Lambton
A median house price of $1,035,000 in an inner Newcastle suburb where 76.0% of dwellings are still separate houses makes Lambton an outlier, because most metro markets at this price point have shifted to apartments, which here sit at just 8.9%. Household income lands in the 56.4th percentile nationally, only modestly above average, yet prices climbed 18.6% in a single year from $970,000 in 2024 to $1,150,000 in 2025. University qualifications reach 40.4%, which is 10.3 points above the national figure, while the overseas-born share of 14.1% runs 7.5 points below national, marking a more Anglo-leaning, established profile than Sydney equivalents.
Population
5,214
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,628/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
47
Median House
$1.0M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Lambton suits buyers who want a freestanding house rather than a unit, because separate houses make up 76.0% of stock against only 8.9% apartments. The dwelling mix favours families: 42.0% are three-bedroom and 26.6% have four or more bedrooms, while one and two-bedroom dwellings together are just 31.4%. The $1,035,000 median is steep against the 56.4th-percentile household income, but monthly mortgage repayments of $2,058 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%, which sits just below the 30% stress threshold. The faster pressure is recent price movement: values rose 18.6% in a year, from $970,000 in 2024 to $1,150,000 in 2025, so timing matters more here than in flatter markets. Outright owners at 33.1% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 31.0%, a sign of long-held, established ownership.
For Buyers
Lambton suits buyers who want a freestanding house rather than a unit, because separate houses make up 76.0% of stock against only 8.9% apartments. The dwelling mix favours families: 42.0% are three-bedroom and 26.6% have four or more bedrooms, while one and two-bedroom dwellings together are just 31.4%. The $1,035,000 median is steep against the 56.4th-percentile household income, but monthly mortgage repayments of $2,058 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%, which sits just below the 30% stress threshold. The faster pressure is recent price movement: values rose 18.6% in a year, from $970,000 in 2024 to $1,150,000 in 2025, so timing matters more here than in flatter markets. Outright owners at 33.1% slightly outnumber mortgage holders at 31.0%, a sign of long-held, established ownership.
For Investors
Renters make up 35.9% of households, giving landlords a reasonable tenant base, and weekly rent of $380 against the $1,035,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.9%, low but typical for a detached-house market. The 5.1% vacancy rate is tighter than the apartment-heavy inner-city suburbs that often run double digits, so re-letting risk is modest. Demand is supported by net overseas migration averaging 148 residents a year across the wider area, which more than offsets net internal outflow of 38. Rent has grown 46.2% over the measured period, well above income growth, which strengthens the income case even where yield starts low. Development activity is steady rather than hot at 43 applications in 12 months, several being dual-occupancy and subdivision works that add modest supply rather than flooding the market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
322
Last 12 Months
47
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-25.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lambton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St John's Primary School
K-6 · 200 students
Lambton Public School
K-6 · 339 students
Lambton High School
7-12 · 1176 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, so Lambton is neither a young-family frontier nor a retirement enclave. University qualifications at 40.4% run 10.3 points above national, which aligns with the workforce being concentrated in healthcare and education. The overseas-born share of 14.1% is 7.5 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,226), Irish (680) and Scottish (599). Among the small non-English-speaking population, Macedonian (34 speakers), Mandarin (21) and Arabic (17) are the most common languages. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, consistent with a mix of families and couples: 25.2% of the 4,004 families are couples without children. Christianity dominates religion with 2,597 residents, well above Islam at 92.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.0%
Houses
14.9%
Townhouse
8.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is balanced three ways: 33.1% own outright, 31.0% carry a mortgage and 35.9% rent, with outright owners narrowly ahead, pointing to settled, debt-light ownership rather than rapid buyer churn. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 76.0% separate houses, with 14.9% semi-detached and only 8.9% apartments, which keeps house prices supported through limited substitutes. Three-bedroom homes lead at 42.0% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 26.6%, reinforcing the family orientation. The median house price rose from $970,000 in 2024 to $1,150,000 in 2025, an 18.6% one-year move that outpaced the 56.4th-percentile local income. Mortgage-to-income sits at 29.2% and rent-to-income at 23.3%, both below the 30% stress line, so affordability remains manageable for current owners despite the sharp price step.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,058
