Chittaway Bay
A detached-home suburb with a compact 1.12 sq km footprint, Chittaway Bay has 1,987 residents and a density of 1,780.9 people per sq km. Its 41-year median age is 1.0 year above the national figure, while household income sits at the 59.4th percentile. Compared with the broader suburban setting around nearby Berkeley Vale, Chittaway Bay presents as compact and house-focused, with 96.9% separate houses and 43.1% mortgaged households. Growth is modest at 0.37% annually, so its appeal is established streets, family-sized homes and stability rather than rapid change.
Local council: Central Coast (NSW)
Population
1,987
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,693/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
The buyer proposition centres on detached, family-sized housing: 96.9% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 1.3% apartments and 1.8% semi-detached homes. The floorplan mix is substantial, with 51.9% three-bedroom dwellings and 37.4% containing four or more bedrooms. A typical monthly mortgage commitment is $1,905, while mortgage payments equal 26.0% of household income, higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income share. This supports a conventional owner-occupier market, although buyers should budget for transport because 65.8% drive to work and only 0.5% use public transport.
For Buyers
The buyer proposition centres on detached, family-sized housing: 96.9% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 1.3% apartments and 1.8% semi-detached homes. The floorplan mix is substantial, with 51.9% three-bedroom dwellings and 37.4% containing four or more bedrooms. A typical monthly mortgage commitment is $1,905, while mortgage payments equal 26.0% of household income, higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income share. This supports a conventional owner-occupier market, although buyers should budget for transport because 65.8% drive to work and only 0.5% use public transport.
For Investors
Investor demand is likely to be selective rather than broad-based. Renting households account for 22.1%, below the 77.4% combined share of outright and mortgaged owners, so the tenant pool is smaller than the owner base. Weekly rent is $380 and vacancy is 4.4%, providing a starting point for yield assessment but not a guarantee of leasing speed. Only 4 development applications were recorded across the latest 12 months, limiting the immediate new-supply signal. Rent growth of 41.7% has been higher than the 0.37% annual population trend, so rental pricing has moved faster than local growth. Check insurance, maintenance and comparable sales before buying.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-69.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Chittaway Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Chittaway Bay has an older-than-national age profile: the median age is 41, or 1.0 year above the national comparison. Its university-qualified share is 21.5%, 8.6 percentage points below the national figure, and overseas-born residents comprise 12.8%, 8.8 points below nationally. English ancestry is recorded for 887 people, ahead of Irish at 236 and Scottish at 205. Christianity has 1,072 adherents versus 775 reporting no religion. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above the national comparison, while 81.8% stayed at the same address. That settled profile contrasts with the larger suburban catchment around nearby Berkeley Vale.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.9%
Houses
1.8%
Townhouse
1.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is unusually consistent: 96.9% of dwellings are separate houses, far higher than the 1.3% apartment share and 1.8% semi-detached share. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.9%, while 37.4% have four or more bedrooms, explaining the suburb's appeal to families and long-term owners. Tenure is anchored by 43.1% mortgaged households and 34.3% outright owners, with renting at 22.1%. Mortgage costs average $1,905 monthly against 26.0% of household income; rent is $380 weekly against 22.4%, so mortgage exposure is higher than rental exposure. Compared with nearby Berkeley Vale's broader setting, Chittaway Bay reads as a tighter detached-home market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,905
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $380.
$650
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $680 · units $525
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$757
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.4%
Unoccupied
34
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.2%
Couples with children
38.4%
Couples, no children
21.1%
Single parent
584
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 21.6% or 133 workers, followed by construction at 12.4% and 76, education at 10.7% and 66, manufacturing at 8.6% and 53, and public administration at 8.3% and 51. The occupation mix spans professionals at 154, trades at 142, community and personal services at 141, clerical and administration at 140, and labourers at 113, reducing reliance on one job type. The labour force totals 997, participation is 61.3% and unemployment is 4.3%, while 51.6% work full time. Household income is $1,693 weekly, at the 59.4th percentile. SEIFA is uneven: education and occupation is decile 4, economic resources decile 8, disadvantage decile 6 and advantage/disadvantage decile 5. The economic-resource ranking is higher than the education ranking because earnings and household resources are stronger than qualifications alone.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
997
Unemployed
43
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.6%
Part-time
36.8%
Participation
61.3%
Employed
954
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.5%
Postgraduate
4.7%
Born Overseas
12.8%
Dwellings
719
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 65.8% travel as car drivers, compared with 0.5% using public transport and 2.1% walking or cycling. Work-from-home is recorded for 27.0%, which can reduce commuting pressure for some households. Chittaway Bay has 1 local school, Chittaway Bay Public School, a government primary school; families should confirm enrolment zones against the exact address. The suburb's IRSAD decile is 5, close to the middle rather than the higher-resource profile suggested by its IER decile of 8. This supports practical family living, but transport choices are narrower than in rail-linked centres, so car ownership matters more. Current safety decisions should use local police information rather than infer risk from housing or demographic figures.
Drive
65.8%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
27.0%
Growth Outlook
Chittaway Bay is on a slow-growth path, with the annual trend at 0.37% and population change across the wider area at 5.0% over 10 years. Growth is driven primarily by overseas migration, yet the trajectory is labelled Aging: the senior share has risen 4.4 percentage points while the young share has fallen 2.0 points. That combination points to established demand from older owners and limited pressure from rapid household expansion. Affordability improved from 56.7 in 2011 to 54.0 in 2021, while real income growth reached 21.0%. The 0.37% trend is lower than the 41.7% rent growth recorded across the shift profile, so rental escalation has outpaced population momentum. Compared with fast-release corridors, this is a mature rather than high-turnover growth story.
Population trend: Central Coast (NSW) council area
Chittaway Bay sits in the Central Coast (NSW) council area. These are the council area's residents, not Chittaway Bay's.
Residents 2025
357,816
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Chittaway Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chittaway Bay a good suburb to live in?
It suits buyers wanting established detached housing and a settled, car-oriented routine. Separate houses account for 96.9% of dwellings, the median age is 41, and 81.8% stayed at the same address. Public transport use is only 0.5%, so daily convenience depends more on driving than in better-served centres.
What is the median house price in Chittaway Bay?
Use recent comparable sales and an address-specific valuation for an up-to-date figure, particularly when comparing three- and four-bedroom homes. The housing mix is 51.9% three-bedroom and 37.4% four-plus-bedroom dwellings, so a single suburb median can conceal meaningful differences between properties.
What schools are in Chittaway Bay?
The local school is Chittaway Bay Public School, a government primary school. Families should confirm the enrolment zone against the exact address before signing a contract. With 1 local school identified and 96.9% separate houses, the suburb is mainly a family-home market rather than an apartment precinct.
Is Chittaway Bay safe?
Use current NSW Police information and inspect the streets at different times before deciding, because safety should not be inferred from housing data. Chittaway Bay has 1,987 residents and a 7.3% need-assistance rate, but neither figure is a crime measure.
Is Chittaway Bay good for property investment?
It can suit a selective, long-term investor rather than someone seeking rapid development. Weekly rent is $380, vacancy is 4.4%, renters make up 22.1%, and only 4 development applications were recorded over 12 months. The 96.9% separate-house share supports a clear dwelling type, but sales, insurance and maintenance costs still need checking.
How is Chittaway Bay's population changing?
Population change is gradual: the annual trend is 0.37% and change across the wider area is 5.0% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.4 points and the young share down 2.0 points. That points to demographic ageing rather than rapid expansion.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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