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 is estimated at around 3,614 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 3,605 people. The latest resident population estimate by AreaSearch, based on ERP data release by ABS in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date, stands at 3,606. This results in a density ratio of 1,544 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Macquarie Hills has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.7%, outpacing the SA3 area. Natural growth contributed approximately 52.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with Macquarie Hills expected to increase by 622 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.0% over the 16 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 seen minimal residential development activity with six dwelling approvals annually over the five years from 2016 to 2020 inclusive. These low development levels reflect the rural nature of the area, where development is typically driven by specific local housing needs rather than broader market demand. Note that the small sample size means individual development projects can substantially influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Macquarie Hills has much lower development activity. Population forecasts indicate Macquarie Hills will gain 614 residents by 2041, according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate (Q2 2021).

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly impact performance. Four projects identified by AreaSearch may affect the area: Glendale City Centre Expansion, Lake Macquarie Bridge Replacement Program, Garden Suburb, Lake Macquarie Modular Social Housing.

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

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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Macquarie Hills ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Macquarie Hills has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.3% as of December 2025. This rate is below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, which was 0.6% higher.

Workforce participation in Macquarie Hills was 75.0%, compared to Regional NSW's 60.5%. According to Census responses, 26.2% of residents worked from home. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Finance & insurance had notable concentration with employment levels at 2.5 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented, with only 0.3% of Macquarie Hills's workforce compared to 5.3% in Regional NSW. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. During the year to December 2025, labour force increased by 0.7% while employment declined by 0.4%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW recorded employment decline of 1.2%, labour force decline of 0.8%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Macquarie Hills's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch reports that based on its aggregation of postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Macquarie Hills had a median taxpayer income of $65,121 and an average income of $77,469. Nationally, these figures are high compared to the regional NSW averages of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. By March 2026, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $71,841 and $85,464 based on a 10.32% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. As of the 2021 Census, Macquarie Hills ranks high nationally for household, family, and personal incomes, between the 75th and 80th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 41.9% of locals (1,514 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, mirroring the broader area where 29.9% are in this bracket. Housing accounts for 14.6% of income. Residents rank high with disposable incomes at the 81st percentile and 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'). Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% 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, higher than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Macquarie Hills was $473, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Macquarie Hills' mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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 constitute 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, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

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

Macquarie Hills has lower educational qualifications than the NSW average. Only 23.0% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees, compared to 32.2% in NSW. The majority of these are bachelor degrees (16.3%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are common, with 42.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them.

Advanced diplomas account for 11.7%, while certificates make up 30.9%. Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Macquarie Hills has 34 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 316 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing 117 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside Macquarie Hills, with cars being the primary mode of transport at 97%. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 26.2% of residents work from home, which may be attributed to COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 45 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 9 weekly trips per stop.

Macquarie Hills's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Macquarie Hills' health metrics closely align with national benchmarks. Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups, with mental health issues affecting 10.5% of residents and asthma impacting 9.3%.

Approximately 58% (~2,079 people) have private health cover, compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW. About 67.2% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 63.3% across Regional NSW. Health outcomes among working-age residents are typical. The area has 12.1% (437 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Regional NSW's 23.4%. National rankings for health outcomes are broadly in line with the general population.

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, showed low cultural diversity with 90.9% Australian-born population, 94.7% citizens, and 94.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion at 53.2%, compared to 55.9% regionally. Top ancestral groups were Australian (32.0%), English (29.5%), and Scottish (8.3%).

Notable ethnic group disparities included Welsh at 0.8% (regional: 0.5%), Polish at 0.9% (regional: 0.5%), and Macedonian at 0.4%.

Macquarie Hills's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age of Macquarie Hills is 34, which is lower than the Regional NSW figure of 43 and also significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in Macquarie Hills at 16.6%, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 7.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 15.1% to 16.7% of the population, and the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 15.4% to 16.6%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 9.7% to 8.2%, and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 8.9% to 7.7%. Demographic modeling suggests that Macquarie Hills's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand notably, increasing by 209 people (35%) from 599 to 809. Conversely, both the 75 to 84 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.