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$846
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
111
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.2%
Couples, no children
4,004
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in two non-cyclical sectors: Healthcare leads at 26.2% (487 workers) and Education follows at 14.8% (276), together over 40% of local employment, which reflects Lambton's position near Newcastle's hospital and university hubs. Professional/Tech (9.8%), Public Admin (8.1%) and Construction (7.8%) round out the top five. By occupation, Professionals dominate at 840, ahead of Clerical/Admin (317) and Managers (303). Unemployment is low at 4.3% with a full-time rate of 59.3%, and participation reads 60.1%. On SEIFA the suburb sits at decile 7 for both IRSAD and IRSD, with IEO at decile 7 and IER slightly lower at decile 6, the IER gap reflecting the 35.9% renter base that holds down aggregate household wealth measures even where education and occupation rank higher.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
10,299
Unemployed
278
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.3%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
60.1%
Employed
2,476
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.4%
Postgraduate
9.9%
Born Overseas
14.1%
Dwellings
2,080
Transport to Work
Lambton is firmly car-oriented: 87.1% of residents drive to work while only 1.5% use public transport and 5.2% walk or cycle, well below the public-transport share of denser metro suburbs, reflecting its low density of 1,920 residents per km2 across 2.72 km2. On wellbeing indicators the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, in the more advantaged tier nationally, and only 6.4% of residents (322 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 16.1%, a sign of community engagement. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a common pattern for compact inner-Newcastle pockets. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 23.3%, below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
87.1%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
5.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.49%/yr
(+65 people/yr)
EstablishedLambton is classified as an established, slow-growth suburb, with the wider area projected to expand around 0.49% a year, roughly 65 people, through 2031. Population rose 8.6% over the past decade, steady rather than explosive. The primary growth driver is overseas migration at a net 148 residents a year, which offsets net internal migration of negative 38, so without overseas arrivals the area would shrink. The working-age share grew 2.5 points while the young-adult share slipped 1.2 points, a mild demographic shift rather than a wholesale turnover. Gentrification signals are active with a score of 54, driven by 46.2% rent growth and 28.5% real income growth over the period, while affordability still improved from 52.2% in 2011 to 48.3% in 2021, an unusual combination of rising rents and easing relative cost.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+148
Net Internal / yr
-38
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lambton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lambton a good suburb to live in?
Lambton scores decile 7 on IRSAD and IRSD, in the more advantaged tier nationally, and university qualifications reach 40.4%, which is 10.3 points above the national figure. It suits house buyers, with 76.0% separate houses, though the median price has risen sharply to $1,035,000.
What is the median house price in Lambton?
The median house price is $1,035,000. Prices rose 18.6% in a year, from $970,000 in 2024 to $1,150,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $380 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,058, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%, just below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Lambton?
No schools are recorded inside the Lambton boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 40.4%, which is 10.3 points above the national figure.
Is Lambton safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Lambton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, in the more advantaged tier, and only 6.4% of its residents (322 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a lower-disadvantage area.
Is Lambton good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $380 against the $1,035,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low but typical for a detached market, while the 5.1% vacancy rate is tighter than apartment-heavy areas. Rent grew 46.2% over the period and net overseas migration of 148 a year supports demand.
How is Lambton's population changing?
The wider area is projected to grow about 0.49% a year, roughly 65 people, after rising 8.6% over the past decade. Growth depends on overseas migration of a net 148 residents a year, which offsets net internal outflow of 38, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb.
How much development is happening in Lambton?
There were 43 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, steady rather than rapid. Several are dual-occupancy and subdivision works that add modest supply, consistent with an established suburb where 76.0% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are only 8.9%.
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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