Fennell Bay
With a median age of 45, Fennell Bay runs 5 years above the national figure, making it one of the more mature residential pockets on the shores of Lake Macquarie. The 1,780-person suburb sits on 2.72 km2, with a density of 654 people per km2. Owner-occupiers, whether outright (40.6%) or under mortgage (35.1%), account for nearly 76% of dwellings, a share well above the national renter mix. Household income at the 36.3rd percentile nationally signals a middle-lower income profile, yet the median house price reached $761,000 in the latest period, putting purchase costs under real pressure for local buyers.
Population
1,780
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,375/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
17
Median House
$761K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price is $761,000, derived from the PSI index for 2024-2025. Prices moved from $704,500 in 2024 to $801,000 in 2025, a 13.7% one-year lift, with the 2025 peak still standing at $801,000. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,734, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 88.1%, with three-bedroom dwellings the most common at 48.0% and four-plus bedrooms at 32.8%, meaning buyers typically access good-sized family homes rather than apartments. With 5.9% apartments and 6.0% semi-detached, unit-style entry points are limited but do exist at lower price levels than the house median.
For Buyers
The median house price is $761,000, derived from the PSI index for 2024-2025. Prices moved from $704,500 in 2024 to $801,000 in 2025, a 13.7% one-year lift, with the 2025 peak still standing at $801,000. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,734, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 88.1%, with three-bedroom dwellings the most common at 48.0% and four-plus bedrooms at 32.8%, meaning buyers typically access good-sized family homes rather than apartments. With 5.9% apartments and 6.0% semi-detached, unit-style entry points are limited but do exist at lower price levels than the house median.
For Investors
Renters account for 24.3% of households, a smaller pool than the national average, which moderates rental demand. Weekly rent sits at $368, and against the $761,000 median that implies a gross yield of around 2.5%, below what most investors target. The vacancy rate at 5.3% is elevated compared to the national benchmark, pointing to soft rental demand in the short term. Development activity is low at 15 applications in the past 12 months, primarily alterations and garages rather than new supply, so the stock profile is largely settled. The 13.7% price growth over one year is a positive capital signal, but yield compression and the above-average vacancy rate mean investors need a clear long-horizon thesis.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
17
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-10.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Fennell Bay iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Fennell Bay Public School
K-6 · 159 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national figure, and the identity of this suburb as an aging-resident base is reinforced by the household composition: 33.8% of families are couples without children and the average household size is 2.4, slightly below national. Overseas-born residents sit at 10.7%, which is 10.9 percentage points below national, and ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (780), Scottish (214) and Irish (198). University qualifications reach 21.9%, sitting 8.2 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, community services and healthcare rather than professional roles. Volunteering at 13.0% reflects a reasonably active community given the size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.1%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
5.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by owners: 40.6% own outright and 35.1% hold a mortgage, with just 24.3% renting. The high outright-ownership rate relative to mortgage holders suggests a settled, older resident base that purchased well before recent price rises. Separate houses make up 88.1% of stock, one of the higher detached-dominant readings seen in NSW lakeside suburbs, with semi-detached and apartments each around 6%. Three-bedroom homes account for 48.0% and four-plus bedrooms for 32.8%, so the suburb is overwhelmingly family-scale housing. The median house price lifted 13.7% from $704,500 to $801,000 between 2024 and 2025, the most recent data available. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1% and rent-to-income of 26.8% both sit just under stress thresholds, leaving most households manageable.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,734
Rent / wk
$368
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$700
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.3%
Unoccupied
39
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.8%
Couples, no children
1,383
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 21.0% of the workforce (106 workers), roughly consistent with the aging population profile requiring more care services. Education follows at 11.9% (60 workers) and Construction at 11.5% (58), reflecting the trades orientation of the suburb. Professional/Tech and Retail each account for under 8%. By occupation, Professionals (136) and Community/Personal service workers (119) top the list, with Clerical/Admin (93) and Labourers (84) also significant. The unemployment rate is 5.4% against a participation rate of 49.5%, both of which indicate a substantial share of residents outside the labour force (619 people), linked to the older age profile. Personal weekly income averages $700, below the state median, which aligns with the household income percentile of 36.3 nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.6%
Part-time
36.0%
Participation
49.5%
Employed
712
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.9%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
10.7%
Dwellings
698
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 93.2% of workers drive to work and public transport use is just 1.4%, well below the state average for NSW, reflecting the low-density lakeside location with limited bus frequency. Walking or cycling accounts for another 1.4%. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in the dataset, so families travel to neighbouring areas for schooling. Detailed crime statistics are not available for Fennell Bay. The suburb does score positively on housing stress: mortgage-to-income at 29.1% and rent-to-income at 26.8% both stay below the 30% stress line. Residents needing daily assistance account for 6.5% (109 people), higher than average, consistent with the older demographic profile and the 45-year median age that runs above the national figure.
Drive
93.2%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Fennell Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fennell Bay a good suburb to live in?
Fennell Bay suits buyers seeking detached family homes in a quiet Lake Macquarie setting. It has a median age of 45 (5 years above national), owner-occupier rates near 76%, and mortgage-to-income of 29.1%, below the stress threshold. The trade-offs are high car dependency (93.2% drive), limited public transport, and no recorded schools inside the suburb.
What is the median house price in Fennell Bay?
The median house price is $761,000 based on PSI-derived data for 2024-2025. Prices rose 13.7% from $704,500 in 2024 to $801,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,734, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1%.
What schools are in Fennell Bay?
No schools are recorded within the Fennell Bay suburb boundary in this dataset. Families access schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents sit at 21.9%, which is 8.2 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting the trades and services workforce profile.
Is Fennell Bay safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Fennell Bay in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low with both mortgage-to-income (29.1%) and rent-to-income (26.8%) below the 30% threshold. The suburb has a stable resident base: 79.5% of residents remained at the same address over the measured period.
Is Fennell Bay good for property investment?
Price growth of 13.7% over one year to a median of $801,000 (2025) is positive, but the 5.3% vacancy rate is elevated and the gross rental yield against $368 weekly rent is around 2.5%, below typical targets. Renters make up 24.3% of households, a smaller pool than national averages, which moderates demand.
How is Fennell Bay's population changing?
The population is 1,780 with a stable, aging profile. The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national figure. Resident turnover is low at 20.5%, with 79.5% staying at the same address, and the overseas-born share of 10.7% is 10.9 points below national, indicating limited migration-driven growth.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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