Wamberal
At a $1,550,000 median house price with household incomes in the 90.8th percentile nationally, Wamberal reads as established Central Coast wealth rather than a speculative market. The detached-house dominance is striking: 87.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 55.0% carry four or more bedrooms, far above what apartment-heavy coastal pockets show. The signal worth watching is the 10.4% vacancy rate sitting alongside a 17.6% rental share, which points to a market built for owner-occupiers rather than tenants. SEIFA reinforces the picture with IER decile 10 (economic resources) and IRSAD decile 9, both well above the national midpoint. With a median age of 40 and a senior share that has grown 6.3 points, the trajectory is aging rather than gentrifying.
Population
6,991
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,407/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
100
Median House
$1.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,550,000 median reflects established family homes, with 55.0% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms and 87.4% being separate houses. Prices eased 2.7% from the 2024 peak of $1,592,500 to $1,550,000 in 2025, a mild correction rather than a slide. The buyer profile is owner-occupier: 44.6% hold a mortgage and 37.9% own outright, leaving renters at just 17.6%. Affordability is tighter than the headline suggests but not stressful, since mortgage repayments average $2,500 monthly for a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes sit in the 90.8th percentile. Buyers should expect competition for detached stock, since only 7.9% of dwellings are apartments and two-bedroom options make up 8.0% of the market.
For Buyers
The $1,550,000 median reflects established family homes, with 55.0% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms and 87.4% being separate houses. Prices eased 2.7% from the 2024 peak of $1,592,500 to $1,550,000 in 2025, a mild correction rather than a slide. The buyer profile is owner-occupier: 44.6% hold a mortgage and 37.9% own outright, leaving renters at just 17.6%. Affordability is tighter than the headline suggests but not stressful, since mortgage repayments average $2,500 monthly for a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold because household incomes sit in the 90.8th percentile. Buyers should expect competition for detached stock, since only 7.9% of dwellings are apartments and two-bedroom options make up 8.0% of the market.
For Investors
Investors face a thin entry because the rental pool is small: just 17.6% of homes are rented, well below the owner-occupier majority. Weekly rent of $500 against the $1,550,000 median produces a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by Central Coast standards, so the case rests on capital growth rather than income. The 10.4% vacancy rate is the larger warning, signalling that tenant demand is soft relative to available stock. On the demand side, overseas migration adds about 76 people a year while internal migration runs negative at 65, leaving net growth slow. Development activity is busier than the quiet tenure profile implies, with 91 development applications lodged over 12 months, though these skew toward single dwellings and dual occupancies rather than rental-yielding density.
Development Activity
Total DAs
475
Last 12 Months
100
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wamberal iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Wamberal Public School
K-6 · 475 students
Demographics
Wamberal skews more Anglo than the national average. The median age of 40 matches the national median exactly, but the senior share has grown 6.3 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.9 points, an aging trajectory. University qualifications at 38.0% run 7.9 points above the national figure, consistent with a managerial and professional base. The population is less migrant-driven than most metro suburbs: 15.9% were born overseas, 5.7 points below national, and English ancestry dominates at 3,142 residents ahead of Irish (915) and Scottish (808). Households are family-scaled at an average size of 2.9, 0.4 above national, with couples with children (2,714 families) outnumbering couples without children (1,422). The stability shows in a 76.6% stayed-put rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.4%
Houses
4.8%
Townhouse
7.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward ownership: 44.6% of households hold a mortgage, 37.9% own outright, and only 17.6% rent. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 87.4% separate houses, with apartments at 7.9%, and it is large, since 55.0% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms versus just 8.0% with two. Prices moved from $1,592,500 in 2024 to $1,550,000 in 2025, a 2.7% dip. The IER decile 10 (top tier for economic resources) reflects the high owner-occupier base, since aggregate household wealth is lifted when most residents hold property rather than rent. Both stress measures sit below thresholds, with mortgage-to-income at 24.0% and rent-to-income at 20.8%, indicating that while absolute prices are high, they track the area's 90.8th-percentile household incomes rather than outrunning them.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$500
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$944
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.4%
Unoccupied
271
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.7%
Couples, no children
6,000
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 21.4% (533 workers), followed by Education at 13.3% (332), Construction at 12.2% (303), Professional/Tech at 10.2% (254) and Public Admin at 6.7% (166), a service-and-care economy rather than a corporate one. Professionals (980) dominate occupations ahead of Managers (572), consistent with the IEO decile 8 ranking. The labour market is tight, with unemployment at 2.9%, below the national average, though participation at 57.1% is modest because the aging resident base lifts the not-in-labour-force count to 1,746. Real incomes grew 11.5% over the decade, slower than gentrifying inner-city suburbs but enough to sustain the premium housing market without widespread mortgage stress.
