Lake Macquarie, NSW
lake-macquarie · foreshore · cycling · cafe-y
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Drive to the coast
15 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
11 min
By road
Airport access
47 min
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
24.0°C
Rainfall
Moderate rainfall
Warners Bay feels more like a lakeside suburb of a substantial urban region than a small coastal town, and that is its main practical advantage. Around 8,200 people live in Warners Bay, the median age is 46 and population has grown by roughly 15% since 2016. The practical base is solid: schools, healthcare and shopping are all excellent, with the hospital about 10 minutes away and the airport under 50 minutes.
The lakefront shared path, foreshore and nearby parks make walking, cycling and paddling easy parts of daily life, while cafés along the water give the centre a social focus. The cost of entry is substantial, with a median house price around $1.31 million and three-bedroom rents near $720 a week. The beach is about 15 minutes away rather than outside the door, so the lifestyle is lake-led rather than surf-led.
Sydney is just over two hours by road. Traffic and suburban development are normal here, and rural quiet is not part of the offer. Warners Bay suits people who want strong services, waterfront recreation and access to the Newcastle region without moving into a dense inner-city area. It is much less suited to anyone chasing acreage or a tiny-community feel.
6 photos
Professionals working around Newcastle, families, downsizers and people who value walkable cafés and waterfront exercise are the natural fit. It can also work well for remote workers who want a pleasant daily environment without losing access to major hospitals, shopping and a large employment market.
Housing is expensive, at well above the NSW median, and this is not a quiet rural location. Traffic and suburban development are part of the package, and the beach is not directly outside the door. Sydney is about 2 hours 2 minutes away by road.
Walk Warners Bay Foreshore
Cycle the lakefront shared path
Paddle Lake Macquarie
Visit Speers Point Park
Median house price
$1,305,000
18% above the NSW median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$995,000
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$720
≈ $3,120/month
Houses here typically sell from $1,168,000 to $1,443,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Attached properties typically sell from $900,000 to $1,150,000.
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Excellent
10+ shopping centres within 20km — a real retail hub
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 162 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Healthcare — 15.9%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Newcastle.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Warners Bay (SAL 14171) · 2021 Census
Older than the country as a whole: 25.7% are 65 or over against 17.2% nationally, and 16% are children against 18.2%. Among households, home ownership is high at 75% of dwellings against 65.9% nationally.
Population
8,237
Population growth
+15%
Warners Bay - Boolaroo (SA2 111011214)
Median age
46 years
Labour force participation
57.8%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$766
Per week · ≈ $39,832/year
Median family income
$2,004
Per week
Median household income
$1,494
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
75%
Rented
23.6%
Born in Australia
84.6%
Born overseas
12.2%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.