivity

Herons Creek Lake Innes
Connectivity score 17/100 30/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
51 premises
 0%
188 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Herons Creek

Rural

Lake Innes

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Herons Creek

Herons Creek vs Wauchope Herons Creek vs King Creek Herons Creek vs Kew Herons Creek vs Kendall Herons Creek vs Logans Crossing Herons Creek vs Bobs Creek

Other comparisons with Lake Innes

Lake Innes vs Port Macquarie Lake Innes vs Lake Cathie Lake Innes vs Thrumster Lake Innes vs King Creek Lake Innes vs Sancrox
Full data on Herons Creek Full data on Lake Innes
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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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