Gateshead
With 45.3% of residents renting and household income sitting at the 27.1st percentile nationally, Gateshead is one of the Lake Macquarie suburbs where working-class tenure and detached-house living coexist. Nine in ten dwellings (90.6%) are separate houses on a 5.47 km2 footprint, yet nearly half the population does not own their home. The median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure, pointing to younger households, and the workforce leans toward Healthcare (27.6%) and Construction (13.8%) rather than professional services. House prices rose 7% in a single year, from $712,000 in 2024 to $761,500 in 2025.
Population
3,121
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,232/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median House
$740K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $740,000 places Gateshead in the accessible mid-range of the Greater Newcastle market, well below Sydney medians. Prices tracked from $712,000 in 2024 to $761,500 in 2025, a 7% move in one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,705, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32%, above the 30% stress threshold, which means buyers at the median are stretched relative to local incomes at the 27.1st percentile nationally. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 90.6%, with 3-bedroom homes dominating at 55.7% and 4-plus bedrooms at 23.5%. Semi-detached (5.1%) and apartments (4.3%) are rare, so buyers seeking detached-house ownership will find plenty of choice but limited price diversity.
For Buyers
The median house price of $740,000 places Gateshead in the accessible mid-range of the Greater Newcastle market, well below Sydney medians. Prices tracked from $712,000 in 2024 to $761,500 in 2025, a 7% move in one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,705, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32%, above the 30% stress threshold, which means buyers at the median are stretched relative to local incomes at the 27.1st percentile nationally. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 90.6%, with 3-bedroom homes dominating at 55.7% and 4-plus bedrooms at 23.5%. Semi-detached (5.1%) and apartments (4.3%) are rare, so buyers seeking detached-house ownership will find plenty of choice but limited price diversity.
For Investors
A 45.3% renter share is high for a suburb where 90.6% of dwellings are separate houses, indicating genuine rental demand from households who cannot yet buy rather than an apartment-driven transient base. Weekly rent averages $300, which on a $740,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.1%. The 6.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared with the typical NSW sub-3% benchmark, suggesting some oversupply or softer rental conditions locally. Development activity ran at 30 applications in the past 12 months, a steady but not aggressive pipeline. Price growth of 7% year-on-year shows capital momentum, though the low income base (27.1st percentile) caps how far rents can stretch, keeping yields thin.
Development Activity
Total DAs
163
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+19.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gateshead iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's Catholic College
7-12 · 989 students
St Paul's Primary School
K-6 · 294 students
Hunter Sports High School
7-12 · 941 students
Wiripaang Public School
K-6 · 182 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 is 5 years below the national average, reflecting younger households rather than a retiree cohort. Overseas-born residents account for just 7.5%, which is 14.1 percentage points below the national figure, and ancestry runs strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,226 residents), Scottish (323) and Irish (274) are the top three groups. University qualifications reach only 16.3%, which is 13.8 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trade and care roles. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples with children (758 families) outnumber couples without children (505), reinforcing the suburb's younger, family-oriented profile. Volunteering is modest at 7.4%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.6%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Gateshead's housing stock is almost entirely detached: 90.6% separate houses, 5.1% semi-detached and only 4.3% apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 55.7% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 23.5%, a configuration suited to families. Despite this, tenure splits unevenly: 45.3% rent, 31.6% carry a mortgage and only 23.1% own outright. The outright-ownership share is low compared with typical middle-ring suburbs, pointing to a relatively young buyer base still paying down debt. The monthly mortgage repayment of $1,705 is manageable in dollar terms, but at 32% of household income it crosses the stress threshold. Rent-to-income sits at 24.4%, just below the 30% stress mark, suggesting renters face less acute pressure than mortgagors.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,705
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$611
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
81
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.0% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.1%
Couples, no children
2,398
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs 27.6% of the local workforce (208 workers), nearly double the share of the next industry, Construction at 13.8% (104 workers). Education follows at 7.8% and Retail at 7.6%. By occupation, Labourers (219) and Community/Personal workers (208) are the two largest groups, outnumbering Professionals (156). This occupational structure explains the household income at the 27.1st percentile nationally: the suburb's employment base is dominated by hands-on roles rather than knowledge-economy positions. The unemployment rate is 8.8%, above typical NSW averages, and the participation rate of 49.9% is low, partly because 999 residents are not in the labour force. Full-time employment among those working runs at 59.7%.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.7%
Part-time
31.5%
Participation
49.9%
Employed
1,136
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.3%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
7.5%
Dwellings
1,191
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 87.6% of residents drive to work, compared with the national average of around 60%, and only 1.5% use public transport. Walking or cycling accounts for 2.1% of commutes. The suburb has no schools recorded in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in adjacent areas such as Belmont and Edgeworth. Crime data is not available for Gateshead in this dataset, though mortgage stress at 32% of income is an indirect indicator of financial pressure on about a third of owner-occupier households. Rent-to-income at 24.4% stays below the stress threshold, keeping renters in a more comfortable position than mortgagors. The need-for-assistance rate of 11.1% (324 residents) is notable for a suburb with a relatively young median age of 35.
Drive
87.6%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gateshead compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gateshead a good suburb to live in?
Gateshead suits families and blue-collar workers looking for detached housing at a mid-range price. The median house price is $740,000, 90.6% of dwellings are separate houses, and the median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure. Trade-offs include a high 45.3% renter share, an 8.8% unemployment rate and limited public transport, with 87.6% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Gateshead?
The median house price is $740,000. Prices rose 7% from $712,000 in 2024 to $761,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,705, representing 32% of household income, above the 30% mortgage-stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $300.
What schools are in Gateshead?
No schools are recorded inside the Gateshead boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on schools in nearby suburbs such as Belmont and Edgeworth. University qualifications among Gateshead residents stand at 16.3%, which is 13.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the suburb's trade and care-sector workforce.
Is Gateshead safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Gateshead in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, 11.1% of residents (324 people) need daily assistance, which is relatively high for a suburb with a median age of 35. The unemployment rate of 8.8% is above typical NSW averages, which can correlate with higher property crime in some areas.
Is Gateshead good for property investment?
Gateshead's 45.3% renter share means a deep tenant pool for investors, and prices grew 7% year-on-year from $712,000 to $761,500. However, weekly rent of $300 against a $740,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.1%, modest by regional NSW standards. The 6.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared with the sub-3% typical NSW benchmark, and the local income base at the 27.1st percentile nationally limits rent growth.
How is Gateshead's population changing?
Gateshead has a stable, low-turnover population: 81.9% of residents remained at the same address over the Census period, with a turnover rate of just 18.1%. The median age of 35 is 5 years below the national average, suggesting ongoing demand from younger households. Strong price growth of 7% in a single year indicates buyer interest, though no formal population forecast data is available in this dataset.
How much development is happening in Gateshead?
There were 30 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent applications include dwelling alterations, demolition works and a complying development certificate for a new dwelling house, showing a mix of established-home upgrades and occasional new builds. With 90.6% of dwellings already separate houses, new supply is infill rather than greenfield.
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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