Lakesland vs Thirlmere

Thirlmere is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Lakesland. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lakesland, most households are couple families. In Thirlmere, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lakesland: a median of $1.9 million, against $1 million in Thirlmere, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Lakesland tends to suit couples, while Thirlmere suits people living alone and 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

Lakesland

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 37/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 65%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (102% vs 90%)
  • But Thirlmere has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)

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

  • Lakesland leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 31%)
  • Thirlmere has cheaper houses ($1,005,000 vs $1,900,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Thirlmere

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 11%)
  • has cheaper rent ($420/wk vs $620/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Thirlmere

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (80 min vs 112 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (94.9 km vs 99.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Thirlmere

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 15%)
  • But Lakesland carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 37/100)

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

Investors

Thirlmere

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.2% vs 15.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lakesland Thirlmere
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.

Lakesland Thirlmere
Walkability 0 / 34
Lakesland — Walkability: 0/100 Thirlmere — Walkability: 34/100
Safety 79 / 63
Lakesland — Safety: 79/100 Thirlmere — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 9 / 6
Lakesland — Low fire risk: 9/100 Thirlmere — Low fire risk: 6/100

Demographics

Thirlmere has more residents (4,986 vs 499); Lakesland rents higher ($620/wk vs $420/wk).

Lakesland Thirlmere
Population 499 4,986
+899% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.5% +23.2%
Median age 41 38
Median household income $127,608/yr
+30% vs other
 $88,816/yr
Median weekly rent $620/wk
+32% vs other
 $420/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lakesland Thirlmere
0-4 3.6% / 7.0%
Lakesland — 0-4: 3.6% Thirlmere — 0-4: 7.0%
5-14 15.4% / 12.4%
Lakesland — 5-14: 15.4% Thirlmere — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 7.2% / 5.8%
Lakesland — 15-19: 7.2% Thirlmere — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 7.6% / 6.6%
Lakesland — 20-24: 7.6% Thirlmere — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 10.4% / 13.7%
Lakesland — 25-34: 10.4% Thirlmere — 25-34: 13.7%
35-44 11.6% / 10.7%
Lakesland — 35-44: 11.6% Thirlmere — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 17.2% / 11.1%
Lakesland — 45-54: 17.2% Thirlmere — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 11.8% / 11.4%
Lakesland — 55-64: 11.8% Thirlmere — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 8.4% / 11.0%
Lakesland — 65-74: 8.4% Thirlmere — 65-74: 11.0%
75-84 5.4% / 6.7%
Lakesland — 75-84: 5.4% Thirlmere — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 1.4% / 3.4%
Lakesland — 85+: 1.4% Thirlmere — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lakesland 71.6% couple families
Lakesland — Couple Families: 71.6% Lakesland — Lone Person: 12.6% Lakesland — One Parent Families: 15.8% Lakesland — Group Household: 0.0% Lakesland — Other Families: 0.0%
Thirlmere 47.7% couple families
Thirlmere — Couple Families: 47.7% Thirlmere — Lone Person: 32.3% Thirlmere — One Parent Families: 17.4% Thirlmere — Group Household: 1.8% Thirlmere — 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.

Lakesland 11.1% renting
Lakesland — Owned Outright: 43.7% Lakesland — Mortgage: 45.2% Lakesland — Renting: 11.1%
Thirlmere 24.7% renting
Thirlmere — Owned Outright: 31.9% Thirlmere — Mortgage: 43.4% Thirlmere — Renting: 24.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lakesland Thirlmere
Certificate III & IV 18.2% / 20.7%
Lakesland — Certificate III & IV: 18.2% Thirlmere — Certificate III & IV: 20.7%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 6.9%
Lakesland — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Thirlmere — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 7.2%
Lakesland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Thirlmere — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.0%
Lakesland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Thirlmere — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.3%
Lakesland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Thirlmere — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

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.

