Located in New South Wales, Hawks Nest sits 226 km from Sydney CBD, around 2 hours 50 minutes by car. The town has 1,413 residents, a median age of 61, and a median household income of $56,992 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town grew 15.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $330 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Hawks Nest is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
Is Hawks Nest a good town?
Hawks Nest scores a D (21/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and prices.
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 226.3 km · 169 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.2M · Less affordable than 81% of NSW
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 67/100 · Crime 69/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 61 · 1,413 residents
Liveability Rating
21 / 100 · Ranked #1439 in NSWEach bar is Hawks Nest's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Hawks Nest?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
21 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataHawks Nest's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.2 million, about 4% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,200,000
Based on 36 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 11 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 11 sales $1.2M
- 4 bed 10 sales $1.18M
Units
$581,500
Based on 14 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 8 sales $525K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Hawks Nest are currently listed at around $920,000 on average, with the typical listing on the market for 2 days. Based on 13 houses listed in the past six months.
$920K
13 houses listed in the last 6 months — typical time on market 2 days.
14 of the suburb's 609 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Hawks Nest rent for around $550 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$550/wk
7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
8 rentals advertised against an estimated 165 rented homes (4.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $620/wk
- 58 bonds
- +43% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $535/wk
- 18 bonds
- +46% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2324 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025100 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 30% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2324.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $920,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
128 active Airbnb listings: 128 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 9.6% of the town's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Hawks Nest safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Hawks Nest sits in the moderate band, with 74 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 7% on the prior year.
74 offences
7.2% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Mid-Coast Council has published 38 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- REVIEW OF BULAHDELAH FLOODPLAIN RISK MANAGEMENT STUDY AND PLAN 2026
- Gloucester Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2021
- Final Port Stephens Foreshore (Floodplain) Risk Management Study and Plan Review 2021
- Karuah River and Stroud Floodplain Risk Management Study 2020
- Manning River Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2020
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1989–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 670 m
- Rate
- -0.21 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -9.6 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Hawks Nest is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Hawks Nest.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 4.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 0.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 4 min
- Span of service
- 10.6 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Hawks Nest.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 36%
- Premises covered
- 1,773
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Mid-Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 7 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Hawks Nest is home to about 1,400 residents, with a median age of 61 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $57,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,413
Median Age
61
Median Household Income
$56,992/yr
Census Median Rent
$330/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.0
Median Personal Income
$32,084/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
119.5%
Total Dwellings
609
Owner-Occupier Rate
72.9%
Houses
74.2%
Rental Stress
30.1%
Mortgage Stress
36.5%
Work From Home
27.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.8%
- Employment Rate
- 35.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
26 residents (1.8%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
12.1% of residents (165) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (149).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,363 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
3% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (15 of 455).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,560 a year through Mid-Coast based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 70%
- Rural and farming 15%
- Residential 5%
- Parks and recreation 3%
- Not zoned 7%
Planning zones cover 93% of the town's area. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Mid-Coast
In the year to August 2026, 743 new dwellings were approved across Mid-Coast. That mix is 672 houses and 71 units. Approvals are up 327.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Climate & Setting
from Williamtown RAAF, 39.9 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 8 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 674 m
- Annual rainfall
- 1,181 mm
- 95 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.5°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.8 km
EV adoption
In postcode 2324, 101 of 21,048 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (425 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2324, 6,194 rooftop-solar systems totalling 39.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,531 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 382 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
5 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2324.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,200,000 this is $600,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Alison Penfold The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alison Penfold | 40.2% | 59.8% | +4.0 |
| 2022 | David Gillespie | 36.2% | 63.8% | -1.4 |
| 2019 | David Gillespie | 34.8% | 65.2% | +3.5 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Kate Washington Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kate Washington ALP | 69.0% |
| 2019 | Kate Washington ALP | 55.8% |
| 2015 | Kate Washington ALP | 54.7% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Hawks Nest?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 1,413 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Hawks Nest to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Hawks Nest
Is Hawks Nest a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Hawks Nest is moderate (69/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Hawks Nest?
Hawks Nest has a moderate recorded bushfire history (67/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Hawks Nest a good place to live?
Hawks Nest has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (21/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Hawks Nest?
Hawks Nest, NSW had a population of 1,413 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Hawks Nest, NSW?
The postcode for Hawks Nest, NSW is 2324.
How far is Hawks Nest from Sydney?
Hawks Nest is 226 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 169 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Hawks Nest?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Hawks Nest was $56,992 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Hawks Nest?
The median advertised rent in Hawks Nest is $550 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Hawks Nest?
The median age of residents in Hawks Nest was 61 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Hawks Nest at risk of bushfire?
Hawks Nest has a moderate recorded bushfire history (67/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the weather like in Hawks Nest?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Hawks Nest, Williamtown RAAF (39.9 km away), summer days average 28.7°C, winter nights 7.5°C, 1,181 mm of rain a year over 95 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Hawks Nest?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Hawks Nest belong to?
Hawks Nest sits within the Mid-Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Hawks Nest?
The average residential rates bill through Mid-Coast is $1,560 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Hawks Nest?
Across Mid-Coast, 743 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 327.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Hawks Nest in?
Hawks Nest sits within the federal Division of Lyne, currently held by Alison Penfold (The Nationals).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.