Woongarrah vs Lake Haven

Woongarrah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 49 in Lake Haven. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Woongarrah, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Woongarrah: a median of $990,000, against $861,000 in Lake Haven, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Woongarrah tends to suit families with children and couples, while Lake Haven suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Woongarrah

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 4)
  • is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 49%)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 87/100)

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

  • Woongarrah leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 38%)
  • Lake Haven has cheaper houses ($861,000 vs $990,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lake Haven

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $510/wk)
  • But Woongarrah leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 34%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Woongarrah sits closer to the CBD (103.1 km vs 106.5 km)
  • Lake Haven is more walkable (82/100 vs 66/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lake Haven

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (28% vs 1%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 13%)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 66/100)
  • But Woongarrah carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Woongarrah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.1% vs -1.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Woongarrah Lake Haven
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.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Walkability 66 / 82
Woongarrah — Walkability: 66/100 Lake Haven — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 42 / 13
Woongarrah — Safety: 42/100 Lake Haven — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 43 / 100
Woongarrah — Low fire risk: 43/100 Lake Haven — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Woongarrah has higher household incomes ($117,260 vs $53,196); Woongarrah has more residents (5,962 vs 3,529).

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Population 5,962
+41% vs other
 3,529
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.1% -1.4%
Median age 36 49
Median household income $117,260/yr
+55% vs other
 $53,196/yr
Median weekly rent $510/wk
+31% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
0-4 6.3% / 5.4%
Woongarrah — 0-4: 6.3% Lake Haven — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 18.3% / 10.6%
Woongarrah — 5-14: 18.3% Lake Haven — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 8.9% / 5.2%
Woongarrah — 15-19: 8.9% Lake Haven — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 5.5% / 4.8%
Woongarrah — 20-24: 5.5% Lake Haven — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 10.0% / 10.6%
Woongarrah — 25-34: 10.0% Lake Haven — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 14.3% / 9.2%
Woongarrah — 35-44: 14.3% Lake Haven — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 14.8% / 10.7%
Woongarrah — 45-54: 14.8% Lake Haven — 45-54: 10.7%
55-64 8.8% / 13.9%
Woongarrah — 55-64: 8.8% Lake Haven — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 7.3% / 14.1%
Woongarrah — 65-74: 7.3% Lake Haven — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 4.6% / 10.6%
Woongarrah — 75-84: 4.6% Lake Haven — 75-84: 10.6%
85+ 1.5% / 4.8%
Woongarrah — 85+: 1.5% Lake Haven — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Woongarrah 63.3% couple families
Woongarrah — Couple Families: 63.3% Woongarrah — Lone Person: 13.4% Woongarrah — One Parent Families: 19.5% Woongarrah — Group Household: 3.0% Woongarrah — Other Families: 0.9%
Lake Haven 23.3% couple families
Lake Haven — Couple Families: 23.3% Lake Haven — Lone Person: 44.9% Lake Haven — One Parent Families: 26.0% Lake Haven — Group Household: 4.3% Lake Haven — 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.

Woongarrah 24.3% renting
Woongarrah — Owned Outright: 27.9% Woongarrah — Mortgage: 47.8% Woongarrah — Renting: 24.3%
Lake Haven 37.2% renting
Lake Haven — Owned Outright: 37.4% Lake Haven — Mortgage: 25.3% Lake Haven — Renting: 37.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Certificate III & IV 16.6% / 17.5%
Woongarrah — Certificate III & IV: 16.6% Lake Haven — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 4.8%
Woongarrah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Lake Haven — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 4.1%
Woongarrah — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Lake Haven — Bachelor Degree: 4.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 1.1%
Woongarrah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Lake Haven — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 0.7%
Woongarrah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Lake Haven — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

