Kahibah
Three-bedroom detached houses define Kahibah, a compact 1.1 km2 suburb in Lake Macquarie with 2,603 residents. The median house price reached $1,025,000, reflecting an owner-occupier base: 36.5% own outright and 40.4% hold a mortgage, while renters account for just 23.1%, below the national average. University qualifications at 35.7% run 5.6 percentage points above the national figure, and household income sits in the 64.2nd percentile nationally. Overseas-born residents at 9.4% are 12.2 points below the national average, and English, Scottish and Irish ancestries dominate, giving the suburb a strongly local character.
Population
2,603
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,804/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
29
Median House
$1.0M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price is $1,025,000, rising 8.4% from $977,500 in 2024 to $1,060,000 in 2025. Separate houses make up 74.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached adding 24.8% and apartments at just 1.1%, so buyers compete almost entirely for detached stock. Three-bedroom homes account for 52% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 23.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,089, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Compared to many Sydney-fringe markets at this price level, the sub-30% mortgage burden and dominant detached stock make Kahibah accessible for families seeking space.
For Buyers
The median house price is $1,025,000, rising 8.4% from $977,500 in 2024 to $1,060,000 in 2025. Separate houses make up 74.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached adding 24.8% and apartments at just 1.1%, so buyers compete almost entirely for detached stock. Three-bedroom homes account for 52% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 23.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,089, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Compared to many Sydney-fringe markets at this price level, the sub-30% mortgage burden and dominant detached stock make Kahibah accessible for families seeking space.
For Investors
Renters make up 23.1% of households, giving landlords a modest tenant pool in a predominantly owner-occupied suburb. Weekly rent of $400 against a $1,025,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.0%, lower than regional NSW averages. The vacancy rate of 5.8% is above the 3% balanced-market threshold, suggesting some softness in rental demand. Development activity reached 27 applications in 12 months, including subdivision and medium-density housing, pointing to gradual densification. The investor case rests on capital growth, which delivered 8.4% in 2024-2025, rather than yield, given rent-to-income at 22.2% leaves tenants comfortable but yields thin.
Development Activity
Total DAs
171
Last 12 Months
29
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kahibah iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kahibah Public School
K-6 · 291 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, and 944 couple-with-children families sit alongside 518 couples without children across 2,067 total family households. Average household size of 2.4 is 0.1 below national. English (1,172), Scottish (353) and Irish (308) ancestries dominate. Overseas-born residents at 9.4% are 12.2 percentage points below national, one of the more locally born profiles in the region. University qualifications at 35.7% are 5.6 points above national, above typical Lake Macquarie levels, reflecting the healthcare and professional workforce. Volunteering reaches 15.3% of residents, indicating solid community engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.2%
Houses
24.8%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure skews heavily toward owners: 36.5% own outright, 40.4% carry a mortgage and 23.1% rent, a lower renter share than most NSW markets. The stock is 74.2% separate houses and 24.8% semi-detached, with apartments at 1.1%. Three-bedroom homes make up 52% and 4-plus bedroom homes 23.5%. Prices rose from $977,500 in 2024 to $1,060,000 in 2025, an 8.4% gain. Mortgage repayments of $2,089 per month sit at 26.7% of income, well below stress levels. Outright owners at 36.5% outnumber renters at 23.1%, and 80.6% of residents did not move in the prior year, pointing to a settled, low-churn market.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,089
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$932
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.8%
Unoccupied
64
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.1%
Couples, no children
2,067
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs 23.0% of the local workforce (232 workers), nearly double Education at 15.5% (156 workers). Construction follows at 11.3% (114 workers), with Professional/Tech at 9.9% and Public Admin at 7.3%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 388 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin at 191 and Community/Personal Service at 158. Unemployment is 3.5%, below NSW state averages, and the full-time employment rate is 59.9%. Household income in the 64.2nd percentile nationally reflects stable professional salaries in healthcare and education rather than top-tier finance incomes.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.9%
Part-time
36.6%
Participation
62.7%
Employed
1,259
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.7%
Postgraduate
7.1%
Born Overseas
9.4%
Dwellings
1,041
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 92.9% drive to work and only 0.7% use public transport, well below state averages and reflecting limited rail access in this part of Lake Macquarie. Walking and cycling account for 2.5% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the 1.1 km2 boundary, so families rely on neighbouring suburbs. Need-for-assistance is low at 4.2% (106 people), consistent with the 3.5% unemployment rate. Rent-to-income at 22.2% keeps tenants comfortable, and housing stress flags are absent for both renters and mortgage holders, making this one of the more financially stable Lake Macquarie suburbs compared to higher-cost Sydney markets.
Drive
92.9%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kahibah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kahibah a good suburb to live in?
Kahibah offers a stable owner-occupier environment with 76.9% of households owning or purchasing their home. Household income sits in the 64.2nd percentile nationally, unemployment is 3.5% and neither renters nor mortgage holders are in housing stress. The main trade-off is heavy car dependence, with only 0.7% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Kahibah?
The median house price is $1,025,000, rising 8.4% from $977,500 in 2024 to $1,060,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,089, which is 26.7% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent is $400.
What schools are in Kahibah?
No schools are recorded inside the Kahibah boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs. Despite this, 35.7% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 5.6 percentage points above the national average, reflecting the professional workforce living here.
Is Kahibah safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Kahibah in this dataset. As indirect indicators, only 4.2% of residents (106 people) need daily assistance, unemployment is 3.5% below state averages, and 80.6% of residents stayed in the suburb over the prior year, all consistent with a stable, low-disadvantage community.
Is Kahibah good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $400 against a $1,025,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.0%, below typical regional NSW returns. The 5.8% vacancy rate is above balanced-market levels. Capital growth has been stronger at 8.4% in 2024-2025. With 27 development applications in 12 months, gradual densification may support future value.
How is Kahibah's population changing?
Kahibah has 2,603 residents across 1.1 km2 at a density of 2,374 per km2. Turnover is low at 19.4%, with 80.6% of residents not moving in the prior year. Subdivision and medium-density development applications suggest steady infill growth rather than rapid expansion.
How much development is happening in Kahibah?
There were 27 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including subdivision, multi-dwelling housing and medium-density works. This indicates gradual densification within the 1.1 km2 footprint, though the suburb remains 74.2% separate houses and is unlikely to change character rapidly.
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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