Lake Macquarie crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales
Lake Macquarie is a suburb in the Lake Macquarie council area of New South Wales (about 224,540 residents in the council). The council has a Crime Score 43 out of 100 (moderate), 226th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (43rd percentile), sexual offences (61st percentile), homicide (48th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 49.
In 2025-26: violent 1,201 per 100,000 (+15% vs five years earlier); property 2,840 per 100,000 (-8% vs five years earlier); break-ins 295 per 100,000 (-15% vs five years earlier); theft 1,195 per 100,000 (+4% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 70th of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Lake Macquarie council area is 4.6% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 4.5% of occupied homes (3,057 public and 604 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 393 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 18.1 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 11.2% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, New Zealand, India. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 4.5% (confidence 85 of 100); social housing about 4.1% of homes; about 17.8 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 11.4% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
New South Wales publishes crime statistics by council area, not by suburb, so the figures shown for Lake Macquarie are those of the Lake Macquarie council area.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,201 | 2,697 | +15% |
| Property | 2,840 | 6,377 | -8% |
| Break-ins | 295 | 662 | -15% |
| Theft | 1,195 | 2,683 | +4% |
Lake Macquarie council area: full statistics · Interactive map of every council.
Crime in postcode 2283: every suburb and council it covers.
Questions
Is Lake Macquarie safe?
New South Wales publishes crime figures by council area, not by suburb. Lake Macquarie is in the Lake Macquarie council area, which recorded 1,200 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, close to the New South Wales rate (1,150) and about 6% lower than the national rate (1,280). These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
Nearby suburbs
Arcadia Vale · Awaba · Balcolyn · Balmoral · Blacksmiths · Brightwaters · Buttaba · Cams Wharf · Carey Bay · Caves Beach · Coal Point · Eraring · Fishing Point · Kilaben Bay · Little Pelican · Marks Point · Mirrabooka · Murrays Beach · Myuna Bay · Nords Wharf · Pelican · Pinny Beach · Rathmines · Sunshine · Swansea · Swansea Heads · Toronto · Wangi Wangi · Windermere Park · Yarrawonga Park
australiancrimerate.com.au/suburb/nsw/lake-macquarie/ · Australian Crime Map