SuburbCheck

Carey Bay

NSW 2283 · Lake Macquarie

865 (2021)873 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

Part of the Lake Macquarie local government area (est. 222,310 residents)

51
Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

865
Population
$1.12M
Median house (2025)
100
Safety score
46
Transport score

Carey Bay is a moderate growth suburb in Lake Macquarie, NSW 2283, about 101km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.12M is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has no schools recorded, a transport score of 46/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Carey Bay has an overall score of 51/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 100/100.

101.1 km
To Sydney CBD
6.4 km
To coast
$650/wk
Median rent (house)
5.1 km
To nearest station

Demographics

865
Population
54
Median age
2.1
Avg household

Age distribution

Lake Macquarie LGA population (est. 2025)222,310
Median household income (weekly)$1,266
vs NSW median-31.6%
Bachelor degree or higher34.1%
Born in Australia80.0%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse266 / 39 / 62

Top countries of birth: England (4.62%), New Zealand (1.39%), South Africa (1.39%), China (0.92%), USA (0.92%)

Top languages: Afrikaans (0.81%), Persian ED (0.46%), Indonesian (0.46%), Greek (0.35%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$1.12M
Median house (2025)
$922K
Median unit (2025)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$650 / $575 wk
Rental yield (house)3.0%
Days on market (house)36 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025

Residential Safety

100
Residential

Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

2
Break & enter dwelling231/100k
0
Steal from dwelling0/100k
0
Motor vehicle theft0/100k
0
Domestic assault0/100k
0
Robbery0/100k
2
Non-domestic assault231/100k

Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 18 (all categories, latest year)2,081 per 100,000 residents2-yr5-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025

Schools

53

Reasonable school mix

Around the national average — a reasonable mix of schools, though the strongest options may require some travel.

52
Within 10km0 in suburb
0
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 981 (below the national average of 1000).

No schools inside the suburb boundary — the schools below are in adjoining suburbs (counted within 10km for the education score).

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Coal Point Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 1051
  • Rathmines Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1000
  • Toronto Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 902
  • St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.3kmICSEA 1051
  • Toronto High SchoolSecondary · Government · 3kmICSEA 963
  • Biraban Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.4kmICSEA 880
  • Toronto Adventist SchoolPrimary · Independent · 3.8kmICSEA 1162
  • Valentine Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 1078
  • Fennell Bay Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 879
  • Blackalls Park Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.1kmICSEA 944
  • Arcadia Vale Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.3kmICSEA 966
  • Charlton Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 4.6kmICSEA 1018

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

46
8Bus
CBD commute (est.)Data not available
Nearest train stationFassifern (5.1 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

27.5°C
Summer max
18.0°C
Winter max
1,100mm
Rainfall/yr
7h
Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

40 in suburbSupermarkets
80 in suburbCafes/Rest.
102 in suburbParks
2Playgrounds
3Pools
00 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
30 in suburbGPs
00 in suburbPharmacies
10 in suburbChildcare
10 in suburbLibraries
23Sports fields
0Vets
Nearest beachNaru Beach (5.4 km)
Nearest hospitalBelmont Hospital (3.9 km)
Nearest vet7.1 km
Nearest airportNewcastle (27.0 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Fitness

74

Plenty of options

Well above average — a good spread of gyms and sports facilities within easy reach.

0
Gyms
0
Leisure centres
1
Public pools
23
Sports fields

Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

87

Outdoor paradise

Top 20% nationally — abundant parks and green space, plus trails, bike paths and places to enjoy the outdoors.

10
Parks
0
Nature reserves
15
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
0
Dog parks
1
Picnic areas
1
Skate parks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Culture

77

Rich cultural scene

Well above average — a strong mix of cultural venues nearby.

0
Theatres
0
Cinemas
0
Museums
1
Galleries
1
Libraries
0
Arts centres
4
Landmarks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Entertainment Scene

0

Not much nightlife

No licensed on-premises venues recorded in this suburb.

0
Licensed venues (within 2km)
0.00
Per 1,000 residents

No licensed pubs, bars or clubs are registered in this suburb per the Liquor & Gaming NSW register.

View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →

Source: OpenStreetMap

Childcare

94

Outstanding childcare access

Top 20% nationally for childcare service density and quality — an excellent suburb for families with young children.

1
Long Day Care
1
Preschool / Kinder
Total services2
Exceeding NQS or above1 of 2 rated
Services per 1,000 residents2.31

View childcare centres on the map →

Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth
Annual growth rate0.23%
Projected population 2041996
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Lake Macquarie

Compare Carey Bay with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Carey Bay

Frequently asked questions about Carey Bay

Is Carey Bay safe?

Carey Bay has a residential safety score of 100/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 2,081 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Carey Bay?

In Carey Bay, the median house price is $1.12M and the median unit price is $922K. Median weekly house rent is $650.

How far is Carey Bay from Sydney CBD?

Carey Bay is about 101.1 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Carey Bay?

Carey Bay has 0 schools. Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Carey Bay?

Carey Bay has a transport score of 46/100 and 8 bus stops.

Data sources: ABS Census 2021 & ERP, NSW Valuer General, BOCSAR, TfNSW, ACARA, Bureau of Meteorology, OpenStreetMap, NSW DPHI. Data refreshed quarterly.

Data shown is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. How we calculate scores.