Wallsend
Detached housing still sets the tone in Wallsend, with 77.8% separate houses and only 4.8% apartments across 13,244 residents. Compared with nearby Jesmond and Elermore Vale, it reads as a larger, more self-contained housing market with a suburban land profile. Diversity markers sit below national levels: 15.7% of residents were born overseas, 5.9 percentage points under the national benchmark. The median age is 39, 1 year below national, but the outlook points to aging. A $750,000 median house price matters because household income sits at the 40.3rd percentile, so value is tied to land and established services rather than high local incomes.
Population
13,244
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,401/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
96
Median House
$750K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Homebuyers are mostly choosing houses rather than units: 77.8% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 4.8% apartments and 17.0% semi-detached homes. The market is practical for families because 49.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and another 19.9% have 4 or more. The median house price is $750,000, while the PSI series moved from $725,000 in 2024 to $785,000 in 2025, an 8.3% lift. Monthly mortgage payments of $1,733 absorb 28.6% of income, with no mortgage stress flag, so the appeal is strongest for buyers wanting space but keeping repayments below pressure levels.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly choosing houses rather than units: 77.8% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 4.8% apartments and 17.0% semi-detached homes. The market is practical for families because 49.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and another 19.9% have 4 or more. The median house price is $750,000, while the PSI series moved from $725,000 in 2024 to $785,000 in 2025, an 8.3% lift. Monthly mortgage payments of $1,733 absorb 28.6% of income, with no mortgage stress flag, so the appeal is strongest for buyers wanting space but keeping repayments below pressure levels.
For Investors
Investors get a sizeable tenant pool, with 38.2% of homes rented, higher than outright ownership at 30.5% and mortgaged ownership at 31.2%. Median rent is $375 a week and rent-to-income is 26.8%, below a stress flag, which supports tenant affordability. The caution is vacancy: 5.4% can make leasing risk higher than in tighter rental markets, so purchase price discipline matters. Development activity is active, with 89 applications in 12 months, including secondary dwellings, and rent growth of 39.3% points to demand pressure even as new supply is added.
Development Activity
Total DAs
539
Last 12 Months
96
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+28.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wallsend iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Macquarie College
K-12 · 1060 students
Wallsend South Public School
K-6 · 583 students
St Patrick's Primary School
K-6 · 323 students
Elermore Vale Public School
P-6 · 290 students
Wallsend Public School
K-6 · 252 students
Demographics
Wallsend has 13,244 residents at a density of 1,181.4 people per sq km, with an average household size of 2.3, which is 0.2 below national. The median age is 39, 1 year below national, while university attainment of 29.6% is 0.5 percentage points below the national level. Overseas-born residents make up 15.7%, 5.9 points below national, so the suburb leans more locally rooted than many metropolitan areas. English ancestry is the largest group at 5,168 people, followed by Scottish at 1,421 and Irish at 1,287, while Mandarin has 98 speakers and Arabic 68.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.8%
Houses
17.0%
Townhouse
4.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing supply is strongly detached, with 77.8% separate houses, far higher than apartments at 4.8% and above semi-detached homes at 17.0%. That structure explains why 3-bedroom homes dominate at 49.0%, while 4-plus-bedroom homes account for 19.9%. Tenure is mixed: 30.5% owned outright, 31.2% mortgaged and 38.2% rented, so the market is not purely owner-occupier. Prices have risen from $725,000 in 2024 to $785,000 in 2025, an 8.3% gain, with the latest price equal to the peak and 0.0% below it. Compared with the $1,401 weekly household income, the entry hurdle is meaningful.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$375
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$700
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.4%
Unoccupied
302
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.7%
Couples, no children
9,434
Total families
Economy & Employment
Wallsend's job base is anchored by services: Healthcare employs 1,036 workers or 26.1%, Education 486 or 12.2%, Construction 337 or 8.5%, Professional/Tech 273 or 6.9%, and Retail 252 or 6.3%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,333, above Community/Personal at 876 and Clerical/Admin at 744. Labour market indicators are softer than top-decile areas, with 6.5% unemployment, 53.0% participation and 60.5% of employed residents working full time. SEIFA shows the split: education/occupation sits in decile 5, but economic resources are lower in decile 3, with IRSD and IRSAD both decile 4.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
4,215
Unemployed
140
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.5%
Part-time
33.0%
Participation
53.0%
Employed
5,548
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.6%
Postgraduate
7.4%
Born Overseas
15.7%
Dwellings
5,246
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, with 88.7% of commuters driving compared with 2.0% using public transport and 3.0% walking or cycling. Schools are a clear local strength because 7 campuses cover Independent, Government and Catholic sectors, with ICSEA values from 910 to 1110. Macquarie College leads at ICSEA 1110 with 1,060 enrolments, followed by Wallsend South Public School at 1083 with 583 and St Patrick's Primary School at 1076 with 323. The IRSAD decile 4 setting is below top metro advantage levels, so livability comes more from school access, space and services than prestige pricing.
Drive
88.7%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.96%/yr
(+73 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth looks steady rather than rapid, with the trend adding 0.96% a year, or about 73 people annually. Migration is balanced, with average net overseas gain of 13 people a year and internal gain of 4, so change is not driven by a single inflow. The suburb is aging: senior share is up 7.9 points, higher than the young share movement of -2.8 and working share movement of -2.9. Gentrification is still early, with a score of 21 and stage of Early signs, while the broader shift score is 35. Rent growth of 39.3% is notable because affordability stayed almost flat, from 50.9 in 2011 to 50.4 in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+13
Net Internal / yr
+4
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +19% since 2011, Accelerating: 4% → 15%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wallsend compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wallsend a good suburb to live in?
Wallsend suits buyers who want space, schools and established services. It has 77.8% separate houses, 7 local schools and a median age of 39, while car commuting at 88.7% means it works best for households comfortable driving.
What is the median house price in Wallsend?
The median house price in Wallsend is $750,000. The PSI price series rose from $725,000 in 2024 to $785,000 in 2025, an 8.3% increase, with the latest figure sitting 0.0% below the recorded peak.
What schools are in Wallsend?
Wallsend has 7 listed schools. Key options include Macquarie College with ICSEA 1110 and 1,060 enrolments, Wallsend South Public School at 1083 with 583, and St Patrick's Primary School at 1076 with 323.
Is Wallsend safe?
A current suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is not available for Wallsend, so buyers should check recent NSW crime maps and inspect streets at different times. The suburb has 13,244 residents and 7 schools, which helps frame local activity patterns.
Is Wallsend good for property investment?
Wallsend has investor appeal because 38.2% of homes are rented and median rent is $375 a week. The 5.4% vacancy rate is the key watch point, so returns depend on buying well and managing leasing risk.
How is Wallsend's population changing?
Wallsend is growing slowly, with the trend adding 0.96% a year or about 73 people annually. The bigger shift is age mix: senior share is up 7.9 points, while young share is down -2.8 points.
Is there much development happening in Wallsend?
Yes. Wallsend recorded 89 development applications in 12 months, including secondary dwellings, group home works, sheds and carports. That level of activity suggests steady infill rather than a static housing market.
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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