SuburbCheck

Valentine

NSW 2280 · Lake Macquarie

5,773 (2021)5,791 est. (2025) · Stable

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

55
Overall score

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

5,773
Population
$1.34M
Median house (2026)
96
Safety score
45
Transport score

Valentine is a stable suburb in Lake Macquarie, NSW 2280, about 104km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.34M is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 45/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Valentine has an overall score of 55/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 96/100.

103.6 km
To Sydney CBD
4.5 km
To coast
$700/wk
Median rent (house)
6.0 km
To nearest station
Loading map…

Demographics

5,773
Population
46
Median age
2.7
Avg household

Age distribution

Lake Macquarie LGA population (est. 2025)222,310
Median household income (weekly)$2,159
vs NSW median+16.7%
Median taxable income (individual)$59,770/yr
vs national median ($59,576)≈ +0%

ATO 2023-24, postcode 2280 area — postcode-level, not suburb-specific.

Bachelor degree or higher39.8%
Born in Australia86.8%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse1,839 / 12 / 238

Top countries of birth: England (3.24%), New Zealand (0.97%), South Africa (0.76%), Germany (0.64%), Scotland (0.57%)

Top languages: German (0.36%), Greek (0.31%), Afrikaans (0.28%), Cantonese (0.21%), Spanish (0.19%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$1.34M+31.6%
Median house (2026)
$900K
Median unit (2026)Low volume: 18 sales in 12 months

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$700 / $500 wk
Rental yield (house)2.7%
Days on market (house)48 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q1 2026

Residential Safety

96
Residential

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

7
Break & enter dwelling121/100k
3
Steal from dwelling52/100k
7
Motor vehicle theft121/100k
11
Domestic assault191/100k
0
Robbery0/100k
7
Non-domestic assault121/100k

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: 110 (all categories, latest year)1,905 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

82

Outstanding school access

Top 20% nationally — strong, high-ICSEA schools nearby with genuine choice. An excellent suburb for families prioritising education.

77
Within 10km1 in suburb
1
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 995 (below the national average of 1000).

In suburb

  • Valentine Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1071

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Floraville Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2kmICSEA 1026
  • Belmont High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.1kmICSEA 973
  • Belmont Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.5kmICSEA 956
  • Belmont North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.7kmICSEA 946
  • Eleebana Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.7kmICSEA 1105
  • Belmont Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 2.7kmICSEA 1091
  • St Francis Xavier's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 3.1kmICSEA 1048
  • Warners Bay Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 1027
  • Coal Point Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.1kmICSEA 1065
  • Windale Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.2kmICSEA 793
  • Jewells Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.2kmICSEA 1026
  • St Mary's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 4.4kmICSEA 1093

Source: ACARA MySchool · Updated 2025

Transport

45
71Bus
CBD commute (est.)249 min (bus)
Nearest train stationBooragul (6.0 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Employment & Economy

Unemployment rate1.4% · vs NSW avg 4.1% ↓

Top local industries

Health Care & Social Assistance
18.5%
Education & Training
11.8%
Construction
10.1%
Retail Trade
8.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical
7.4%

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.

30 in suburbSupermarkets
10 in suburbCafes/Rest.
159 in suburbParks
85 in suburbPlaygrounds
5Pools
31 in suburbGyms
1Dog parks
52 in suburbGPs
32 in suburbPharmacies
20 in suburbChildcare
10 in suburbLibraries
643 in suburbSports fields
0Vets

In this suburb

4Public toilets
Air qualityGood air quality (76/100, 2026-07-27)
Nearest beachNaru Beach (5.5 km)
Nearest hospitalBelmont Hospital (1.1 km)
Nearest vet4.7 km
Nearest airportNewcastle (24.9 km)

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

Fitness

50

Decent access

Around the national average — a reasonable mix of fitness facilities, with more variety a short drive away.

3
Gyms
2
Leisure centres
0
Public pools
64
Sports fields

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

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

37

Limited outdoor options

Below average — fewer parks and green spaces close by.

15
Parks
3
Nature reserves
8
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
1
Dog parks
2
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

32

Limited cultural access

Below average — fewer cultural venues nearby.

0
Theatres
0
Cinemas
0
Museums
1
Galleries
1
Libraries
0
Arts centres
5
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

13

Not much nightlife

Very few licensed venues nearby — you'll be heading to a neighbouring suburb for a night out.

0
Pubs & Hotels
0
Bars
1
Clubs RSL/Leagues
1
Dining & Licensed
Licensed venues per 1,000 residents0.17

View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →

Source: Liquor & Gaming NSW · Updated June 2024

Childcare

9

Childcare desert

Very limited childcare services in and around this suburb — families may face significant travel for childcare.

1
Long Day Care
1
OSHC
Total services2
Exceeding NQS or above0 of 2 rated
Services per 1,000 residents0.35

View childcare centres on the map →

Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register · Updated July 2026

Places of Worship

1
Christian0 in suburb
Total within 3km1
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

Stable
Annual growth rate0.08%
Projected population 20415,947
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Lake Macquarie

Compare Valentine with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Valentine

Frequently asked questions about Valentine

Is Valentine safe?

Valentine has a residential safety score of 96/100, 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 1,905 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Valentine?

In Valentine, the median house price is $1.34M and the median unit price is $900K. Median weekly house rent is $700.

How far is Valentine from Sydney CBD?

Valentine is about 103.6 km from Sydney CBD, an estimated 249 minutes by public transport.

What schools are in Valentine?

Valentine has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1071 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Valentine?

Valentine has a transport score of 45/100 and 71 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.