Lakesland Thirlmere
England 4.2% / 3.8%
Lakesland — England: 4.2% Thirlmere — England: 3.8%
Lebanon 1.8% / 0.5%
Lakesland — Lebanon: 1.8% Thirlmere — Lebanon: 0.5%
Iraq 1.0% / —
Lakesland — Iraq: 1.0% Thirlmere — Iraq: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 0.9%
Lakesland — New Zealand: not among its largest Thirlmere — New Zealand: 0.9%
Germany 0.6% / 0.2%
Lakesland — Germany: 0.6% Thirlmere — Germany: 0.2%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Lakesland — Scotland: not among its largest Thirlmere — Scotland: 0.5%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Lakesland — Philippines: not among its largest Thirlmere — Philippines: 0.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lakesland 102.1% houses
Lakesland — Houses: 102.1% Lakesland — Townhouses: 0.0% Lakesland — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Thirlmere 90.1% houses
Thirlmere — Houses: 90.1% Thirlmere — Townhouses: 9.1% Thirlmere — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lakesland Thirlmere
Median house price $1,900,000 $1,005,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $901,250
Typical days to sell (houses) — 28 days
from 95 sales

Zoning mix

Lakesland has more land zoned for conservation (80% vs 30%); Thirlmere has more rural and farming land (53% vs 20%).

Lakesland Thirlmere
Environmental 80% 30%
Rural and farming 20% 53%
Residential 0% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 5%
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

Lakesland Thirlmere
New dwellings approved 1,338
across Wollondilly
same for both
Approvals change year on year +92%
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.

Lakesland Thirlmere
Houses — 3.1%
$650/wk on $1.1M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lakesland Thirlmere
House price Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Income Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 25% of NSW

Liveability

Thirlmere is more walkable (34 vs 0).

Lakesland Thirlmere
Grade — C
Score — 33/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Thirlmere carries more crime risk (37 vs 21).

Lakesland Thirlmere
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
94/100
Crime Low
21/100
 Low
37/100
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

Lakesland Thirlmere
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Lakesland

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

Schools in Thirlmere

  • Thirlmere Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lakesland Thirlmere
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 11 14

Mobility

Lakesland sits further from the CBD (99.2 km vs 94.9 km).

Lakesland Thirlmere
Walkability score 0/100 34/100
Distance to Sydney 99.2 km
+4% vs other
 94.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 112 min 80 min
Public transport score 21/100
Bus
 66/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 3.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 38.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2572
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2572
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.

Lakesland Thirlmere
Car (driver) 62.1% / 66.8%
Lakesland — Car (driver): 62.1% Thirlmere — Car (driver): 66.8%
Worked from Home 33.7% / 26.6%
Lakesland — Worked from Home: 33.7% Thirlmere — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Car (passenger) 1.6% / 4.6%
Lakesland — Car (passenger): 1.6% Thirlmere — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Walked Only 2.6% / 1.4%
Lakesland — Walked Only: 2.6% Thirlmere — Walked Only: 1.4%
Train — / 0.6%
Lakesland — Train: not among its largest Thirlmere — Train: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.8%).

Setting

Lakesland Thirlmere
Elevation 447 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 325 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 42.3 km 36.5 km

NBN connectivity

Lakesland Thirlmere
Connectivity score 27/100 74/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
122 premises
 54%
2,610 premises

Climate

Lakesland Thirlmere
Annual rainfall 817 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Lakesland Thirlmere
PM2.5 4.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.11 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Lakesland Thirlmere
Average residential rate $2,099/yr
same for both
Council Wollondilly
same for both

Federal electorate

Lakesland Thirlmere
Division Hume
same for both
Member Angus Taylor
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lakesland Thirlmere
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lakesland

Rural

Thirlmere

Acreage River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lakesland

Lakesland vs Buxton Lakesland vs Oakdale Lakesland vs Mowbray Park

Other comparisons with Thirlmere

Thirlmere vs Tahmoor Thirlmere vs Picton Thirlmere vs Buxton Thirlmere vs Couridjah Thirlmere vs Mowbray Park
Full data on Lakesland Full data on Thirlmere
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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