SuburbCheck

Garden Suburb vs Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)

The verdict

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) is more affordable, with a median house price of $870K versus $911K in Garden Suburb. Garden Suburb rates higher for education (62 vs 46).

Scores

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Overall7165
Transport6255
Education6246
Liveability8890

Overall is based on transport, liveability & education — the metrics available at consistent quality nationwide. Residential safety is compared separately below.

Demographics

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Population1,959641
Median age4140
Median household income (wk)$2,361$1,970
Bachelor degree or higher42.7%22.7%
Born in Australia86.5%91.4%
Avg household size2.92.7

Growth: Garden Suburb Moderate Growth · Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) Moderate Growth

Property

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Median house price$911K$870K
Median unit price$740KData not available
House price YoYData not availableData not available
Median rent — house (wk)$780$700
Rental yield (house)Data not availableData not available
Days on market (house)2833

Median price history

Safety

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Residential safety score100
Break & enter dwelling /100k102Data not available
Motor vehicle theft /100k0Data not available
Domestic assault /100k51Data not available
Total incidents /100k (all)2,042Data not available

Total incidents over time

Schools

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Total schools10
Government10
Independent00
Average ICSEA1,045Data not available

See the full school list on each profile: Garden Suburb · Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)

Transport

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Transport score6255
Train stations00
Bus stops148
Light rail stops00
Ferry wharves00
CBD commute (min)Data not availableData not available
Nearest train station (km)1.6 km2.4 km

Liveability

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Summer max temp27.5°C27.5°C
Winter max temp18.0°C18.0°C
Annual rainfall (mm)1,1001,100
Supermarkets00
Cafes & restaurants00
Parks10
Playgrounds1Data not available
Swimming poolsData not availableData not available
Medical GPs00
Distance to coast (km)5.7 km5.2 km
Distance to CBD (km)112.0 km110.3 km
Nearest beach (km)5.6 km5.3 km
Nearest hospital (km)3.3 km5.0 km

Population & growth

Garden SuburbHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)
Population (2021)1,959641
Estimated 20252,025663
Projected 20412,282747
Annual growth rate0.83%0.85%

Common questions

Which is more affordable, Garden Suburb or Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)?

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) is more affordable, with a median house price of $870K versus $911K.

Which has better public transport, Garden Suburb or Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)?

Garden Suburb has the higher transport score (Garden Suburb 62/100 vs Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) 55/100).

Try another comparison

Compare two suburbs

Garden Suburb

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SuburbCheck

A free, data-driven tool to compare Australian suburbs on safety, schools, transport, property and liveability — built from public government data.

Data sources

ABS Census & ERP · Valuers-General · BOCSAR & state crime agencies · GTFS · ACARA · Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap.

Data is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. Figures are indicative and should not be the sole basis for property or relocation decisions.

© 2026 SuburbCheck · Data refreshed quarterly.