Kew vs Lakewood

Lakewood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 58 against 63 in Kew. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lakewood, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Kew: a median of $912,000, against $740,000 in Lakewood, though rent is higher in Lakewood. On these figures, Lakewood tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Kew has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Lakewood carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 54/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lakewood

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($385,000 vs $679,500)
  • has cheaper units ($559,000 vs $910,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($740,000 vs $912,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Kew

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (354.4 km vs 357.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Kew has more residents already 65 and over (47% vs 39%)
  • Lakewood carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 54/100)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Kew is growing faster (61.7% vs 4.9%)
  • Lakewood returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.7% vs 2.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kew Lakewood
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.

Kew Lakewood
Walkability 26 / 30
Kew — Walkability: 26/100 Lakewood — Walkability: 30/100
Safety 46 / 83
Kew — Safety: 46/100 Lakewood — Safety: 83/100
Low fire risk 39 / 18
Kew — Low fire risk: 39/100 Lakewood — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Kew has more residents (1,761 vs 1,249); Kew skews older (63 vs 58).

Kew Lakewood
Population 1,761
+29% vs other
 1,249
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +61.7% +4.9%
Median age 63 58
Median household income $57,564/yr
+6% vs other
 $53,872/yr
Median weekly rent $370/wk $390/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kew Lakewood
0-4 2.8% / 2.8%
Kew — 0-4: 2.8% Lakewood — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 8.8% / 9.7%
Kew — 5-14: 8.8% Lakewood — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 5.3% / 4.8%
Kew — 15-19: 5.3% Lakewood — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 2.3% / 3.8%
Kew — 20-24: 2.3% Lakewood — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 5.8% / 6.6%
Kew — 25-34: 5.8% Lakewood — 25-34: 6.6%
35-44 6.7% / 9.0%
Kew — 35-44: 6.7% Lakewood — 35-44: 9.0%
45-54 8.8% / 9.4%
Kew — 45-54: 8.8% Lakewood — 45-54: 9.4%
55-64 12.8% / 15.5%
Kew — 55-64: 12.8% Lakewood — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 27.4% / 19.9%
Kew — 65-74: 27.4% Lakewood — 65-74: 19.9%
75-84 16.2% / 15.5%
Kew — 75-84: 16.2% Lakewood — 75-84: 15.5%
85+ 3.0% / 3.4%
Kew — 85+: 3.0% Lakewood — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kew 44.4% lone person
Kew — Lone Person: 44.4% Kew — Couple Families: 39.6% Kew — One Parent Families: 12.9% Kew — Group Household: 3.1%
Lakewood 46.1% lone person
Lakewood — Lone Person: 46.1% Lakewood — Couple Families: 33.5% Lakewood — One Parent Families: 15.5% Lakewood — Group Household: 4.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kew 11.3% renting
Kew — Owned Outright: 66.8% Kew — Mortgage: 21.9% Kew — Renting: 11.3%
Lakewood 17.2% renting
Lakewood — Owned Outright: 59.3% Lakewood — Mortgage: 23.4% Lakewood — Renting: 17.2%
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.

Kew Lakewood
England 5.3% / 3.5%
Kew — England: 5.3% Lakewood — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.2% / 0.6%
Kew — New Zealand: 1.2% Lakewood — New Zealand: 0.6%
Germany 0.7% / 0.7%
Kew — Germany: 0.7% Lakewood — Germany: 0.7%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.4%
Kew — Scotland: 0.7% Lakewood — Scotland: 0.4%
South Africa 0.4% / 0.2%
Kew — South Africa: 0.4% Lakewood — South Africa: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

Qualifications

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

Kew Lakewood
Certificate III & IV 22.4% / 20.5%
Kew — Certificate III & IV: 22.4% Lakewood — Certificate III & IV: 20.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 7.7%
Kew — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Lakewood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Bachelor Degree 7.8% / 6.3%
Kew — Bachelor Degree: 7.8% Lakewood — Bachelor Degree: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 2.3%
Kew — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Lakewood — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.2%
Kew — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Lakewood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kew 97.6% houses
Kew — Houses: 97.6% Kew — Townhouses: 1.8% Kew — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Lakewood 91.8% houses
Lakewood — Houses: 91.8% Lakewood — Townhouses: 3.8% Lakewood — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kew Lakewood
Median house price $912,500 $740,000
Median unit price $910,000 $559,000
Median land price $679,500 $385,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 64 days
from 12 sales
 53 days
from 17 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.

Kew Lakewood
3 bed $950K / $732K
Kew — 3 bed: $950K (9 sales) Lakewood — 3 bed: $732K (32 sales)

9 vs 32 sales

4 bed $900K / $970K
Kew — 4 bed: $900K (17 sales) Lakewood — 4 bed: $970K (8 sales)

17 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Kew has more rural and farming land (52% vs 3%); Lakewood has more land zoned for conservation (56% vs 20%).

Kew Lakewood
Environmental 20% 56%
Rural and farming 52% 3%
Residential 20% 33%
Parks and recreation 2% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 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

Kew Lakewood
New dwellings approved 546
across Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both
Approvals change year on year +33%
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.

Kew Lakewood
Houses 2.7%
$600/wk on $1.15M
 3.7%
$620/wk on $880K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kew Lakewood
House price Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Income — Higher than 14% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW

Liveability

Kew Lakewood
Grade D C
Score 27/100 31/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Kew carries more crime risk (54 vs 17); Lakewood carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 61).

Kew Lakewood
Bushfire Moderate
61/100
 High
82/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
17/100
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

Kew Lakewood
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Kew

  • Camden Haven High School Government · Secondary above peers

Schools in Lakewood

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

Amenities in the suburb

Kew Lakewood
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Lakewood sits further from the CBD (357.8 km vs 354.4 km).

Kew Lakewood
Walkability score 26/100 30/100
Distance to Sydney 354.4 km 357.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 239 min 242 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2439
 0.4%
postcode 2443
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 86
postcode 2439
 64
postcode 2443

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.

Kew Lakewood
Car (driver) 79.1% / 81.4%
Kew — Car (driver): 79.1% Lakewood — Car (driver): 81.4%
Worked from Home 13.2% / 9.9%
Kew — Worked from Home: 13.2% Lakewood — Worked from Home: 9.9%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 3.7%
Kew — Car (passenger): 5.6% Lakewood — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 0.9% / 4.2%
Kew — Walked Only: 0.9% Lakewood — Walked Only: 4.2%
Bus 1.1% / 0.8%
Kew — Bus: 1.1% Lakewood — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.4%).

Setting

Kew Lakewood
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.6 km 6.0 km

NBN connectivity

Kew Lakewood
Connectivity score 71/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
897 premises
 37%
611 premises

Climate

Kew Lakewood
Annual rainfall 1,331 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kew Lakewood
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

Kew Lakewood
Average residential rate $1,325/yr
same for both
Council Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both

Federal electorate

Kew Lakewood
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kew Lakewood
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kew

Acreage Retirees

Lakewood

Large Blocks Retirees

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Lakewood

Lakewood vs West Haven
Full data on Kew Full data on Lakewood
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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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