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.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
England 3.4% / 3.3%
Woongarrah — England: 3.4% Lake Haven — England: 3.3%
New Zealand 1.5% / 2.1%
Woongarrah — New Zealand: 1.5% Lake Haven — New Zealand: 2.1%
Philippines 1.0% / 1.2%
Woongarrah — Philippines: 1.0% Lake Haven — Philippines: 1.2%
India 1.1% / 0.4%
Woongarrah — India: 1.1% Lake Haven — India: 0.4%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.8%
Woongarrah — Scotland: 0.5% Lake Haven — Scotland: 0.8%
Germany — / 0.6%
Woongarrah — Germany: not among its largest Lake Haven — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Woongarrah 99.4% houses
Woongarrah — Houses: 99.4% Woongarrah — Townhouses: 0.6% Woongarrah — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Lake Haven 71.9% houses
Lake Haven — Houses: 71.9% Lake Haven — Townhouses: 23.3% Lake Haven — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Median house price $990,000 $861,000
Median unit price — $706,250
Median land price $465,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 95 sales
 21 days
from 27 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.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
3 bed $838K / $800K
Woongarrah — 3 bed: $838K (20 sales) Lake Haven — 3 bed: $800K (40 sales)

20 vs 40 sales

4 bed $978K / $952K
Woongarrah — 4 bed: $978K (142 sales) Lake Haven — 4 bed: $952K (28 sales)

142 vs 28 sales

5 bed $1.2M / $968K
Woongarrah — 5 bed: $1.2M (42 sales) Lake Haven — 5 bed: $968K (10 sales)

42 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Woongarrah has more rural and farming land (42% vs 0%).

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Residential 45% 88%
Rural and farming 42% 0%
Environmental 6% 1%
Commercial 2% 6%
Parks and recreation 2% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 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

Woongarrah Lake Haven
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Houses 4.0%
$800/wk on $1.05M
 3.9%
$690/wk on $912K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Woongarrah Lake Haven
House price Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Income Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW

Liveability

Lake Haven is more walkable (82 vs 66).

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Grade C
same for both
Score 45/100 41/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Woongarrah carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 0); Lake Haven carries more crime risk (87 vs 58).

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 High
87/100
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 3
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Woongarrah

  • Woongarrah Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • MacKillop Catholic College Catholic · Combined at peers

Schools in Lake Haven

  • Gorokan High School Government · Secondary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Supermarkets 0 3
Parks & reserves 5 4
Childcare 7 4
GPs 1
same for both
Pharmacies 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Lake Haven sits further from the CBD (106.5 km vs 103.1 km).

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Walkability score 66/100 82/100
Distance to Sydney 103.1 km 106.5 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 82 min 86 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 88.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 113.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2259
 0.5%
postcode 2263
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2259
 36
postcode 2263

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.

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Car (driver) 64.1% / 69.9%
Woongarrah — Car (driver): 64.1% Lake Haven — Car (driver): 69.9%
Worked from Home 27.7% / 19.7%
Woongarrah — Worked from Home: 27.7% Lake Haven — Worked from Home: 19.7%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 5.2%
Woongarrah — Car (passenger): 6.0% Lake Haven — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 0.9% / 3.2%
Woongarrah — Walked Only: 0.9% Lake Haven — Walked Only: 3.2%
Train 1.0% / 1.0%
Woongarrah — Train: 1.0% Lake Haven — Train: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.9%).

Setting

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.0 km 5.7 km

NBN connectivity

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Connectivity score 80/100 64/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 64%
2,170 premises
 35%
1,900 premises

Climate

Woongarrah Lake Haven
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)

Woongarrah Lake Haven
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Division Dobell
same for both
Member Emma Mcbride
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Woongarrah Lake Haven
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Woongarrah

Family Large Blocks

Lake Haven

Parks Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Woongarrah

Woongarrah vs Hamlyn Terrace Woongarrah vs Kanwal Woongarrah vs Charmhaven Woongarrah vs Warnervale Woongarrah vs Wallarah

Other comparisons with Lake Haven

Lake Haven vs Gorokan Lake Haven vs Kanwal Lake Haven vs Charmhaven
Full data on Woongarrah Full data on Lake Haven
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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