Mandalong vs Morisset

Mandalong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 53 in Morisset. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Mandalong, most households are couple families. In Morisset, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Mandalong: a median of $1.77 million, against $867,000 in Morisset, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mandalong tends to suit couples, while Morisset suits people living alone, older residents, 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

They split

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

  • Mandalong is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 41%)
  • Morisset has more parks and reserves (10 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

  • Mandalong leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 40%)
  • Morisset has cheaper houses ($867,000 vs $1,775,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Mandalong leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 40%)
  • Morisset has a bigger rental market to choose from (36% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Mandalong has a shorter drive in (88 min vs 95 min)
  • Morisset is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Morisset

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (37% vs 18%)
  • But Mandalong carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Morisset

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (26.9% vs 1.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mandalong Morisset
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.

Mandalong Morisset
Walkability 0 / 20
Mandalong — Walkability: 0/100 Morisset — Walkability: 20/100
Safety 40 / 8
Mandalong — Safety: 40/100 Morisset — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 47 / 48
Mandalong — Low fire risk: 47/100 Morisset — Low fire risk: 48/100

Demographics

Morisset has more residents (4,078 vs 433); Mandalong has higher household incomes ($99,112 vs $49,868).

Mandalong Morisset
Population 433 4,078
+842% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.6% +26.9%
Median age 47 53
Median household income $99,112/yr
+50% vs other
 $49,868/yr
Median weekly rent $410/wk
+7% vs other
 $380/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mandalong Morisset
0-4 2.5% / 5.2%
Mandalong — 0-4: 2.5% Morisset — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 10.9% / 8.9%
Mandalong — 5-14: 10.9% Morisset — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 6.9% / 4.3%
Mandalong — 15-19: 6.9% Morisset — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 6.2% / 5.2%
Mandalong — 20-24: 6.2% Morisset — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 9.9% / 10.0%
Mandalong — 25-34: 9.9% Morisset — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 10.2% / 9.3%
Mandalong — 35-44: 10.2% Morisset — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 18.7% / 8.6%
Mandalong — 45-54: 18.7% Morisset — 45-54: 8.6%
55-64 16.4% / 10.9%
Mandalong — 55-64: 16.4% Morisset — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 9.7% / 13.4%
Mandalong — 65-74: 9.7% Morisset — 65-74: 13.4%
75-84 6.2% / 14.9%
Mandalong — 75-84: 6.2% Morisset — 75-84: 14.9%
85+ 1.6% / 9.1%
Mandalong — 85+: 1.6% Morisset — 85+: 9.1%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mandalong 65.5% couple families
Mandalong — Couple Families: 65.5% Mandalong — Lone Person: 25.0% Mandalong — One Parent Families: 4.8% Mandalong — Group Household: 4.8% Mandalong — Other Families: 0.0%
Morisset 22.3% couple families
Morisset — Couple Families: 22.3% Morisset — Lone Person: 53.0% Morisset — One Parent Families: 18.4% Morisset — Group Household: 4.8% Morisset — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mandalong 22.7% renting
Mandalong — Owned Outright: 42.2% Mandalong — Mortgage: 35.2% Mandalong — Renting: 22.7%
Morisset 36.2% renting
Morisset — Owned Outright: 46.8% Morisset — Mortgage: 17.0% Morisset — Renting: 36.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mandalong Morisset
Certificate III & IV 23.3% / 18.0%
Mandalong — Certificate III & IV: 23.3% Morisset — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.0% / 6.9%
Mandalong — Bachelor Degree: 12.0% Morisset — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 6.4%
Mandalong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Morisset — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 2.1%
Mandalong — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Morisset — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 0.9%
Mandalong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Morisset — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

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.

Mandalong Morisset
England 2.1% / 4.6%
Mandalong — England: 2.1% Morisset — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 2.3% / 2.0%
Mandalong — New Zealand: 2.3% Morisset — New Zealand: 2.0%
Thailand 2.3% / —
Mandalong — Thailand: 2.3% Morisset — Thailand: not among its largest
Philippines 0.7% / 0.5%
Mandalong — Philippines: 0.7% Morisset — Philippines: 0.5%
Ireland 0.9% / —
Mandalong — Ireland: 0.9% Morisset — Ireland: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.5%
Mandalong — Scotland: not among its largest Morisset — Scotland: 0.5%
India — / 0.5%
Mandalong — India: not among its largest Morisset — India: 0.5%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Mandalong — Netherlands: not among its largest Morisset — Netherlands: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mandalong 100.0% houses
Mandalong — Houses: 100.0% Mandalong — Townhouses: 0.0% Mandalong — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Morisset 74.5% houses
Morisset — Houses: 74.5% Morisset — Townhouses: 21.4% Morisset — Flats / Apartments: 4.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mandalong Morisset
Median house price $1,775,000 $867,000
Median unit price — $590,000
Median land price — $1,385,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 24 days
from 31 sales

Zoning mix

Mandalong has more rural and farming land (35% vs 19%); Mandalong has more land zoned for conservation (64% vs 54%).

Mandalong Morisset
Environmental 64% 54%
Rural and farming 35% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 9%
Residential 0% 8%
Parks and recreation 0% 5%
Industrial 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

Mandalong Morisset
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
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.

Mandalong Morisset
Houses — 4.3%
$680/wk on $815K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Mandalong Morisset
House price Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 51% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 87% of NSW

Liveability

Morisset is more walkable (20 vs 0).

Mandalong Morisset
Grade — D
Score — 26/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Morisset carries more crime risk (92 vs 60).

Mandalong Morisset
Bushfire Moderate
53/100
 Moderate
52/100
Crime Moderate
60/100
 High
92/100
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 2
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Mandalong Morisset
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Mandalong

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

Schools in Morisset

  • Heritage College Lake Macquarie Independent · Combined above peers
  • Morisset High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St John Vianney Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Morisset Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mandalong Morisset
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 7
Parks & reserves 0 10
Childcare 0 10
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 6
Waterways 17 25

Mobility

Mandalong Morisset
Walkability score 0/100 20/100
Distance to Sydney 116 km 117.6 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 88 min 95 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2264
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2264
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.

Mandalong Morisset
Car (driver) 67.7% / 67.3%
Mandalong — Car (driver): 67.7% Morisset — Car (driver): 67.3%
Worked from Home 29.0% / 21.9%
Mandalong — Worked from Home: 29.0% Morisset — Worked from Home: 21.9%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 5.6%
Mandalong — Car (passenger): 3.2% Morisset — Car (passenger): 5.6%
Walked Only — / 3.2%
Mandalong — Walked Only: not among its largest Morisset — Walked Only: 3.2%
Train — / 1.9%
Mandalong — Train: not among its largest Morisset — Train: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.7%).

Setting

Mandalong Morisset
Elevation 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 18.3 km 13.5 km

NBN connectivity

Mandalong Morisset
Connectivity score 27/100 65/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
154 premises
 36%
3,049 premises

Climate

Mandalong Morisset
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mandalong Morisset
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.27 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mandalong Morisset
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Mandalong Morisset
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mandalong Morisset
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mandalong

Rural

Morisset

Retirees River Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mandalong

Mandalong vs Cooranbong Mandalong vs Wyee Mandalong vs Martinsville Mandalong vs Dooralong Mandalong vs Ravensdale Mandalong vs Lemon Tree

Other comparisons with Morisset

Morisset vs Cooranbong Morisset vs Bonnells Bay Morisset vs Wyee Morisset vs Dora Creek Morisset vs Wyee Point Morisset vs Morisset Park
Full data on Mandalong Full data on Morisset
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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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