Waratah
Renters make up 48.4% of Waratah, a striking figure for a suburb where 62.5% of dwellings are detached houses, and that mix shapes everything else here. The median house price sits at $860,000 and rose 8.6% from $830,000 in 2024 to $901,000 in 2025, yet household income lands in only the 47.2nd percentile nationally, near the midpoint rather than the top. SEIFA scores split sharply: decile 6 for education and occupation but decile 2 for economic resources, a gap driven by the large renting base. Healthcare employs 26.9% of the workforce, well above most suburbs, reflecting Waratah's role next to Newcastle's major hospital precinct. The median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above national, and the population is aging slowly at just 0.25% annual growth.
Population
4,927
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,511/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
47
Median House
$860K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At an $860,000 median, Waratah is more attainable than inner-Sydney markets, but the 8.6% jump from $830,000 to $901,000 across 2024 to 2025 shows prices climbing faster than the slow population growth alone would suggest. The stock favours buyers wanting a house: 62.5% are separate dwellings against just 17.4% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 41.8% with two-bedroom at 31.9%. Larger 4-plus bedroom houses are scarce at 13.2%, so families needing space face thin supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,827, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting only in the 47.2nd percentile. That manageable ratio exists because prices, while rising, remain well below Sydney medians, making Waratah a realistic entry point for first home buyers in the Newcastle area.
For Buyers
At an $860,000 median, Waratah is more attainable than inner-Sydney markets, but the 8.6% jump from $830,000 to $901,000 across 2024 to 2025 shows prices climbing faster than the slow population growth alone would suggest. The stock favours buyers wanting a house: 62.5% are separate dwellings against just 17.4% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 41.8% with two-bedroom at 31.9%. Larger 4-plus bedroom houses are scarce at 13.2%, so families needing space face thin supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,827, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes sitting only in the 47.2nd percentile. That manageable ratio exists because prices, while rising, remain well below Sydney medians, making Waratah a realistic entry point for first home buyers in the Newcastle area.
For Investors
A 48.4% renter share is the headline for investors, far higher than the owner-occupier norm and a deep tenant pool to draw on. Weekly rent of $350 against the $860,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.1%, modest but stronger than premium Sydney suburbs. The vacancy rate of 7.8% is elevated, signalling that supply is not tight, so landlords compete on price and condition rather than scarcity. Rent grew 38.9% over the decade, a meaningful escalation that supports income returns over time. Development is moderate at 45 applications in 12 months, weighted toward single dwellings, demolition and subdivision rather than large apartment projects, so new rental supply stays limited. With population growth at just 0.25% a year and net internal migration slightly negative at minus 6, the investment case rests more on rent growth and yield than on rapid capital appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
209
Last 12 Months
47
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-2.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Waratah iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Philip's Christian College - Waratah
K-12 · 1466 students
Corpus Christi Primary School
K-6 · 169 students
Waratah Public School
P-6 · 351 students
Callaghan College Waratah Campus
7-10 · 848 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above national, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 8.0 points while the working-age share fell 3.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach only 17.2%, which is 4.4 points below national, marking Waratah as more Australian-born than most metro suburbs. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,797), Irish (645) and Scottish (514), and the top non-English languages are Nepali (32 speakers), Italian (17) and Mandarin (15), a small international footprint. University qualifications sit at 33.1%, which is 3.0 points above national, a modest education edge. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the older profile where couples with no children make up 30.6% of families against 989 couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
62.5%
Houses
19.4%
Townhouse
17.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans heavily toward renting: 48.4% rent, 29.3% carry a mortgage and only 22.2% own outright. That renter majority is unusual for a suburb where detached houses dominate at 62.5% of stock, with apartments at 17.4% and semi-detached at 19.4%. Three-bedroom homes account for 41.8% and two-bedroom 31.9%, while 4-plus bedroom houses are just 13.2%, so most rentals and purchases are mid-sized family homes. The median house price rose from $830,000 in 2024 to $901,000 in 2025, an 8.6% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 27.9% stays below the stress threshold and rent-to-income at 23.2% is also comfortable, both helped by prices that sit well below Sydney levels even though household income is only in the 47.2nd percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,827
