Lorne vs Waitui
Waitui is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 53 in Lorne. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lorne, about half of households are couple families. In Waitui, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lorne: a median of $985,000, against $862,000 in Waitui. On these figures, Waitui tends to suit people living alone and 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Lorne is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 60%)
- Waitui carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 76/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Waitui
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 20%)
- has cheaper houses ($862,500 vs $985,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Lorne
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 26%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Lorne
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (349.4 km vs 352.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Lorne is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
- Waitui carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 76/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Lorne
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.1% vs -15.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Lorne and Waitui drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Lorne has more residents (277 vs 89); Lorne has higher household incomes ($80,184 vs $66,248).
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 277 +68% vs other | 89 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.1% | -15.2% |
| Median age | 53 | 50 |
| Median household income | $80,184/yr +17% vs other | $66,248/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $315/wk | $325/wk +3% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $985,000 | $862,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 94% |
| Environmental | 0% | 6% |
| 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
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 546 across Port Macquarie-Hastings | 743 across Mid-Coast |
| Approvals change year on year | +33% | +327% |
Ranking within NSW
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 40% of NSW |
| Income | — | Higher than 28% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 70% of NSW | Higher than 8% of NSW |
| Affordability | — | Higher than 44% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 38% of NSW | Higher than 37% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 30% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
Liveability
Lorne is more walkable (20 vs 0).
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Lorne carries more crime risk (76 vs 38); Waitui carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 50).
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 50/100 | High 71/100 |
| Crime | High 76/100 | Low 38/100 |
| 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
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 13 | 1 |
Mobility
Waitui sits further from the CBD (352.1 km vs 349.4 km).
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 20/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 349.4 km | 352.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 245 min | 249 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.0%).
Setting
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 33 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 121 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 18.4 km | 22.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 21/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 47 premises | 0% 37 premises |
Climate
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,331 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,325/yr | $1,560/yr |
| Council | Port Macquarie-Hastings | Mid-Coast |
Federal electorate
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Lyne same for both | |
| Member | Alison Penfold same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Lorne | Waitui | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Lorne
Other comparisons with Waitui
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.