Lakewood NSW 2443
Located in New South Wales, Lakewood sits 358 km from Sydney CBD, around 4 hours by car. The suburb has 1,249 residents, a median age of 58, and a median household income of $53,872 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 4.9% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $390 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,540. Lakewood is characterised by high bushfire risk. Walkability is low.
Is Lakewood a good suburb?
Lakewood scores a C (31/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on safety.
Some car dependence
Walkability 30/100 · 357.8 km · 242 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $740K
High bushfire risk
Fire 82/100 · Crime 17/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 58 · 1,249 residents
Liveability Rating
31 / 100 · Ranked #1234 in NSWEach bar is Lakewood'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 Lakewood?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
31 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataLakewood's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $740,000, roughly 12% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$740,000
Based on 45 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 53 days — median across 17 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 32 sales $732K
- 4 bed 8 sales $970K
Units
$559,000
Based on 17 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 34 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 17 sales $559K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Lakewood are currently listed at around $880,000 on average. Based on 11 houses listed in the past six months.
$880K
11 houses listed in the last 6 months.
11 of the suburb's 522 dwellings (2.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Lakewood rent for around $620 a week on average, based on 3 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$620/wk
3 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
3 rentals advertised against an estimated 90 rented homes (3.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $590/wk
- 17 bonds
- +28% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2443 (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 2025110 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2443.
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$620/week ($32,000 a year) on a $880,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 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
2 active Airbnb listings: 2 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.4% of the suburb'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 Lakewood safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Lakewood sits in the low band, with 18 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 14% on the prior year.
18 offences
14.3% 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 suburb 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
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has published 10 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Camden Haven River and Lakes System Flood Study Update (2025) 2026
- North Brother Local Catchments Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2021
- North Brother Local Catchments Flood Study 2020
- Hastings River Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2014
- Dunbogan - Report for Flood Access Investigation & Design Route Options Feasibility 2008
Schools
Walkability
Lakewood is car-dependent on foot — at 30/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Lakewood.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 37%
- Premises covered
- 611
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
Port Macquarie-Hastings: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 4 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Lakewood is home to about 1,200 residents, with a median age of 58 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $54,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,249
Median Age
58
Median Household Income
$53,872/yr
Census Median Rent
$390/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,540/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$25,844/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
4.0%
Total Dwellings
522
Owner-Occupier Rate
82.8%
Houses
91.8%
Rental Stress
37.6%
Mortgage Stress
34.3%
Work From Home
9.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 83.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 91.9%
- Employment Rate
- 35.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.2%
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.
3 residents (0.2%) 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.
10.9% of residents (132) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (103).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,214 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (5 of 391).
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 $1,325 a year through Port Macquarie-Hastings based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 56%
- Residential 33%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Rural and farming 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Port Macquarie-Hastings
In the year to August 2026, 546 new dwellings were approved across Port Macquarie-Hastings. That mix is 357 houses and 189 units. Approvals are up 32.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Bunyah 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.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.1 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 4 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 11.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.92 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Port Macquarie monitoring station, 23.2 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Taree (Patanga Cl), 39.8 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 31 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,331 mm
- 106 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2443, 29 of 7,536 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.3% (100 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2443, 2,850 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,487 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 106 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
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 $740,000 this is $140,000 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 suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Robert Dwyer Liberal — elected at the Mar 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Leslie Williams LP | 60.8% |
| 2019 | Leslie Williams NP | 70.3% |
| 2015 | Leslie Williams NP | 69.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Lakewood?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 1,249 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.
Featured in
- #1 in Best Camden Haven suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #1 in The safest suburbs in Camden Haven
- #2 in Most walkable suburbs in Camden Haven
- #3 in Camden Haven suburbs that grew fastest, 2016-2021
- #3 in The most liveable suburbs in Camden Haven
- #3 in Camden Haven suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
- #4 in Camden Haven suburbs with the biggest house blocks
- #4 in Camden Haven suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #5 in Camden Haven suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #5 in Camden Haven's most owner-occupied suburbs
- #6 in Camden Haven suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
- #6 in Camden Haven suburbs that suit young professionals
Nearby suburbs
Compare Lakewood to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Lakewood
Is Lakewood a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Lakewood is low (17/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Lakewood?
Lakewood has a high recorded bushfire history (82/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Lakewood a good place to live?
Lakewood has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (31/100), 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 Lakewood?
Lakewood, NSW had a population of 1,249 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Lakewood, NSW?
The postcode for Lakewood, NSW is 2443.
How far is Lakewood from Sydney?
Lakewood is 358 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 242 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Lakewood?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Lakewood was $53,872 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 Lakewood?
The median advertised rent in Lakewood is $620 a week for houses (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Lakewood?
The median age of residents in Lakewood was 58 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Lakewood at risk of bushfire?
Lakewood has a high recorded bushfire history (82/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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.
Is Lakewood walkable?
Lakewood scores 30/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Lakewood?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Lakewood (Port Macquarie) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 11.3 µg/m³. That puts Lakewood below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Lakewood?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Lakewood, Taree (Patanga Cl) (39.8 km away), 1,331 mm of rain a year over 106 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Lakewood?
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 Lakewood belong to?
Lakewood sits within the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Lakewood?
The average residential rates bill through Port Macquarie-Hastings is $1,325 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Lakewood?
Across Port Macquarie-Hastings, 546 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 32.7% 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 Lakewood in?
Lakewood 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
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 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.