Unemployment
1.4%
Labour Force
5,965
Unemployed
82
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
39.5%
Participation
57.1%
Employed
3,084
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.0%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
15.9%
Dwellings
2,315
Transport to Work
Wamberal is built around the car, with 91.2% of commuters driving and public transport at just 1.5%, well below metro suburbs, so residents trade transit access for coastal space and detached homes. Active transport is minimal at 1.8% walking or cycling. The advantage is spacious family living, with an average household size of 2.9 and 55.0% of homes having four or more bedrooms on lots that support the 87.4% detached housing share. Socioeconomic standing is high, with IRSAD decile 9 placing the suburb well above the national midpoint and IER decile 10 at the top tier. Housing costs are manageable here, with rent-to-income at 20.8% and mortgage-to-income at 24.0%, both under stress thresholds. The main trade-off is car dependence, since limited transit means most trips require a vehicle.
Drive
91.2%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.87%/yr
(+95 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is slow rather than booming, running at 0.87% per year, roughly 95 people annually, which is below the pace of high-growth metro fringe suburbs, with a 17.4% rise over the past decade. Medium-scenario forecasts project gradual expansion to about 11,553 by 2031 across the local SA2. The driver is overseas migration at roughly 76 net arrivals a year, partly offset by internal outflow of 65, leaving momentum modest. The clearer story is compositional: the senior share rose 6.3 points while the young share fell 1.1 points, confirming an aging trajectory rather than family churn. Gentrification scores low at 5 (not gentrifying), so price pressure comes from established demand for scarce detached homes. Affordability worsened slightly, with the indicator moving from 53.5% in 2011 to 55.7% in 2021 as rents grew 42.9%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+76
Net Internal / yr
-65
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +15% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wamberal compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wamberal a good suburb to live in?
Wamberal suits families wanting space and stability. SEIFA ranks it IRSAD decile 9 and IER decile 10, both well above the national midpoint, and 55.0% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Household incomes sit in the 90.8th percentile. The trade-off is car dependence, with 91.2% driving and public transport at only 1.5%.
What is the median house price in Wamberal?
The median house price is $1,550,000 (2025), down 2.7% from the 2024 peak of $1,592,500. Average monthly mortgage repayments are about $2,500 and weekly rent is $500, which produces a low gross yield near 1.7%. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 24.0%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Wamberal?
School-level data is not available in this dataset for Wamberal, so specific campuses cannot be listed. The area's education profile is strong, with university qualifications at 38.0%, which is 7.9 points above the national figure, and Education employing 13.3% of local workers. Families typically draw on schools across the wider Central Coast catchment.
Is Wamberal safe?
Verified crime statistics are not available in this dataset for Wamberal, so a crime rate cannot be quoted. The socioeconomic indicators point to low deprivation, with IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9, both well above the national midpoint, and only 4.0% of residents needing assistance, which usually correlates with lower property and personal crime.
Is Wamberal good for property investment?
The case is mixed. Only 17.6% of homes are rented, so the tenant pool is small, and the 10.4% vacancy rate signals soft demand. Weekly rent of $500 on a $1,550,000 median gives a low gross yield near 1.7%, so returns depend on capital growth rather than income. Overseas migration adds about 76 residents a year.
How is Wamberal's population changing?
Growth is slow at 0.87% per year, about 95 people annually, with a 17.4% rise over the decade. The medium forecast reaches roughly 11,553 by 2031. The shift is toward an aging population, with the senior share up 6.3 points and the young share down 1.1 points. Overseas migration of 76 a year offsets internal outflow of 65.
How much development is happening in Wamberal?
Development activity is moderate, with 91 development applications lodged over the past 12 months. Recent samples skew toward single dwellings, sheds and dual occupancies rather than high-density apartments, consistent with the 87.4% detached-housing profile and only 7.9% apartment stock. This reflects infill and renovation rather than large-scale rezoning.
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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