Martinsville vs Freemans Waterhole

Freemans Waterhole is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 53 in Martinsville. In Martinsville, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In Freemans Waterhole, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Martinsville: a median of $1.6 million, against $435,000 in Freemans Waterhole, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Martinsville tends to suit couples and older residents, while Freemans Waterhole suits renters, people living alone, and families with children.

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

Martinsville

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 52%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 44%)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 98/100)

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

  • Martinsville leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 101%)
  • Freemans Waterhole has cheaper houses ($435,000 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Freemans Waterhole

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (71% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $347/wk)
  • But Martinsville leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Martinsville

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (124.5 km vs 128.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Martinsville

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 12%)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 98/100)

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

Investors

Freemans Waterhole

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.2% vs 7.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
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.

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Walkability 8 / 10
Martinsville — Walkability: 8/100 Freemans Waterhole — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 38 / 2
Martinsville — Safety: 38/100 Freemans Waterhole — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 42 / 41
Martinsville — Low fire risk: 42/100 Freemans Waterhole — Low fire risk: 41/100

Demographics

Martinsville has more residents (389 vs 120); Martinsville has higher household incomes ($94,692 vs $32,188).

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Population 389
+69% vs other
 120
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.8% +21.2%
Median age 53 39
Median household income $94,692/yr
+66% vs other
 $32,188/yr
Median weekly rent $347/wk
+37% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
0-4 4.4% / 10.0%
Martinsville — 0-4: 4.4% Freemans Waterhole — 0-4: 10.0%
5-14 9.3% / 10.8%
Martinsville — 5-14: 9.3% Freemans Waterhole — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 5.4% / 4.2%
Martinsville — 15-19: 5.4% Freemans Waterhole — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 5.7% / 5.8%
Martinsville — 20-24: 5.7% Freemans Waterhole — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 7.7% / 14.2%
Martinsville — 25-34: 7.7% Freemans Waterhole — 25-34: 14.2%
35-44 8.7% / 16.7%
Martinsville — 35-44: 8.7% Freemans Waterhole — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 12.1% / 16.7%
Martinsville — 45-54: 12.1% Freemans Waterhole — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 19.8% / 7.5%
Martinsville — 55-64: 19.8% Freemans Waterhole — 55-64: 7.5%
65-74 19.8% / 12.5%
Martinsville — 65-74: 19.8% Freemans Waterhole — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 6.2% / —
Martinsville — 75-84: 6.2% Freemans Waterhole — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 3.1% / —
Martinsville — 85+: 3.1% Freemans Waterhole — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Martinsville 61.0% couple families
Martinsville — Couple Families: 61.0% Martinsville — Lone Person: 24.7% Martinsville — One Parent Families: 10.4% Martinsville — Group Household: 3.9%
Freemans Waterhole 28.8% couple families
Freemans Waterhole — Couple Families: 28.8% Freemans Waterhole — Lone Person: 50.0% Freemans Waterhole — One Parent Families: 15.4% Freemans Waterhole — Group Household: 5.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Martinsville 13.5% renting
Martinsville — Owned Outright: 53.4% Martinsville — Mortgage: 33.1% Martinsville — Renting: 13.5%
Freemans Waterhole 71.1% renting
Freemans Waterhole — Owned Outright: 13.2% Freemans Waterhole — Mortgage: 15.8% Freemans Waterhole — Renting: 71.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Martinsville 100.0% houses
Martinsville — Houses: 100.0% Martinsville — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Freemans Waterhole 51.9% houses
Freemans Waterhole — Houses: 51.9% Freemans Waterhole — Flats / Apartments: 48.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 12.5%
Martinsville — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Freemans Waterhole — Certificate III & IV: 12.5%
Bachelor Degree 18.0% / 5.0%
Martinsville — Bachelor Degree: 18.0% Freemans Waterhole — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.0% / 2.5%
Martinsville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0% Freemans Waterhole — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.5%
Postgraduate Degree 6.2% / 2.5%
Martinsville — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2% Freemans Waterhole — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / —
Martinsville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Freemans Waterhole — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

Property market

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Median house price $1,600,000 $435,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,625,000 —

Zoning mix

Martinsville has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 41%); Freemans Waterhole has more rural and farming land (56% vs 12%).

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Environmental 88% 41%
Rural and farming 12% 56%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 3%
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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 8% of NSW

Liveability

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Freemans Waterhole carries more crime risk (98 vs 62).

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
59/100
Crime Moderate
62/100
 High
98/100
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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 15 7

Mobility

Freemans Waterhole sits further from the CBD (128.4 km vs 124.5 km).

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Walkability score 8/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 124.5 km 128.4 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 95 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2265
 0.5%
postcode 2323
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 78
postcode 2265
 44
postcode 2323

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.

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Car (driver) 52.9% / 51.7%
Martinsville — Car (driver): 52.9% Freemans Waterhole — Car (driver): 51.7%
Worked from Home 34.6% / 48.3%
Martinsville — Worked from Home: 34.6% Freemans Waterhole — Worked from Home: 48.3%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / —
Martinsville — Car (passenger): 6.5% Freemans Waterhole — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 5.9% / —
Martinsville — Walked Only: 5.9% Freemans Waterhole — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.9%).

Setting

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Elevation 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 87 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.5 km 17.5 km

NBN connectivity

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Connectivity score 23/100 15/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
95 premises
 0%
10 premises

Climate

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
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

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Martinsville Freemans Waterhole
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Martinsville

Retirees River Rural

Freemans Waterhole

Affordable Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Martinsville

Martinsville vs Cooranbong Martinsville vs Mandalong Martinsville vs Ravensdale

Other comparisons with Freemans Waterhole

Freemans Waterhole vs Cooranbong Freemans Waterhole vs Killingworth Freemans Waterhole vs Awaba Freemans Waterhole vs Mount Vincent Freemans Waterhole vs Brunkerville Freemans Waterhole vs Wakefield
Full data on Martinsville Full data on Freemans Waterhole
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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