SuburbCheck

Garden Suburb

NSW 2289 · Lake Macquarie

1,959 (2021) → 2,025 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

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

71
Overall score

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

1,959
Population
$911K
Median house (2025)
100
Safety score
62
Transport score

Garden Suburb is a moderate growth suburb in Lake Macquarie, NSW 2289, about 112km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $911K is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 62/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Garden Suburb has an overall score of 71/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 100/100.

112.0 km
To Sydney CBD
5.7 km
To coast
$780/wk
Median rent (house)
1.6 km
To nearest station

Demographics

1,959
Population
41
Median age
2.9
Avg household

Age distribution

Lake Macquarie LGA population (est. 2025)222,310
Median household income (weekly)$2,361
vs NSW median+27.6%
Bachelor degree or higher42.7%
Born in Australia86.5%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse632 / 3 / 0

Top countries of birth: England (2.14%), New Zealand (1.02%), India (0.87%), Germany (0.77%), USA (0.56%)

Top languages: Macedon (0.97%), Italian (0.66%), French (0.61%), German (0.61%), Hindi (0.56%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$911K
Median house (2025)
Data not available
Median unit (2025)Fewer than 5 recent sales

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$780 / $700 wk
Rental yield (house)4.5%
Days on market (house)28 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 dwelling102/100k
1
Steal from dwelling51/100k
0
Motor vehicle theft0/100k
1
Domestic assault51/100k
0
Robbery0/100k
16
Non-domestic assault817/100k

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: 40 (all categories, latest year)2,042 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

74

Strong school options

Well above average — good-quality schools within reach and a healthy range of options to choose from.

128
Within 10km1 in suburb
1
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1019 (above the national average of 1000).

In suburb

  • Garden Suburb Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1045

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Cardiff High SchoolSecondary · Government · 1kmICSEA 977
  • St Kevin's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.3kmICSEA 1074
  • Newcastle Junior SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.4kmICSEA 968
  • New Lambton Heights Infants SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1125
  • Kotara South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1065
  • Hillsborough Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1007
  • Cardiff South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 1003
  • Cardiff North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.7kmICSEA 1029
  • Kotara SchoolCombined · Government · 2kmICSEA 933
  • Cardiff Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2kmICSEA 996
  • St James' Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2kmICSEA 1103
  • Alesco Senior College - Charlestown CampusSecondary · Independent · 2.3km

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

62
14Bus
CBD commute (est.)Data not available
Nearest train stationCardiff (1.6 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.

80 in suburbSupermarkets
70 in suburbCafes/Rest.
201 in suburbParks
101 in suburbPlaygrounds
31Pools
100 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
130 in suburbGPs
30 in suburbPharmacies
50 in suburbChildcare
20 in suburbLibraries
607 in suburbSports fields
2Vets
Nearest beachDudley Beach (5.6 km)
Nearest hospitalJohn Hunter Hospital (3.3 km)
Nearest vet1.9 km
Nearest airportNewcastle (16.9 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Fitness

82

Fitness paradise

Top 20% nationally — gyms, leisure centres, pools and sports fields all close by. Easy to stay active without travelling far.

10
Gyms
7
Leisure centres
1
Public pools
60
Sports fields

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

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

77

Great outdoor access

Well above average — plenty of parkland and outdoor recreation within easy reach.

20
Parks
2
Nature reserves
4
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
0
Dog parks
2
Picnic areas
2
Skate parks

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

Source: OpenStreetMap

Culture

69

Rich cultural scene

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

0
Theatres
1
Cinemas
0
Museums
0
Galleries
2
Libraries
0
Arts centres
8
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

82

Outstanding childcare access

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

2
Long Day Care
1
OSHC
Total services3
Exceeding NQS or above0 of 3 rated
Services per 1,000 residents1.53

View childcare centres on the map →

Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth
Annual growth rate0.83%
Projected population 20412,282
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Lake Macquarie

Kotara South$1.22M76transportCardiff Heights$1.11M74transportHillsborough (Lake Macquarie)$900K55transportCardiff South$996K76transportCardiff$938K91transportCharlestown$1.05M64transport

Compare Garden Suburb with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Garden Suburb

Frequently asked questions about Garden Suburb

Is Garden Suburb safe?

Garden Suburb 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 2,042 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Garden Suburb?

In Garden Suburb, the median house price is $911K. Median weekly house rent is $780.

How far is Garden Suburb from Sydney CBD?

Garden Suburb is about 112.0 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Garden Suburb?

Garden Suburb has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1045 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Garden Suburb?

Garden Suburb has a transport score of 62/100 and 14 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.