Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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What it costs to rent in Valentine - Eleebana
Median weekly rents, year-on-year movement and bond-lodgement activity for Valentine - Eleebana (2280). Sourced from the NSW Rental Bond Board, DCJ Family & Community Services.
Median rent
$919
per week · Q4 2025
YoY change
▲+22.7%
vs same quarter last year
Active bonds
≈346
est. · currently held
New bonds
≈20
est. · this quarter
Latest Quarter Breakdown · Q4 2025
| Dwelling | Bedrooms | Median $/wk | Active bonds | New bonds (Qtr) | YoY | Quality |
|---|
SOURCE: NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ Family & Community Services), processed by AreaSearch. Imputed values are flagged. Latest publication:
Population
Valentine - Eleebana is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
Valentine - Eleebana's population was approximately 12,537 as of May 2026, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents a decrease from the 2021 Census count of 12,568 people, reflecting a change of -31 persons (-0.2%). The estimated resident population of 12,537 in June 2025, combined with 8 validated new addresses since the Census date, indicates this decrease. The population density was around 1,257 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth in the area during recent periods.
AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Projections indicate an overall population decline in the area by 658 persons by 2041, despite anticipated growth within specific age cohorts such as the 85 and over age group (+247 people).
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Valentine - Eleebana, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally
Valentine - Eleebana has averaged approximately 20 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 103 homes were approved, with an additional 6 approved so far in FY-26. On average, this equates to about 0.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed during these years.
This pace suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and room for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $525,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, there have been $7.2 million in commercial development approvals recorded, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to the rest of NSW, Valentine - Eleebana has significantly less development activity, at 60.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties.
Similarly, compared to national averages, development activity is lower, suggesting a mature market with possible development constraints. New building activity in Valentine - Eleebana shows that 76.0% of approvals are for detached houses, while 24.0% are for townhouses or apartments. This maintains the area's suburban identity, with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With around 698 people per dwelling approval, the market reflects high maturity. Given that population is expected to remain stable or decline in the area, Valentine - Eleebana should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Valentine - Eleebana
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Valentine - Eleebana has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally
AreaSearch has identified a total of 16 projects that are expected to impact the area significantly due to their influence on local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Among these key projects are the 83 Jonathan Street Residential Subdivision, Bareki Road project, Eleebana to Valentine Shared Path initiative, Calvary St Francis Retirement Community Expansion, and Woolworths Belmont North Supermarket Development. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Tingira Hills Care Community
Tingira Hills Care Community (formerly Opal Hillside) is a major residential aged care facility in the Lake Macquarie region. It offers 120-128 beds across various room types including single en-suite and companion rooms, catering to permanent, respite, dementia, and palliative care needs. The facility features a dedicated Memory Care Neighborhood, a Wellness Centre for rehabilitation, an on-site cafe, hairdressing salon, and a community bus for outings. Architecturally, it was specifically engineered to manage variable founding conditions and ground movement associated with local mine subsidence.
Lake Macquarie Square
A sub-regional shopping centre located in Mount Hutton, 14km from Newcastle's CBD. The project, originally a $60 million redevelopment completed in 2019 by Charter Hall, consolidated Lake Macquarie Fair and Mount Hutton Plaza into a single, modern retail destination with approximately 24,000 m2 of prime retail space. The centre is anchored by BIG W, Coles, and Woolworths, with over 70 specialty stores, a medical precinct, childcare, and a 24-hour gym. Revelop acquired the asset in February 2025 for $122.5 million.
Woolworths Belmont North Supermarket Development
Repurposing of the 4.04-hectare former Bunnings site into a modern retail hub. The project features a 3,800sqm full-line Woolworths supermarket and specialty tenancies for food, health, and services. It includes adaptive reuse of the existing warehouse structure, 341 at-grade parking spaces, and Direct to Boot facilities.
Calvary St Francis Retirement Community Expansion
Expansion of the Calvary St Francis Retirement Community including a 17-bed extension and the construction of a new Community Centre. The facility is a beautifully maintained residential aged care home offering permanent and respite care in a tranquil bush setting.
Mount Hutton Precinct Area Plan
A precinct-specific planning framework forming Part 12 of the Lake Macquarie Development Control Plan 2014. Originally adopted by Council on 10 February 2020 to replace the 2004 plan, it sets controls for infrastructure delivery, built form and natural environment outcomes across the Mount Hutton suburb between Warners Bay and Belmont. The plan supports medium-density housing in the R3 zone south of Cowmeadow Road, road and roundabout upgrades, new shared pathways, stormwater works, and revegetation along Scrubby Creek. The framework has been progressively updated, most recently through the city-wide Housing Diversity amendments adopted by Council on 23 February 2026, which align the DCP with the Housing Diversity Planning Proposal that took effect on 1 August 2025. These reforms permit a broader mix of housing in R2 and R3 zones, allow subdivision down to 200 square metres in R3 and 250 square metres in R2, and remove minimum lot width requirements. A separate but related amendment finalised on 21 March 2025 rezoned 1 Progress Road from R2 Low Density Residential to E1 Local Centre, increasing the maximum building height on that site from 8.5 to 10 metres to support an expansion of the Dunkley Parade shops.