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$785
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
161
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.6%
Couples, no children
2,839
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in care and public sectors: Healthcare leads at 26.9% (441 workers), well above typical suburbs, followed by Education at 13.6% (222) and Professional/Tech at 8.8% (144), with Retail at 6.9% and Public Admin at 6.6%. By occupation, Professionals (662) and Community/Personal service workers (346) lead, which fits the heavy healthcare base. Unemployment sits at 5.1% and the full-time rate is 59.7%, while participation reads 52.9%, held down by 1,381 residents not in the labour force in this aging suburb. SEIFA tells a split story: decile 6 on the education and occupation index but decile 2 on economic resources, because the 48.4% renter base depresses aggregate household wealth measures even where skills and jobs are mid-tier. Real incomes grew 12.7% over the decade.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
2,025
Unemployed
76
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.7%
Part-time
35.2%
Participation
52.9%
Employed
2,171
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.1%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
17.2%
Dwellings
1,895
Transport to Work
Waratah is car-dependent: 85.6% drive to work while only 2.4% use public transport and 6.7% walk or cycle, well below the active-transport share of denser suburbs, a function of its suburban Newcastle setting at 2,574 residents per km2. No schools are recorded inside the 1.91 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. On safety, detailed crime figures are unavailable here, but the suburb scores decile 4 on IRSAD and decile 4 on IRSD, mid-range tiers that point to a moderate, not affluent, profile. Volunteering runs at 13.2% and 13.2% of residents (585 people) need daily assistance, a higher rate consistent with the older median age of 41 and the heavy local healthcare presence.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
2.4%
Walk / Cycle
6.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.25%/yr
(+10 people/yr)
EstablishedWaratah is effectively static: annual population growth registers 0.25%, roughly 10 people a year, and the 10-year change of just 2.8% sits well below the national growth average, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. Historical counts moved only from 3,956 in 2023 to 3,980 in 2025, and the medium forecast holds the population near 3,990 by 2031, so almost no expansion is expected. Migration is balanced but thin: net overseas migration adds about 4 residents a year while internal migration removes 6. The gentrification score is 19 and the stage reads not gentrifying, with affordability flat from 40.2% in 2011 to 40.3% in 2021. The aging shift is the clearest trend, with the senior share up 8.0 points against a 1.9-point fall in the young share.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+4
Net Internal / yr
-6
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Waratah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waratah a good suburb to live in?
Waratah scores decile 6 for education and occupation but decile 2 for economic resources on SEIFA, a mid-range profile. The median house price of $860,000 is far below Sydney levels, university qualifications reach 33.1% (3.0 points above national), and Healthcare employs 26.9% of workers, suiting buyers who want an affordable house near Newcastle's hospital precinct.
What is the median house price in Waratah?
The median house price is $860,000, well below Sydney medians. Prices rose 8.6% from $830,000 in 2024 to $901,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $350 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,827, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.9%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Waratah?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.91 km2 Waratah boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is reasonably educated, with university qualifications at 33.1%, which is 3.0 points above the national figure.
Is Waratah safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Waratah in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSAD index and decile 4 on IRSD, mid-range tiers nationally, while 13.2% of its 4,927 residents need daily assistance, consistent with an older, moderate-profile area.
Is Waratah good for property investment?
Rent of $350 a week against an $860,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.1%, stronger than premium Sydney suburbs, and renters make up 48.4% of households. The 7.8% vacancy rate signals ample supply, so returns depend on the 38.9% decade rent growth more than on scarcity or fast capital gains.
How is Waratah's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.25% annually, about 10 people a year, with a 2.8% rise over 10 years. Counts moved from 3,956 in 2023 to 3,980 in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 8.0 points and the working-age share down 3.5 points over the decade.
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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