Speers Point vs Macquarie Hills

Macquarie Hills is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 45 in Speers Point. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Macquarie Hills, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Speers Point: a median of $1.31 million, against $915,000 in Macquarie Hills, though rent is higher in Macquarie Hills. On these figures, Speers Point tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Macquarie Hills suits families with children, couples, 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

Macquarie Hills

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 72/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 57%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 80%)
  • But Speers Point has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Macquarie Hills

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($915,000 vs $1,310,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)
  • But Speers Point has cheaper land ($930,000 vs $1,285,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Speers Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($393/wk vs $473/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Speers Point

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (51/100 vs 41/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (144.1 km vs 152.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (112 min vs 118 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Speers Point

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (20% vs 2%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 13%)
  • is more walkable (51/100 vs 41/100)
  • But Macquarie Hills carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

Macquarie Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.1% vs 2.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
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.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Walkability 51 / 41
Speers Point — Walkability: 51/100 Macquarie Hills — Walkability: 41/100
Safety 28 / 70
Speers Point — Safety: 28/100 Macquarie Hills — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 70 / 65
Speers Point — Low fire risk: 70/100 Macquarie Hills — Low fire risk: 65/100

Demographics

Speers Point skews older (45 vs 35); Macquarie Hills has higher household incomes ($116,532 vs $91,832).

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Population 3,400 3,605
+6% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% +9.1%
Median age 45 35
Median household income $91,832/yr $116,532/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $393/wk $473/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
0-4 5.2% / 8.0%
Speers Point — 0-4: 5.2% Macquarie Hills — 0-4: 8.0%
5-14 11.4% / 14.2%
Speers Point — 5-14: 11.4% Macquarie Hills — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 5.9% / 6.8%
Speers Point — 15-19: 5.9% Macquarie Hills — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 5.1% / 5.2%
Speers Point — 20-24: 5.1% Macquarie Hills — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 9.1% / 15.4%
Speers Point — 25-34: 9.1% Macquarie Hills — 25-34: 15.4%
35-44 12.2% / 15.1%
Speers Point — 35-44: 12.2% Macquarie Hills — 35-44: 15.1%
45-54 14.1% / 12.9%
Speers Point — 45-54: 14.1% Macquarie Hills — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 14.7% / 9.7%
Speers Point — 55-64: 14.7% Macquarie Hills — 55-64: 9.7%
65-74 12.9% / 8.9%
Speers Point — 65-74: 12.9% Macquarie Hills — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 6.8% / 3.4%
Speers Point — 75-84: 6.8% Macquarie Hills — 75-84: 3.4%
85+ 2.7% / 0.5%
Speers Point — 85+: 2.7% Macquarie Hills — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Speers Point 39.3% couple families
Speers Point — Couple Families: 39.3% Speers Point — Lone Person: 39.2% Speers Point — One Parent Families: 17.3% Speers Point — Group Household: 3.0% Speers Point — Other Families: 1.2%
Macquarie Hills 61.0% couple families
Macquarie Hills — Couple Families: 61.0% Macquarie Hills — Lone Person: 18.8% Macquarie Hills — One Parent Families: 16.6% Macquarie Hills — Group Household: 2.7% Macquarie Hills — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Speers Point 23.1% renting
Speers Point — Owned Outright: 40.1% Speers Point — Mortgage: 36.7% Speers Point — Renting: 23.1%
Macquarie Hills 13.4% renting
Macquarie Hills — Owned Outright: 29.1% Macquarie Hills — Mortgage: 57.5% Macquarie Hills — Renting: 13.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Certificate III & IV 17.3% / 19.2%
Speers Point — Certificate III & IV: 17.3% Macquarie Hills — Certificate III & IV: 19.2%
Bachelor Degree 13.6% / 11.7%
Speers Point — Bachelor Degree: 13.6% Macquarie Hills — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 8.4%
Speers Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% Macquarie Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 3.2%
Speers Point — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Macquarie Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.6%
Speers Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Macquarie Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
England 2.6% / 1.5%
Speers Point — England: 2.6% Macquarie Hills — England: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Speers Point — New Zealand: 1.1% Macquarie Hills — New Zealand: 0.9%
India 1.3% / 0.3%
Speers Point — India: 1.3% Macquarie Hills — India: 0.3%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.5%
Speers Point — South Africa: 0.9% Macquarie Hills — South Africa: 0.5%
Germany 0.5% / 0.6%
Speers Point — Germany: 0.5% Macquarie Hills — Germany: 0.6%
Philippines — / 0.6%
Speers Point — Philippines: not among its largest Macquarie Hills — Philippines: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Speers Point 80.4% houses
Speers Point — Houses: 80.4% Speers Point — Townhouses: 16.3% Speers Point — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Macquarie Hills 97.8% houses
Macquarie Hills — Houses: 97.8% Macquarie Hills — Townhouses: 2.0% Macquarie Hills — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Median house price $1,310,000 $915,000
Median unit price $900,000 —
Median land price $930,000 $1,285,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 23 sales
 17 days
from 19 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.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
3 bed $1.04M / $865K
Speers Point — 3 bed: $1.04M (17 sales) Macquarie Hills — 3 bed: $865K (37 sales)

