Is my property at risk? How to find the crime rates of different areas on the coast.
The Central Coast has is a beautiful place to live and if you are considering moving here we would recommend that you do. It's important to have an understanding of the different crime rates in different areas of the Central Coast before purchasing a property. These maps provide a very rough guide so have a look at them with a grain of salt, talk to the neighbours and have a feel for the area yourself as well.
The areas are sometimes a bit too inclusive so a smaller area of high crime within them can overinflate the area - or there may just be small petty crimes that aren't big enough to call the police about. Anecdotally we had some thongs stolen from North Avoca which has a very low crime rate of 10/100, take everything with a grain of salt. Main areas around trainstations will generally have higher rates of crime as well. Here is how to find the maps though.
Where do I find out what the crime rates of different suburbs are in the Central Coast?
The NSW Bereau of Crime Statistics and Research has many interesting maps, they really only split the Central Coast into the old two LGAs - Gosford and Wyong so it can be a bit frustrating to get nuanced data from them. What we found most useful was the redsuburbs map which shows the areas most affected by crime on the Central Coast. The only thing is that you can only use it for free for 30 minutes, so put together a list before you begin. Here is how to navigate it.
Click on the redsuburbs map here:
2. Zoom in on the Central Coast:
3. Hover over the suburb you are looking at to see its rating (the higher the number the worse the crime rate is in the suburb), you can click on the suburb for a breakdown with further information).
If my site in a high crime risk area, what should I do?
If you are looking at an area in a high crime zone, go to the area and get a feel for it, many of these areas are too big to give you a nuanced picture - if you can talk to the neighbours, see what they think, they will generally have a very good idea. Your safety is one of the most important factors in where you live. It effects you and your family, these maps are only a rough guide, there are often many very safe small closes and other areas even in areas of higher crime. Ask yourself - if I were a criminal could I be bothered walking or driving here? This is just one data set among many so take it with a grain of salt and talk to the people in the area.