Coal Point
At a median age of 52, Coal Point residents are 12 years older than the national average, and the housing stock reflects that maturity: 98.2% separate houses, 52.8% owned outright, and only 11.4% renting. The median house price of $1,299,500 is well above the national median, while household income sits in the 81.9th percentile nationally. High vacancy at 12.6% in a suburb with so few renters points to a significant holiday and weekender contingent rather than structural oversupply. With 1,749 residents across 1.37 square kilometres, this is a compact, owner-dominated lake community where long-term residents account for 79.8% of the population.
Population
1,749
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,148/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
39
Median House
$1.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price is $1,299,500, down 5.7% from $1,310,000 in 2024 to $1,235,000 in 2025, a mild softening from a peak rather than a sustained decline. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.2%, and 51.7% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, compared to the national mix where smaller configurations dominate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.3% sits below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers at this price point carry manageable debt relative to incomes here. Outright owners at 52.8% outnumber mortgage holders at 35.8%, signalling long-held wealth rather than recent buyer turnover. For buyers seeking a low-density lakeside location, supply constraints are real given only 38 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months.
For Buyers
The median house price is $1,299,500, down 5.7% from $1,310,000 in 2024 to $1,235,000 in 2025, a mild softening from a peak rather than a sustained decline. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.2%, and 51.7% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, compared to the national mix where smaller configurations dominate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.3% sits below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers at this price point carry manageable debt relative to incomes here. Outright owners at 52.8% outnumber mortgage holders at 35.8%, signalling long-held wealth rather than recent buyer turnover. For buyers seeking a low-density lakeside location, supply constraints are real given only 38 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months.
For Investors
The investment profile is cautious: renting households represent only 11.4% of the suburb, well below state and national averages, meaning tenant demand is structurally shallow. Weekly rent of $440 against a $1,299,500 median implies a gross yield below 1.8%, low by any standard. The 12.6% vacancy rate is elevated, more consistent with a holiday property market than a rental-driven one. Development activity of 38 applications in 12 months is moderate for a suburb this size, mostly alterations rather than new supply. The price softening of 5.7% from 2024 to 2025 reduces near-term capital growth expectations. The investment case here relies on lifestyle demand and scarcity of lakefront stock rather than rental yield or population-driven absorption.
Development Activity
Total DAs
224
Last 12 Months
39
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-13.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coal Point iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Coal Point Public School
K-6 · 245 students
Demographics
The median age of 52 is 12.0 years above the national figure, one of the more pronounced age gaps you will find in NSW coastal suburbs. Overseas-born residents stand at 14.0%, which is 7.6 percentage points below the national average, consistent with an Anglo-leaning ancestry profile dominated by English (839), Scottish (278) and Irish (266). University qualifications reach 38.4%, which is 8.3 points above national, reflecting a professional retiree and semi-retiree cohort. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples without children make up 37.8% of families, and the volunteering rate of 17.1% is above average, both consistent with an older, settled community. Turnover is low at 20.2%, meaning four in five residents have lived there for at least five years.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.2%
Houses
1.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is concentrated at the ownership end: 52.8% own outright, 35.8% carry a mortgage, and only 11.4% rent, which is well below the national renting average. The stock is almost exclusively separate houses at 98.2%, with semi-detached at 1.8% and no meaningful apartment supply. Four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 51.7% of the stock, above typical national proportions, and three-bedroom homes add another 38.4%, leaving very little small-format housing. Median price moved from $1,310,000 in 2024 to $1,235,000 in 2025, a 5.7% fall, though the broader trend reflects a premium lakeside location with limited comparable sales. At rent-to-income of 20.5%, tenants here are not under stress, but the shallow rental pool means the market is primarily owner-occupier driven.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$440
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$901
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.6%
Unoccupied
97
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.8%
Couples, no children
1,470
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 16.2% of the local workforce, followed by Professional/Tech at 10.8% and Education at 10.5%. Construction at 9.5% and Manufacturing at 7.9% round out the top five, giving the local economy a broader sectoral spread than typical coastal retirement suburbs. By occupation, Professionals lead at 221 workers, followed by Managers at 147 and Clerical/Admin at 115. The unemployment rate of 4.0% is close to the national average, while full-time employment at 58.8% is moderate. Labour force participation is 50.5%, below national norms, reflecting that many residents are retirees or semi-retired. Household income in the 81.9th percentile nationally suggests that working residents are well-paid relative to most Australian suburbs.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
37.2%
Participation
50.5%
Employed
726
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.4%
Postgraduate
10.1%
Born Overseas
14.0%
Dwellings
670
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total at 93.3% driving, compared to much lower rates in urban centres, with only 0.9% using public transport. This reflects the suburb's peninsula geography and limited transit infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the Coal Point boundary, so families depend on nearby Lake Macquarie schools. Crime data is not available for this suburb. Housing stress indicators are low: mortgage-to-income of 23.3% and rent-to-income of 20.5% both sit well below the 30% stress threshold. The 4.3% needing assistance rate (74 residents) is modest. Density of 1,276 residents per square kilometre is low, consistent with a quiet, low-traffic environment. Volunteering at 17.1% points to an engaged local community, above typical national rates.
Drive
93.3%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Coal Point compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coal Point a good suburb to live in?
Coal Point suits owner-occupiers seeking a low-density lakeside setting. Household income sits in the 81.9th percentile nationally, housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 23.3%, and 79.8% of residents are long-term. The trade-offs are near-total car dependence at 93.3% and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Coal Point?
The median house price is $1,299,500 based on 2024-2025 data, down 5.7% from $1,310,000 in 2024 to $1,235,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, and at 23.3% of household income, debt service here is below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Coal Point?
No schools are recorded within the Coal Point boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs. Despite this, 38.4% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 8.3 percentage points above the national average.
Is Coal Point safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Coal Point in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, household income sits in the 81.9th percentile nationally and only 4.3% of residents (74 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area. The low 11.4% renter proportion also typically correlates with lower crime rates nationally.
Is Coal Point good for property investment?
The investment fundamentals are challenging. Renters make up only 11.4% of households, well below national averages, limiting tenant demand. Weekly rent of $440 against a $1,299,500 median implies a gross yield below 1.8%, and the 12.6% vacancy rate is elevated. The 5.7% price fall from 2024 to 2025 also reduces near-term capital growth expectations.
How is Coal Point's population changing?
Coal Point's population of 1,749 is stable with a low turnover rate of 20.2%, meaning 79.8% of residents stayed over the reference period. The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national average, and overseas-born at 14.0% is 7.6 points below national, so international migration is not a growth driver.
How much development is happening in Coal Point?
There were 38 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most involve alterations, additions or retaining walls on existing separate houses rather than new dwellings, which is consistent with a suburb where 98.2% of stock is already detached housing and 52.8% of owners hold properties outright.
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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