Ryhope Street Subdivision
A land subdivision master planned for 60 architecturally designed homes, creating a lifestyle community close to amenities as part of Lake Macquarie Council's Infill Housing Strategy. The majority of the new houses have been built through Cerretti's construction arm, WR Building & Property. The date of construction is listed as TBA (To Be Advised) on the developer's site, but the project is listed as a past project and sales data is available for units.
Eleebana Shores Retirement Village
A luxury retirement village offering architecturally-designed two-bedroom and two-bedroom+study villas and apartments in landscaped gardens with rural views, featuring facilities like a heated indoor pool, gymnasium, library, and community activities to support independent living near Lake Macquarie.
Adams Ridge Estate
A boutique land subdivision in Mount Hutton, NSW, consisting of 38 residential blocks of land, ranging from 362m2 to 637m2, in an R2 Low Density Residential zone. The land lots were sold for construction of new homes, with many lots having sold throughout 2022 and 2023, indicating the estate is complete and lots are sold.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Valentine - Eleebana performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia
Valentine - Eleebana has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.4%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year as of December 2025. There are 6,687 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.6% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.
Workforce participation is high at 66.4%, compared to Regional NSW's 60.5%. Census responses indicate that 32.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Notably, education & training is particularly specialized with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.
Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.3% compared to Regional NSW's 5.3%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force by 1.5%, and unemployment rose by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW where employment fell by 1.2%, labour force contracted by 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Valentine - Eleebana's employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch
The Valentine - Eleebana SA2 had an income level higher than average nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ended 30 June 2023. Its median income among taxpayers was $56,410 and the average income stood at $74,296, compared to Regional NSW's figures of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year ended 30 June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $62,232 (median) and $81,963 (average) as of March 2026. From the Census conducted on 10 August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in Valentine - Eleebana cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 30.4% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,811 residents), similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupy this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, 34.1%, are above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the district. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Valentine - Eleebana is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
In Valentine - Eleebana, as per the latest Census data, 90.6% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 9.3% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Valentine - Eleebana stood at 49.1%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 40.1% and rented dwellings making up 10.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than the Regional NSW average of $1,733. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Valentine - Eleebana was $490, compared to $330 in Regional NSW. Nationally, Valentine - Eleebana's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Valentine - Eleebana features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 81.2% of all households, consisting of couples with children (38.9%), couples without children (32.8%), and single parent families (8.9%). Non-family households comprise the remaining 18.8%, with lone person households at 17.7% and group households making up 1.1%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Valentine - Eleebana shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators
The area's university qualification rate is 30.6%, higher than the Rest of NSW average of 21.3% and the SA3 area average of 23.5%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 21.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 6.5% and graduate diplomas at 3.1%. Vocational credentials are held by 38.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 13.0% and certificates at 25.1%.
Educational participation is high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
The analysis of public transport in Valentine - Eleebana indicates there are 168 active transport stops operating, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 34 individual routes that together facilitate 434 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 134 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 96% of residents. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, which is higher than the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, 32.1% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 62 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per stop. A map accompanies this data, showing the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
The level of general health in Valentine - Eleebana is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions
Valentine Eleebana demonstrates superior health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment, showing low mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence across both young and elderly cohorts. Common health conditions have a low prevalence: arthritis affects 9.5% of residents, asthma impacts 8.1%, while 66.1% report no medical ailments.
This compares to Regional NSW where 51.9% have private health cover and 63.3% are free from medical ailments. The area's population is approximately 7,033 people, with 23.6% aged 65 and over (2,963 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Valentine - Eleebana is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics
Valentine-Eleebana, as per the census data from June 2016, exhibited lower cultural diversity with 87.4% of its population born in Australia, 94.7% being citizens, and 95.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 54.0% of Valentine-Eleebana's population. Notably, Judaism showed an overrepresentation with 0.2%, compared to Regional NSW's 0.1%.
The top ancestry groups were English (33.2%), Australian (30.0%), and Scottish (9.3%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences included Welsh at 0.8% (regional: 0.5%), Macedonian at 0.3% (regional: 0.4%), and South Australian at 0.6% (regional: 0.2%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Valentine - Eleebana hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average
Valentine Eleebana has a median age of 45 years, which is slightly higher than Regional NSW's median age of 43, and considerably older than the national norm of 38. Compared to the Regional NSW average, Valentine Eleebana has an over-representation of the 45-54 age cohort (13.8% locally) and an under-representation of the 25-34 age cohort (6.2%). Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.4% to 13.4% of the population, while the 65 to 74 age cohort has decreased from 12.9% to 12.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Valentine Eleebana's age profile. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow by 232 people (63%), from 371 to 604. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 67% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 75 to 84 and 35 to 44 age cohorts.