Glendale
At a median house price of $781,200 and a 13.1% one-year price gain, Glendale stands out in Lake Macquarie as an accessible but fast-moving market. The suburb's 3,260 residents lean heavily Anglo-Celtic, with overseas-born at just 9.2%, which is 12.4 percentage points below the national figure. Detached houses make up 87% of dwellings, well above typical metropolitan averages, and household incomes sit at the 47th percentile nationally, making this a median-income, detached-house suburb where prices moved sharply faster than incomes in 2024-2025.
Population
3,260
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,514/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
52
Median House
$880K
12m to Jun 2026 (PSI)
The median house price reached $781,200 in the 2024-2025 period, up from $715,000 in 2024, a 13.1% gain in a single year. Separate houses dominate at 87% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 7.9% and apartments at just 4.7%, so buyers have a clear detached-house market rather than competing across different product types. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.4% of stock and four-plus bedrooms for 24.5%, meaning family-sized homes are the norm. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is one reason buyers remain active. At 30.7% owned outright and 35.9% with a mortgage, ownership is broadly distributed rather than concentrated.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $781,200 in the 2024-2025 period, up from $715,000 in 2024, a 13.1% gain in a single year. Separate houses dominate at 87% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 7.9% and apartments at just 4.7%, so buyers have a clear detached-house market rather than competing across different product types. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.4% of stock and four-plus bedrooms for 24.5%, meaning family-sized homes are the norm. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is one reason buyers remain active. At 30.7% owned outright and 35.9% with a mortgage, ownership is broadly distributed rather than concentrated.
For Investors
The renter share is 33.4%, providing a meaningful tenant pool, and weekly rent of $360 implies a gross yield around 2.4% against the $781,200 median, modest but in line with regional NSW norms. Vacancy sits at 4.5%, above typical sub-3% landlord-friendly markets, suggesting some supply overhang. Development activity is active, with 46 applications lodged in the past 12 months including secondary dwellings and structural additions, indicating residents are investing in the existing stock. The 13.1% price growth over one year exceeded typical national median house price gains, though from a two-point dataset this cannot be extrapolated as a trend. Rent-to-income at 23.8% keeps tenants comfortable and limits rent stress, which supports stable tenancy rather than high yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
207
Last 12 Months
52
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+20.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glendale iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Newcastle Waldorf School
K-12 · 237 students
Holy Cross Primary School
K-6 · 153 students
Glendale East Public School
K-6 · 232 students
Glendale Technology High School
7-12 · 802 students
Demographics
The median age is 36, four years below the national figure, giving Glendale a comparatively younger age profile than the national average. University qualifications reach 24.2%, which is 5.9 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a trade and services workforce. Overseas-born residents are just 9.2%, sitting 12.4 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English leads at 1,353 residents, followed by Scottish (349) and Irish (310). Average household size is 2.5, matching the national figure. Couples with children represent 980 families compared to 633 couples without children, and the volunteering rate of 11.3% reflects a moderately engaged community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.0%
Houses
7.9%
Townhouse
4.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure structure is balanced: 30.7% own outright, 35.9% carry a mortgage and 33.4% rent, which is a relatively even three-way split compared to suburbs where ownership strongly dominates. The stock is 87% separate houses, well above metropolitan state averages, reinforcing Glendale's character as a low-density residential area. Three-bedroom homes are the plurality at 50.4%, with four-plus bedrooms at 24.5% showing significant family-home demand. Price history shows a sharp move: $715,000 in 2024 rising to $808,500 in 2025, representing 13.1% growth. The PSI-derived median for the period sits at $781,200. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 are more manageable than comparable Sydney markets, partly because household incomes at the 47th national percentile are closer to the median than in premium markets.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (12m to Jun 2026 (PSI))
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (January to March 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $360.
$700
Bond data Mar 2026 · houses $720 · units $500
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$736
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.5%
Couples, no children
2,583
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates employment at 23.4% of local workers (233 people), more than double the second-ranked industry, Education at 11.7%. Construction is third at 10.9%, followed by Professional/Tech at 7.8% and Manufacturing at 7.0%. This healthcare-led profile is common in Lake Macquarie, driven by proximity to the John Hunter Hospital cluster. By occupation, Professionals lead at 279 workers, with Community/Personal Service (216) and Clerical/Admin (215) close behind. The unemployment rate is 5.9%, above the national average, and the participation rate of 57.9% is below typical metropolitan levels, partly because 907 residents are not in the labour force. Glendale's SEIFA IRSD decile of 6 places it in the middle tier of relative disadvantage nationally, with IEO at decile 5, below the national median on education and occupation measures.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.3%
Part-time
30.8%
Participation
57.9%
Employed
1,440
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.2%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
9.2%
Dwellings
1,273
Transport to Work
Car dependence is very high: 89.4% of residents drive to work, compared to national averages where a larger share uses public transport or active travel. Public transport use is just 2.0% and walking or cycling 2.6%, reflecting the low-density, car-oriented layout typical of Lake Macquarie. No schools are recorded inside the Glendale boundary in this dataset, though the surrounding Lake Macquarie area has established school infrastructure. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb in the current dataset. As an indirect indicator, the IRSD decile of 6 places Glendale in a middle-tier disadvantage band nationally, above the bottom half but below the more advantaged deciles. Housing stress is limited, with rent-to-income at 23.8% and mortgage-to-income at 26.4%, both below the 30% stress threshold. The need-assistance rate is 7.9% (245 people), in line with typical middle-decile suburbs.
Drive
89.4%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Glendale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glendale a good suburb to live in?
Glendale offers affordable detached housing relative to Sydney, with a median house price of $781,200 and mortgage-to-income of 26.4%, below the 30% stress threshold. The suburb ranks at IRSD decile 6 nationally, middle-tier on disadvantage measures. Car ownership is near-universal at 89.4%, so households need a vehicle to live comfortably here.
What is the median house price in Glendale?
The median house price is $781,200 for the 2024-2025 period, up 13.1% from $715,000 in 2024. The peak recorded price in available data is $808,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $360 and monthly mortgage repayments run $1,733.
What schools are in Glendale?
No schools are recorded inside the Glendale boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs. Locally, 24.2% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 5.9 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a trade and services workforce profile.
Is Glendale safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Glendale in this dataset. As an indirect measure, the suburb sits at SEIFA IRSD decile 6 nationally, placing it in the middle tier rather than the high-disadvantage band. Mortgage and rent stress are both below the 30% threshold, which typically correlates with lower financial-pressure crime.
Is Glendale good for property investment?
The 13.1% price growth in one year (from $715,000 to $808,500) is notable, though based on two data points. Weekly rent of $360 against a $781,200 median implies a gross yield near 2.4%. The vacancy rate of 4.5% is above sub-3% landlord-friendly benchmarks, and the renter share of 33.4% gives a reasonable tenant pool.
How is Glendale's population changing?
Population forecast data is not available for Glendale in this dataset. The suburb has 3,260 residents, a median age of 36 (four years below national), and an annual turnover rate of 21.2%, with 78.8% of residents remaining in the suburb over the reference period. The younger age profile suggests steady household formation demand.
How much development is happening in Glendale?
There were 46 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including secondary dwellings, garages and structural additions. Activity is concentrated in upgrades to existing detached houses, consistent with an 87% separate-house suburb where owners improve in place rather than subdivide for new dwellings.
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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