Cardiff
Healthcare employs 26.4% of Cardiff's workforce, more than double the next industry, and that single fact shapes much of the suburb's character. Sitting in Lake Macquarie at a $791,000 median house price, Cardiff is a detached-house market where 82.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 6.2% are apartments. Household income lands in the 47.3rd percentile nationally, close to the midpoint, and SEIFA places the area at decile 5 to 6 across its four indexes. The median age of 38 runs 2.0 years below national, and 11.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 10.6 points below the national figure, marking Cardiff as an Anglo-leaning, working family suburb.
Population
6,318
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,512/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
82
Median House
$791K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $791,000 median, Cardiff buys a genuine detached house rather than a unit, because 82.6% of the stock is separate houses and apartments account for just 6.2%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.5%, with 4-plus bedroom houses at 19.9% and two-bedroom dwellings at 26.4%, so the supply skews to family layouts. Recorded sales rose from $750,000 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025, a 10.7% one-year move that has pushed entry costs higher. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is why owner-occupiers hold the majority here: 30.7% own outright and 37.6% carry a mortgage, against 31.7% who rent.
For Buyers
At a $791,000 median, Cardiff buys a genuine detached house rather than a unit, because 82.6% of the stock is separate houses and apartments account for just 6.2%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.5%, with 4-plus bedroom houses at 19.9% and two-bedroom dwellings at 26.4%, so the supply skews to family layouts. Recorded sales rose from $750,000 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025, a 10.7% one-year move that has pushed entry costs higher. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is why owner-occupiers hold the majority here: 30.7% own outright and 37.6% carry a mortgage, against 31.7% who rent.
For Investors
Renters make up 31.7% of Cardiff households and weekly rent averages $375, which against the $791,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, modest but stronger than premium Sydney suburbs. The vacancy rate of 5.3% is on the higher side, so tenant demand is steady rather than tight, and landlords compete on a stock that is 82.6% separate houses rather than easily turned-over apartments. Development activity is moderate at 76 applications in the past 12 months, weighted toward pools, a group home and a vehicle repair station rather than large new dwelling supply, so existing houses retain their scarcity. With prices up 10.7% in a year and rents underpinned by Healthcare employment at 26.4% of the workforce, the case rests more on capital growth and stable occupancy than on high yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
416
Last 12 Months
82
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cardiff iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Kevin's Primary School
K-6 · 130 students
Cardiff North Public School
K-6 · 149 students
Cardiff Public School
K-6 · 283 students
Cardiff High School
7-12 · 778 students
Demographics
Cardiff's median age of 38 is 2.0 years below national, a younger profile that fits its family-and-trades base. Overseas-born residents reach just 11.0%, which is 10.6 points below the national figure, and ancestry leans heavily Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,588), Scottish (721) and Irish (660). University qualifications sit at 26.8%, 3.3 points below national, consistent with a workforce concentrated in healthcare, construction and clerical roles rather than knowledge sectors. Average household size is 2.4, marginally below the national 2.5, and Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 2,942 residents, far ahead of Hinduism (53) and Buddhism (46). Couples with children form 1,881 of 4,829 families, outnumbering the 1,338 couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.6%
Houses
11.0%
Townhouse
6.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Cardiff favours owners: 30.7% own outright and 37.6% hold a mortgage, leaving 31.7% renting. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 82.6% separate houses, with semi-detached at 11.0% and apartments only 6.2%, so the market is built around family homes. Three-bedroom dwellings are the backbone at 49.5%, while 4-plus bedroom homes reach 19.9%. Recorded median prices climbed from $750,000 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025, a 10.7% rise, and the dataset median house price reads $791,000. The price-to-income picture stays manageable because mortgage-to-income is 26.5% and rent-to-income 24.8%, both below the 30% stress line, which is why neither stress flag is triggered despite household income sitting only in the 47.3rd percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$375
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$780
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.3%
Unoccupied
143
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.7%
Couples, no children
4,829
Total families
Economy & Employment
Cardiff's workforce is anchored by Healthcare at 26.4% (525 workers), well ahead of Construction at 11.0% (218) and Education at 10.8% (214), with Public Admin (135) and Professional/Tech (128) trailing. By occupation, Professionals (617) lead but Community and Personal Service workers (449), Clerical/Admin (385) and Labourers (285) reflect a practical, services-and-trades economy. The full-time employment rate is 62.0% and unemployment runs at 6.5%, above the typical metropolitan reading, while participation is 56.8% with 1,783 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA scores the area mid-range: decile 6 on IRSD and IER but decile 5 on IRSAD and IEO, the lower education-occupation decile explained by university attainment 3.3 points below national.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.0%
Part-time
31.5%
Participation
56.8%
Employed
2,764
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.8%
Postgraduate
5.4%
Born Overseas
11.0%
Dwellings
2,546
Transport to Work
Cardiff is built around the car: 90.8% of commuters drive, while only 2.1% use public transport and 1.7% walk or cycle, well below inner-city patterns and a function of its Lake Macquarie location away from heavy rail density. SEIFA places the suburb mid-range at decile 5 on IRSAD and decile 6 on IRSD, meaning relative disadvantage is moderate rather than acute, and just 7.5% of residents (448 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 11.5%, a sign of community engagement in a stable, family-oriented area where 73.8% of residents have stayed put. No schools are recorded inside the 5.16 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs, a practical trade-off for the detached, lower-density setting.
Drive
90.8%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cardiff compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cardiff a good suburb to live in?
Cardiff suits owner-occupier families: 82.6% of dwellings are separate houses, the median age of 38 is 2.0 years below national, and mortgage-to-income at 26.5% stays below the 30% stress line. SEIFA scores it mid-range at decile 5 to 6, with household income in the 47.3rd percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Cardiff?
The median house price is $791,000. Recorded sales rose 10.7% from $750,000 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $375 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Cardiff?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.16 km2 Cardiff boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs. University qualifications among residents sit at 26.8%, which is 3.3 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and services workforce.
Is Cardiff safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Cardiff in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, mid to upper range, and only 7.5% of its 6,318 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a moderate-disadvantage area.
Is Cardiff good for property investment?
Rent of $375 a week against a $791,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, modest but above premium Sydney markets. The 5.3% vacancy rate points to steady rather than tight demand, while prices rose 10.7% in a year, so the case leans on capital growth more than yield.
How is Cardiff's population changing?
Cardiff houses 6,318 residents at a density of 1,223 per km2 and reads as an established suburb. Residential stability is high, with 73.8% of residents having stayed put and turnover at 26.2%, below transient rental suburbs. The median age of 38 sits 2.0 years below national, keeping the base family-driven.
How much development is happening in Cardiff?
There were 76 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are minor works such as pools, a group home and a vehicle repair station rather than large new dwelling supply, which keeps the 82.6% detached-house stock scarce in an established area.
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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