Thinking about buying your first home in Lakemba (2195)? This page brings together 17 data cards from NSW government, the ABS, Transport for NSW, and Domain auction results to help you decide if Lakemba is the right fit. The analysis covers affordability and FHB scheme eligibility, schools and childcare, dealbreakers like flood and bushfire, and how the suburb is changing. Jump between the four sections using the sticky navigation, or scroll through the full analysis below.
Is Lakemba a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Lakemba (2195) scores a Stickybeak Grade across safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle. Scroll down for the full 17-card analysis, or use the section navigation to jump to what matters most.
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33 min
37 min
32 min
40 min
23 min
Approximate off-peak driving times: straight-line distance × a Sydney detour factor at 35 km/h. Real road times will vary. Saved on this device.
The verdict
Who it is for
Lakemba suits buyers who want a walkable, well-connected inner-west-adjacent suburb at a unit price that still has some room below the Sydney median. At $450,000 for a unit, it is one of the more affordable entry points in the Canterbury-Bankstown corridor, and the 67 transport options within 1.6 km make a car-optional lifestyle genuinely plausible. The median age of 32 and dense amenity mix, including 15 supermarkets and 18 cafes nearby, suits younger households comfortable in a high-density, multicultural neighbourhood.
Who would not love it
Families expecting a house will find slim pickings. Separate houses make up just 26% of stock, and the median house price of $1,480,000 is steep for a SEIFA decile-1 suburb with no public secondary school in the postcode. The owner-occupier rate of 39% means the neighbourhood skews heavily toward renters, which affects street-level stability and community feel. First home buyers cannot access the First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme at the median house price, removing a meaningful financial lever.
What to verify before you bid
- The unit median of $450,000 covers 257 sales, but strata levies and building condition vary sharply across a suburb that is 70% flats. Request a full strata report and check the capital works fund before you commit. - Four medical services within 1.6 km sounds adequate, but confirm your GP and any specialist you rely on bulk-bills, given the area's low median household income of $1,227 per week signals limited local health infrastructure investment. - The ICSEA mean of 970 across the three local primaries sits below the national average of 1,000. If schooling is a priority, research individual school results and check your zoning carefully.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Lakemba?
BOCSAR · LAKEMBA 2195
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K4,47012 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY−44%Below Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Canterbury-Bankstown
Within LGA: Canterbury-Bankstown
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT49%237 reports
ASSAULT33%161 reports
AGAINST JUSTICE PROCEDURES17%84 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED52%
NON-DOMESTIC48%
Across 160 assault reports in this window.
DV-flagged assault has risen statewide as reporting has improved. Compare with caution to suburbs whose population has changed materially.
BOCSAR Recorded Criminal Incidents · Updated March 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Air quality
Air quality in Lakemba
22
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
13:49 AEST
Lidcombe station · 4.9 km from centroid
12-month median:AQI 31 · Good
Air quality is generally safe for outdoor activity.
Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
5.3µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
11.0µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
0.8pphm
1hr reading
AQI · last 12 months · daily mean
Lidcombe station · 365 daily points
Source: NSW DCCEEW Air Quality API↗ (CC BY 4.0). Historical data updated weekly; live readings cached 60 minutes.
Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Based on 171 new bond lodgements this quarter.
Rents here sit around the Sydney middle. A balance of rental stock and owner-occupier demand.
Median weekly rent · Unit · 2 bed
$520per week
Sep 2025 · 171 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Punchbowl2196
$550▲$30
1.5 km away
Campsie2194
$590▲$70
2.8 km away
Beverly Hills2209
$600▲$80
3.2 km away
Kingsgrove2208
$600▲$80
3.3 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board↗ · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.
DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2195
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2195. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare Lakemba with another suburb
Also in Canterbury-Bankstown
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Canterbury-Bankstown postcodes, or explore the full Canterbury-Bankstown suburb index.
Lakemba is the primary suburb with postcode 2195 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Lakemba is the main locality.
Which local government area is Lakemba in?
Lakemba (2195) is located in the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Lakemba?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Lakemba (2195) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Lakemba flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Lakemba. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Lakemba?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Lakemba (2195), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Lakemba (2195) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Lakemba (2195). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Lakemba changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Lakemba (2195) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
