Jewells
Nearly half of Jewells residents own their home outright, no mortgage, a figure that stands well above average for a suburb of 2,452 people. The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national figure, and 85.3% of residents stayed at the same address in the year before the Census, both signs of an unusually settled population. Separate houses dominate at 89.7% of dwellings, and the vacancy rate of 2.7% reflects low rental turnover. The housing stock has moved fast: the median house price rose 15.4% from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025.
Population
2,452
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,732/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
22
Median House
$990K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $990,000 (PSI derived, 2024-2025), with the price series running from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025, a 15.4% rise in one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,160, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 89.7%, with just 9.4% semi-detached and 0.9% apartments. Bedroom configuration skews large: 43.2% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 50.2% have 3, making Jewells a genuine family-house market compared to more unit-heavy coastal neighbours. Outright ownership at 47.2% outnumbers mortgage holders at 44.4%, a tenure split that points to long-established residents rather than recent buyers stretching to enter.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $990,000 (PSI derived, 2024-2025), with the price series running from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025, a 15.4% rise in one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,160, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 89.7%, with just 9.4% semi-detached and 0.9% apartments. Bedroom configuration skews large: 43.2% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 50.2% have 3, making Jewells a genuine family-house market compared to more unit-heavy coastal neighbours. Outright ownership at 47.2% outnumbers mortgage holders at 44.4%, a tenure split that points to long-established residents rather than recent buyers stretching to enter.
For Investors
The rental market in Jewells is thin by design: only 8.5% of dwellings are rented, against a NSW state average closer to 30%, because the suburb's owner-occupier base is entrenched and turnover is low. Weekly rent sits at $450 against a $990,000 median, implying a gross yield near 2.4%, modest but not unusual for this price bracket in coastal NSW. The vacancy rate of 2.7% is manageable and indicates demand is absorbing available rental stock. Development activity is modest at 20 applications in the past 12 months, mostly fencing and pool additions rather than new supply, so the existing stock is unlikely to be diluted. The 15.4% price appreciation over 2024-2025 is the strongest investment signal, though it reflects a single year and should be treated as context rather than a forecast.
Development Activity
Total DAs
117
Last 12 Months
22
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+46.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Jewells iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Jewells Primary School
K-6 · 262 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 sits 5 years above the national figure, placing Jewells firmly in an older, established demographic cohort. Overseas-born residents account for just 9.3% of the population, which is 12.3 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is Anglo-Celtic in character: English (1,162), Scottish (323) and Irish (282) are the three leading groups. University qualifications reach 26.1%, which is 4 percentage points below the national rate, while full-time employment runs at 61.6%. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above the national figure of 2.5. Couples with children (810 families) slightly outnumber couples without children (727), and the volunteering rate of 14.6% suggests a community with capacity for local engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.7%
Houses
9.4%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Jewells is defined by owner-occupied separate houses on a scale uncommon in NSW: 89.7% of dwellings are detached, 47.2% are owned outright and a further 44.4% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 8.5%. The bedroom profile is skewed to larger homes, with 4-plus bedrooms at 43.2% and 3 bedrooms at 50.2%, so two-bedroom stock is scarce at 6.6%. The price series moved from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025, a 15.4% one-year gain. At the current $990,000 median with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, buyers are stretching but staying below the conventional 30% stress line. Weekly rent of $450 and a 2.7% vacancy rate position the market as tightly held, consistent with the 85.3% same-address retention rate recorded at Census.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,160
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$788
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.7%
Unoccupied
25
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.2%
Couples, no children
2,124
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 21.2% of workers (161 residents), well above the national industry share, followed by Construction at 14.3% (109) and Education at 12.0% (91). Professional/Tech rounds out at 7.0% (53). By occupation, Professionals lead at 234 workers, then Clerical/Admin at 165 and Community/Personal at 157. The unemployment rate of 3.3% is low relative to NSW state average, and the full-time employment rate of 61.6% reflects a workforce skewed toward stable, salaried roles. Participation at 54.6% is moderate, partly because the older median age of 45 means a meaningful share of the 807 residents not in the labour force are at or near retirement. Household weekly income of $1,732 sits at the 60.8th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
35.1%
Participation
54.6%
Employed
1,069
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.1%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
9.3%
Dwellings
915
Transport to Work
Car dependence in Jewells is pronounced: 93.8% of residents drive to work, while only 0.6% use public transport and 0.4% walk or cycle, significantly higher car reliance than the national average. This reflects the suburb's location within the Lake Macquarie LGA, where arterial road access rather than rail or bus networks shapes daily movement. No schools are recorded inside the Jewells boundary, so families depend on nearby institutions in adjacent suburbs. Crime data is not available in this dataset. On the housing stress side, the mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8% and rent-to-income of 26.0% both sit below 30%, meaning neither owners nor renters face acute cost pressure relative to income. The need-for-assistance rate of 5.3% (125 residents) is consistent with the older age profile but not elevated.
Drive
93.8%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Jewells compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jewells a good suburb to live in?
Jewells suits established owner-occupiers more than renters or first-time buyers. The median age is 45, the home ownership rate (owned outright plus mortgage) is 91.6%, and 85.3% of residents stayed at the same address at Census. Mortgage-to-income sits at 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, and the vacancy rate is only 2.7%.
What is the median house price in Jewells?
The median house price is $990,000 (PSI derived, 2024-2025 period). The price rose from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025, a 15.4% gain in one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,160, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%.
What schools are in Jewells?
No schools are recorded inside the Jewells boundary in this dataset. Families in the suburb rely on schools in surrounding suburbs within the Lake Macquarie LGA. The local university qualification rate is 26.1%, which is 4 percentage points below the national average.
Is Jewells safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Jewells in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, the need-for-assistance rate is 5.3% (125 residents out of 2,452), the unemployment rate is low at 3.3%, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8% suggests most households are not under financial stress.
Is Jewells good for property investment?
The 15.4% price gain from $921,000 in 2024 to $1,063,000 in 2025 is strong, though it covers only one year of data. Weekly rent of $450 against a $990,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.4%. The 8.5% renter share is well below the NSW average, so rental demand is limited, but the 2.7% vacancy rate shows existing stock is absorbed.
How is Jewells's population changing?
The suburb population is 2,452 with a median age of 45, which is 5 years above the national figure. The turnover rate is just 14.7%, meaning 85.3% of residents stayed in place at the time of Census. No forward population forecast is available, but the aging profile and low mobility suggest slow compositional change rather than rapid 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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