Buttaba
With 97% of dwellings being separate houses and 45.7% owned outright, Buttaba reads as one of NSW's most settled, owner-occupier suburbs. The population of 1,204 sits on a compact 1.93 km2 footprint near Lake Macquarie, and the median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, reflecting a largely established, family-oriented community. Household income ranks at the 68.2nd percentile nationally, and the low 11.5% renter share means demand here is driven almost entirely by owner-occupiers rather than investment buyers.
Population
1,204
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,875/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$835K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $835,000 sits within reach for a household at the 68.2nd percentile nationally, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Prices moved from $819,250 in 2024 to $915,000 in 2025, an 11.7% gain over the year, one of the stronger short-term moves in the Lake Macquarie region. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97%, with 51.4% having 4 or more bedrooms and 40.5% having 3, so the suburb suits families needing space rather than buyers looking for compact dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, which is manageable compared to many NSW coastal markets where repayments exceed $3,000.
For Buyers
The median house price of $835,000 sits within reach for a household at the 68.2nd percentile nationally, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Prices moved from $819,250 in 2024 to $915,000 in 2025, an 11.7% gain over the year, one of the stronger short-term moves in the Lake Macquarie region. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97%, with 51.4% having 4 or more bedrooms and 40.5% having 3, so the suburb suits families needing space rather than buyers looking for compact dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, which is manageable compared to many NSW coastal markets where repayments exceed $3,000.
For Investors
With only 11.5% of dwellings rented, Buttaba is not a rental-driven market. Weekly rent of $410 against a median house price of $835,000 implies a gross yield around 2.6%, below what most investors target. The 7.1% vacancy rate is elevated for a suburb of 1,204 residents, suggesting limited rental demand rather than oversupply in an absolute sense. Development activity is modest at 12 applications in 12 months, mostly alterations and additions rather than new supply. The 11.7% price growth from 2024 to 2025 is a positive signal, but with 84.9% of residents having stayed in place over the prior year, turnover is low and listings are infrequent.
Development Activity
Total DAs
72
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-27.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Buttaba's median age of 43 sits 3.0 years above the national median, pointing to an older, settled resident base. Overseas-born residents account for 10.4% of the population, which is 11.2 percentage points below the national figure, giving the suburb a strongly local-born character. Ancestry is dominated by English (583 residents), Scottish (145) and Irish (119) backgrounds. University qualifications reach 24.8%, which is 5.3 points below national, consistent with a trades and services workforce. The average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national average, and 35.8% of families are couples with children, reflecting the family-oriented character of the suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.0%
Houses
1.8%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The ownership profile is dominated by outright owners at 45.7%, with a further 42.9% on mortgages, leaving just 11.5% renting. This tenure split is characteristic of a long-established suburb where many residents have paid down their loans. The stock is almost exclusively separate houses at 97%, compared to the NSW state average where apartments account for a much larger share. Over half the homes, 51.4%, have 4 or more bedrooms, which is higher than most suburban averages. The median price moved from $819,250 in 2024 to $915,000 in 2025, a gain of 11.7%. Rent-to-income sits at 21.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, so current tenants are not under financial pressure.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$786
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
33
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.7%
Couples, no children
1,059
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 19.1% of employed residents (67 workers), followed closely by Education at 18.2% (64 workers), together accounting for more than a third of local employment. Construction at 11.4% and Manufacturing at 9.1% reflect the broader Lake Macquarie economy, which has a stronger trades base than inner-city areas. Professionals form the largest occupation group at 118 workers, ahead of Community/Personal Service (69) and Managers (67). The unemployment rate of 4.9% is slightly above typical suburban rates, and the participation rate of 55.2% is lower than average, partly because 388 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age of 43.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.4%
Part-time
30.7%
Participation
55.2%
Employed
522
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
434
Transport to Work
Buttaba is highly car-dependent: 93.2% of residents drive to work, while only 0.8% use public transport, well below the national average for public transport use. Walking and cycling account for 2.2%. This is typical of a lake-side suburb without a train line. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The volunteering rate of 13.1% is a positive community indicator. Rent-to-income at 21.9% and mortgage-to-income at 26.7% are both below stress thresholds, pointing to a financially stable resident base. The 6.3% of residents needing daily assistance is a modest figure for a suburb with a median age of 43.
Drive
93.2%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Buttaba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buttaba a good suburb to live in?
Buttaba suits owner-occupier families looking for a quiet lake-side community. With 97% separate houses, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7% below the 30% stress threshold, and 45.7% of homes owned outright, financial stability is a hallmark. The main trade-offs are limited public transport at just 0.8% usage and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Buttaba?
The median house price is $835,000, with recent data showing a move from $819,250 in 2024 to $915,000 in 2025, a gain of 11.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167. Weekly rent is $410 for the 11.5% of dwellings that are rented.
What schools are in Buttaba?
No schools are recorded inside the Buttaba suburb boundary in this dataset, so families with school-age children rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Lake Macquarie area. The suburb's 24.8% university qualification rate is 5.3 points below the national figure.
Is Buttaba safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Buttaba in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a financially stable population with household income at the 68.2nd percentile nationally and mortgage-to-income of 26.7%, both associated with lower disadvantage. The 84.9% resident retention rate also suggests a settled, low-stress community.
Is Buttaba good for property investment?
The short-term price growth of 11.7% from 2024 to 2025 is a positive signal, but the 11.5% renter share and $410 weekly rent against an $835,000 median imply a gross yield around 2.6%, below standard investment targets. The 7.1% vacancy rate and modest 12 DAs in 12 months suggest limited rental demand growth in the near term.
How is Buttaba's population changing?
Buttaba has a population of 1,204 and a settled demographic profile. The 15.1% turnover rate means 84.9% of residents did not move in the prior year, which is low compared to higher-churn markets. The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, so the community is gradually aging rather than growing rapidly through new arrivals.
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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