17 vs 37 sales

4 bed $1.33M / $965K
Speers Point — 4 bed: $1.33M (7 sales) Macquarie Hills — 4 bed: $965K (30 sales)

7 vs 30 sales

5 bed $1.5M / $1.01M
Speers Point — 5 bed: $1.5M (6 sales) Macquarie Hills — 5 bed: $1.01M (8 sales)

6 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Residential 44% 47%
Environmental 36% 33%
Parks and recreation 14% 11%
Rural and farming 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 1%
Commercial 2% 0%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
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.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Houses 4.0%
$820/wk on $1.06M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
House price Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Income Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 75% of NSW —

Liveability

Speers Point is more walkable (51 vs 41); Macquarie Hills scores higher overall (56 vs 46).

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Grade C B
Score 46/100 56/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Speers Point carries more crime risk (72 vs 30).

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Bushfire Low
30/100
 Low
35/100
Crime High
72/100
 Low
30/100
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 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 8.6 km

Schools in Speers Point

  • Speers Point Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Macquarie Hills

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

Amenities in the suburb

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 3 1
Childcare 3 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Macquarie Hills sits further from the CBD (152.9 km vs 144.1 km).

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Walkability score 51/100 41/100
Distance to Sydney 144.1 km 152.9 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 112 min 118 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 51.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 40.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2284
 0.7%
postcode 2285
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 2284
 50
postcode 2285

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.

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Car (driver) 65.1% / 68.6%
Speers Point — Car (driver): 65.1% Macquarie Hills — Car (driver): 68.6%
Worked from Home 29.2% / 26.7%
Speers Point — Worked from Home: 29.2% Macquarie Hills — Worked from Home: 26.7%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 3.4%
Speers Point — Car (passenger): 3.4% Macquarie Hills — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Bus 1.1% / 0.4%
Speers Point — Bus: 1.1% Macquarie Hills — Bus: 0.4%
Walked Only 0.7% / 0.7%
Speers Point — Walked Only: 0.7% Macquarie Hills — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.6%).

Setting

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.4 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Connectivity score 70/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
1,724 premises
 45%
1,282 premises

Climate

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Division Shortland
same for both
Member Pat Conroy
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Speers Point Macquarie Hills
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Speers Point

River

Macquarie Hills

Family Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Speers Point

Speers Point vs Warners Bay Speers Point vs Teralba Speers Point vs Boolaroo

Other comparisons with Macquarie Hills

Macquarie Hills vs Warners Bay Macquarie Hills vs Cardiff Macquarie Hills vs Cardiff South Macquarie Hills vs Boolaroo Macquarie Hills vs Lakelands
Full data on Speers Point Full data on Macquarie Hills
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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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