SuburbCheck

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)

NSW 2290 · Lake Macquarie

641 (2021)663 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

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

65
Overall score

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

641
Population
$870K
Median house (2026)Low sales volume
82
Safety score
55
Transport score

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) is a moderate growth suburb in Lake Macquarie, NSW 2290, about 110km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $870K is more affordable than the NSW average. The suburb has no schools recorded, a transport score of 55/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) has an overall score of 65/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 82/100.

110.3 km
To Sydney CBD
5.2 km
To coast
$720/wk
Median rent (house)
2.4 km
To nearest station
Loading map…

Demographics

641
Population
40
Median age
2.7
Avg household

Age distribution

Lake Macquarie LGA population (est. 2025)222,310
Median household income (weekly)$1,970
vs NSW median+6.5%
Median taxable income (individual)$62,884/yr
vs national median ($59,576)↑ +6%

ATO 2023-24, postcode 2290 area — postcode-level, not suburb-specific.

Bachelor degree or higher22.7%
Born in Australia91.4%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse230 / 3 / 0

Top countries of birth: New Zealand (2.5%), England (1.87%), Scotland (0.62%), Italy (0.47%)

Top languages: Italian (1.25%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$870K
Median house (2026)Low volume: 9 sales in 12 months
Data not available
Median unit (2026)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$720 / $625 wk
Rental yield (house)4.3%
Days on market (house)Data not available

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q1 2026

Residential Safety

82
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:

0
Break & enter dwelling0/100k
0
Steal from dwelling0/100k
3
Motor vehicle theft468/100k
2
Domestic assault312/100k
0
Robbery0/100k
2
Non-domestic assault312/100k

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: 24 (all categories, latest year)3,744 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 March 2026

Schools

65

Strong school options

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

123
Within 10km0 in suburb
0
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1016 (above 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)

  • Hillsborough Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.6kmICSEA 1020
  • Newcastle Junior SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.7kmICSEA 940
  • Cardiff South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.2kmICSEA 1017
  • Cardiff High SchoolSecondary · Government · 1.2kmICSEA 986
  • Charlestown South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1075
  • Garden Suburb Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.7kmICSEA 1045
  • Mount Hutton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.8kmICSEA 940
  • Lakeside SchoolCombined · Government · 1.8kmICSEA 910
  • Alesco Secondary College - Charlestown CampusSecondary · Independent · 1.8km
  • Warners Bay High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2kmICSEA 1056
  • Charlestown Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.2kmICSEA 1037
  • St Kevin's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.2kmICSEA 1071

Source: ACARA MySchool · Updated 2025

Transport

55
8Bus
CBD commute (est.)249 min (bus)
Nearest train stationCardiff (2.4 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Employment & Economy

Unemployment rate4.2% · vs NSW avg 4.1% ≈

Top local industries

Health Care & Social Assistance
20.8%
Construction
9.6%
Education & Training
9.5%
Retail Trade
9.3%
Accommodation & Food Services
6.4%

Source: DEWR SALM / ABS Census 2021 · Updated SALM Mar 2026 / 2021 Census

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.

90 in suburbSupermarkets
10 in suburbCafes/Rest.
110 in suburbParks
8Playgrounds
199Pools
110 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
120 in suburbGPs
110 in suburbPharmacies
40 in suburbChildcare
20 in suburbLibraries
871 in suburbSports fields
3Vets
Air qualityGood air quality (77/100, 2026-07-27)
Nearest beachDudley Beach (5.3 km)
Nearest hospitalJohn Hunter Hospital (5.0 km)
Nearest vet2.2 km
Nearest airportNewcastle (18.6 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap · Healthdirect NHSD (via Geoscience Australia)

Fitness

97

Fitness paradise

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

11
Gyms
9
Leisure centres
2
Public pools
87
Sports fields

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

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

94

Outdoor paradise

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

11
Parks
5
Nature reserves
8
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
0
Dog parks
0
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

82

Cultural hotspot

Top 20% nationally — theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and landmarks all within reach. A genuinely vibrant cultural scene.

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

90

Entertainment paradise

A seriously impressive licensed venue scene — top 20% nationally for density of pubs, bars, clubs and dining.

2
Licensed venues (within 2km)
3.12
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

Places of Worship

17
Christian0 in suburb
1
Muslim0 in suburb
3
Hindu0 in suburb
Total within 3km22
In this suburb0

Mapped places of worship within 3km of the suburb centre, grouped by religion where recorded. Community mapping may not capture every congregation.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth
Annual growth rate0.85%
Projected population 2041747
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Lake Macquarie

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Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)

Frequently asked questions about Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)

Is Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) safe?

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) has a residential safety score of 82/100, 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 3,744 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)?

In Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie), the median house price is $870K. Median weekly house rent is $720.

How far is Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) from Sydney CBD?

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) is about 110.3 km from Sydney CBD, an estimated 249 minutes by public transport.

What schools are in Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)?

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) has 0 schools. Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)?

Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie) has a transport score of 55/100 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.