Charlestown
Retail gravity is the first thing you notice in Charlestown, but the suburb is still strongly detached and residential. Its 13,601 residents sit on 7.12 sq km, with 76.2% separate houses and only 8.9% apartments, so it feels less dense than nearby Kotara and less lake-oriented than Warners Bay. Household income sits at the 66.6 percentile, above the national middle, while the median house price is $870,000 and the vacancy rate is 5.2%. The result is a practical Lake Macquarie hub where amenity comes from services and schools rather than rapid population growth.
Population
13,601
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,839/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
169
Median House
$870K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Charlestown suits buyers wanting a conventional house format because 76.2% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.4% have 3 bedrooms. The median house price is $870,000, while the latest quarterly median reached $905,000 in 2025, above the 2024 level of $825,000. Mortgage costs take 25.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, and 29.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Apartment choice is limited at 8.9%, so downsizers and first-home buyers chasing lower-maintenance stock face a narrower pool than in denser centres.
For Buyers
Charlestown suits buyers wanting a conventional house format because 76.2% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.4% have 3 bedrooms. The median house price is $870,000, while the latest quarterly median reached $905,000 in 2025, above the 2024 level of $825,000. Mortgage costs take 25.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, and 29.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Apartment choice is limited at 8.9%, so downsizers and first-home buyers chasing lower-maintenance stock face a narrower pool than in denser centres.
For Investors
The investment case is mixed rather than momentum-driven. Renters make up 26.7% of households and median rent is $400 a week, with rent absorbing 21.8% of income, below acute stress levels. A 5.2% vacancy rate is higher than a tight market, so landlords need to compete on condition and location. The offset is activity: 156 development applications in 12 months point to continuing commercial and renovation work. Forecast migration is also split, with +64 net overseas migrants a year compared with -53 net internal moves, keeping demand steadier than the headline growth rate suggests.
Development Activity
Total DAs
902
Last 12 Months
169
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+9.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Charlestown iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Primary School
K-6 · 361 students
Charlestown South Public School
K-6 · 235 students
Charlestown Public School
K-6 · 234 students
Charlestown East Public School
K-6 · 319 students
Hillsborough Public School
K-6 · 164 students
Demographics
Charlestown is comparatively settled and locally rooted. The median age is 38, which is 2.0 years below the national benchmark, yet the forecast trajectory is aging as the senior share has risen 4.6 points. Overseas-born residents are 13.6%, which is 8.0 points below national levels, and English ancestry is prominent at 5,735 people, followed by Scottish at 1,765 and Irish at 1,698. Education levels are stronger than average, with 36.2% university-qualified, 6.1 points above national, helping explain the suburb's 66.6 household income percentile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.2%
Houses
14.9%
Townhouse
8.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Charlestown's housing market has lifted quickly across the short price series. The quarterly median rose from $825,000 in 2024 to $905,000 in 2025, a 9.7% gain, with the latest quarter also the peak and 0.0% below that peak. Ownership is relatively balanced: 35.2% own outright, 38.1% have a mortgage and 26.7% rent. Compared with denser parts of Newcastle, supply remains house-led because 76.2% of dwellings are separate homes and 14.9% are semi-detached. Mortgage burden at 25.1% of income is lower than severe stress, which supports upgrader demand.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$880
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
293
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.5%
Couples, no children
10,813
Total families
Economy & Employment
Charlestown's workforce is anchored in services, with healthcare the largest industry at 24.1% and 1,214 workers. Education follows at 13.0%, then construction at 10.2%, professional and tech at 8.7%, and public admin at 7.0%. Professionals are the biggest occupation group at 1,869 people, above clerical and admin at 967 and community and personal service at 884. The unemployment rate is 4.2% and participation is 61.4%. SEIFA scores are consistent rather than polarised: IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all sit in decile 6, slightly above the national middle.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
3,321
Unemployed
102
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.9%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
61.4%
Employed
6,512
Occupations
Top Industries
University
36.2%
Postgraduate
8.0%
Born Overseas
13.6%
Dwellings
5,290
Transport to Work
Charlestown is convenient if daily life is car-based. Car driving accounts for 88.6% of commuting, compared with only 1.6% using public transport and 3.5% walking or cycling, so access depends heavily on roads and parking. Schools are a stronger point: 5 local primary schools span ICSEA 1020 to 1102, led by Catholic St Joseph's Primary School at 1102, Government Charlestown South Public School at 1075 and Charlestown Public School at 1037. IRSAD decile 6 sits above the national middle, reinforcing the suburb's solid but not elite livability profile.
Drive
88.6%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.02%/yr
(+1 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is expected to be very slow. The trend rate is 0.02% a year, equal to about 1 additional person annually, which is lower than a typical greenfield growth corridor. The medium path moves only from 4,785 in 2026 to 4,791 in 2031. Migration is the main offset: overseas migration adds an average of 64 people a year, compared with net internal migration of -53. The suburb is classified as not gentrifying, with a gentrification score of 0, while the shift indicators show aging, +4.6 points in senior share and -1.6 points in young share.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+64
Net Internal / yr
-53
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Charlestown compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Charlestown a good suburb to live in?
Yes, especially for households wanting services, primary schools and detached housing. It has 13,601 residents, 76.2% separate houses and 5 local schools, while income sits at the 66.6 percentile, above the national middle.
What is the median house price in Charlestown?
The median house price is $870,000. The latest quarterly median in the price series was $905,000 in 2025, up from $825,000 in 2024, a 9.7% increase across 1 year.
What schools are in Charlestown?
Charlestown has 5 local primary schools. The highest ICSEA is St Joseph's Primary School at 1102, followed by Charlestown South Public School at 1075 and Charlestown Public School at 1037.
Is Charlestown safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so buyers should inspect individual streets and current local reports. For context, Charlestown has 13,601 residents, 5 schools and 88.6% car commuting, making it a busy suburban centre.
Is Charlestown good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking established demand rather than high growth. Renters are 26.7% of households, median rent is $400 a week and vacancy is 5.2%, which is higher than a very tight rental market.
How is Charlestown's population changing?
Population growth is forecast to be almost flat at 0.02% a year, or about 1 person annually. Overseas migration averages +64 people a year, but internal migration averages -53, so the net effect is modest.
What development is happening in Charlestown?
There were 156 development applications in the past 12 months, including commercial, retail and recreation-related works. That level of activity is high compared with the suburb's very low 0.02% annual population growth.
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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