Macquarie Hills

Population growth drivers in Macquarie Hills are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The population of Macquarie Hills, as estimated by AreaSearch based on ABS updates and address validation, was around 3,634 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 29 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,605. The latest estimate of 3,624 residents was derived from AreaSearch's examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and subsequent address validation. This results in a density ratio of 1,553 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Macquarie Hills has shown resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 0.6%, outpacing its SA3 area. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.0% to overall population gains during recent periods, while overseas and interstate migration also played positive roles.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth for non-metropolitan areas nationally, with Macquarie Hills expected to increase by 697 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 21.7% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Macquarie Hills according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Macquarie Hills has had minimal residential development activity with less than 1 dwelling approval annually over the past five years. This is reflected in the rural nature of the area, where development is typically driven by specific local housing needs rather than broad market demand. The small sample size means that individual development projects can substantially influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Macquarie Hills naturally has much lower development activity. Development levels are also under national averages.

Macquarie Hills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified four projects that are likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Glendale City Centre Expansion, Lake Macquarie Bridge Replacement Program, Garden Suburb, and Lake Macquarie Modular Social Housing. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Macquarie Hills ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Macquarie Hills has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.4% as of June 2025, which is 1.3% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. In June 2025, 2,169 residents were in work and workforce participation was 72.1%, compared to the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The area shows strong employment concentrations in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. It has a particularly high specialization in finance & insurance, with an employment share 2.5 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.3% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in June 2025, employment increased by 2.3% while labour force rose by 2.5%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. In comparison, the Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1%, labour force expand by 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that Macquarie Hills' employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Macquarie Hills had a median income among taxpayers of $65,121 and an average level of $77,469. These figures were among the highest in Australia, compared to $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Macquarie Hills would be approximately $73,333 (median) and $87,238 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Macquarie Hills rank highly nationally, between the 75th and 80th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 41.9% of individuals earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 band (1,522 individuals). Housing accounts for 14.6% of income. Residents rank within the 81st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Macquarie Hills is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Macquarie Hills' dwellings, as per the latest Census, were 98.0% houses and 2.0% other types (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Non-Metro NSW had 82.4% houses and 17.6% others. Home ownership in Macquarie Hills was 29.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.3% and rented ones at 13.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average, while the median weekly rent was $473 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $370. Nationally, Macquarie Hills' mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 versus Australia's $1,863, and rents were substantially higher at $473 against Australia's $375.

Macquarie Hills features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 84.7% of all households, including 43.2% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 15.3%, with lone person households at 13.4% and group households comprising 1.9%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

Macquarie Hills demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Macquarie Hills lag behind regional benchmarks. As of 2016 data, 23.0% of residents aged 15 and above held university degrees compared to the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 16.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials were prominent, with 42.6% of residents holding such qualifications.

Advanced diplomas accounted for 11.7% while certificates made up 30.9%. Educational participation was high, with 29.8% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2015-2016 data. This included 10.7% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education. Schools were not located within the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access educational facilities in neighboring areas.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis shows that Macquarie Hills has 34 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes, together offering 310 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these services is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 117 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, each route provides service every 24 hours, resulting in about nine weekly trips per stop.

Macquarie Hills's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Macquarie Hills residents show relatively positive health outcomes, with a low prevalence of common conditions among the general population, albeit higher than the national average for older and at-risk groups. Approximately 58% (~2090 people) have private health cover, compared to 54.2% in Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues (10.5%) and asthma (9.3%) are the most common conditions. 67.2% report no medical ailments, versus 62.6% in Rest of NSW. The area has 11.6% (421 people) aged 65 and over, lower than the 21.4% in Rest of NSW.

Macquarie Hills is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Macquarie Hills, surveyed in 2016, had low cultural diversity: 90.9% were Australian-born, 94.7% were citizens, and 94.2% spoke English only at home. Christianity dominated, at 53.2%, slightly higher than the regional average of 52.5%. Ancestry showed Australians as the largest group (32.0%), followed by English (29.5%) and Scottish (8.3%).

Notable differences existed in Welsh (0.8% vs 0.8%), Polish (0.9% vs 0.7%), and Macedonian (0.4% vs 0.4%) representation.

Macquarie Hills's population is younger than the national pattern

Macquarie Hills has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and also lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is over-represented in Macquarie Hills at 16.7%, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 7.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 15.1% to 16.7%, and the 25 to 34 cohort has risen from 15.4% to 16.7%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 9.7% to 8.2%, and the 65 to 74 group has dropped from 8.9% to 7.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Macquarie Hills's age profile will change significantly. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 259 people (43%), from 606 to 866. Meanwhile, the 65 to 74 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 2%, adding 4 people.