West Haven
Age is the defining feature of West Haven: its median age is 67, or 27 years above the national comparison, while 1,139 residents live across 1.63 square kilometres at 699.8 people per square kilometre. Household income sits at the 10.1 percentile, helping explain why outright ownership reaches 57.9% and why housing costs need careful checking. The suburb is detached-house dominant, with 70.2% separate houses, and its 19.8% university-educated share is 10.3 percentage points below the national figure. Compared with nearby Wauchope, West Haven should be treated as a compact, older market where services, accessibility and manageable running costs matter more than a growth-at-any-price story.
Local council: Port Macquarie-Hastings
Population
1,139
Median Age
67.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$940/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
West Haven suits buyers who value established ownership and smaller household settings, but affordability needs a close test. The median house price is not stated, so use recent settled sales rather than treating the $400 weekly rent or $1,625 monthly mortgage as a sale benchmark. Housing is weighted to 3-bedroom homes at 57.6%, followed by 4 or more bedrooms at 21.8% and 2-bedroom homes at 20.7%; 70.2% are separate houses and 29.8% semi-detached. The 39.9% mortgage-to-income ratio is high compared with a comfortable budget, while 57.9% outright ownership is higher than the 23.3% mortgage share. Compare exact streets, maintenance needs and access to services with nearby Wauchope before committing, because a 67 median age can make convenience more important than extra floor area.
For Buyers
West Haven suits buyers who value established ownership and smaller household settings, but affordability needs a close test. The median house price is not stated, so use recent settled sales rather than treating the $400 weekly rent or $1,625 monthly mortgage as a sale benchmark. Housing is weighted to 3-bedroom homes at 57.6%, followed by 4 or more bedrooms at 21.8% and 2-bedroom homes at 20.7%; 70.2% are separate houses and 29.8% semi-detached. The 39.9% mortgage-to-income ratio is high compared with a comfortable budget, while 57.9% outright ownership is higher than the 23.3% mortgage share. Compare exact streets, maintenance needs and access to services with nearby Wauchope before committing, because a 67 median age can make convenience more important than extra floor area.
For Investors
West Haven presents a yield-led but selective investment case. Weekly rent is $400 and the vacancy rate is 6.9%, so returns should be tested against comparable properties and the wider 2443 market rather than assumed from rent alone. Only 11.3% of households rent, below the 57.9% who own outright, which can limit the depth of the tenant pool; the 2.0 average household size and 67 median age point toward demand for practical, lower-maintenance homes. Six development applications in 12 months indicate some ongoing activity, but not a large project pipeline. Rent stress reaches 42.6%, above the 39.9% mortgage stress figure, so a $400 weekly rent may still challenge local budgets. Compare insurance, vacancy history and tenant demand with nearby Wauchope, and prioritise accessible 2 or 3-bedroom stock over speculative redevelopment.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
West Haven has an older, settled population profile. The median age is 67, 27 years above the national comparison, and 80.8% of residents stayed at the same address, indicating lower turnover than a highly mobile suburb. English ancestry is reported by 538 people, followed by Scottish at 154 and Irish at 149; Christianity counts 729 people, while 346 report no religion. The university-educated share is 19.8%, 10.3 percentage points below the national figure, and the overseas-born share is 15.6%, 6 points below national. Average household size is 2.0, or 0.5 below the national comparison, with couples without children making up 67.3% of families. Compared with nearby Wauchope, these figures support planning around ageing, healthcare, social connection and accessible services rather than a child-heavy growth profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
70.2%
Houses
29.8%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
West Haven's tenure pattern is more secure than its income position might suggest. Outright ownership is 57.9%, higher than the 23.3% paying a mortgage and the 11.3% renting, while 7.5% sit in other tenure categories. Separate houses account for 70.2%, compared with 29.8% semi-detached dwellings. The stock is concentrated in 3-bedroom homes at 57.6%, with 21.8% having 4 or more bedrooms and 20.7% having 2 bedrooms. Cost pressure remains important: the $1,625 monthly mortgage equals 39.9% of household income, and $400 weekly rent equals 42.6%, both demanding shares for a suburb where weekly household income is $940. Compared with nearby Wauchope, check whether a lower-maintenance semi-detached home improves the budget, because smaller households average 2.0 people and may not need surplus rooms.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $400.
$530
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $623
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$524
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.9%
Unoccupied
38
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
42.6% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
39.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.9%
Couples with children
67.3%
Couples, no children
8.6%
Single parent
315
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare anchors West Haven's employment base at 25.1%, or 53 workers, followed by Education at 12.8% and 27, Construction at 11.8% and 25, Retail at 10.9% and 23, and Public Administration at 7.6% and 16. This mix is more service-oriented than a purely construction-led local economy because care and education together form the largest visible employment block. Trades lead occupations at 50 people, narrowly above Professionals at 48 and Community/Personal roles at 46; Clerical/Admin counts 35 and Sales 34. Participation is 30.6%, with 675 people not in the labour force, consistent with a median age of 67. The unemployment rate is 5.4% across a labour force of 313, while full-time employment is 54.4%, below what a younger workforce would typically support. Household income is $940 weekly and sits at the 10.1 percentile, below the national middle.
Unemployment
5.4%
Labour Force
313
Unemployed
17
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.4%
Part-time
39.2%
Participation
30.6%
Employed
296
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.8%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
15.6%
Dwellings
513
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-oriented: 86.2% of workers drove, while only 1.2% walked or cycled and 8.5% worked from home. The 46.0% no-car figure adds an important access caveat, because household transport needs may be uneven even where commuting is dominated by cars. At 699.8 people per square kilometre across 1.63 square kilometres, distances may be manageable, but convenience depends on street slope, footpaths, shopping access and services. Safety should be assessed with current local incident patterns rather than inferred from the 67 median age or 1,139 population. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, West Haven requires more planning around medical appointments, groceries and reliable car access, particularly for households managing mobility needs.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
8.5%
Growth Outlook
Growth in West Haven currently looks incremental rather than development-heavy. Six development applications were recorded over 12 months, including sheds, earthworks, retaining walls, demolition and replacement structures, so the pipeline appears more focused on adapting existing properties than adding a large number of dwellings. The suburb has 1,139 residents in a compact 1.63 square kilometre area, and 80.8% stayed at the same address, suggesting that established households remain more important than rapid turnover. Compared with a high-volume greenfield market, this points to gradual change driven by renovations, accessibility upgrades and limited infill. Buyers should compare new approvals, lot constraints and resale evidence with nearby Wauchope because a small project count can still affect individual streets.
Population trend: Port Macquarie-Hastings council area
West Haven sits in the Port Macquarie-Hastings council area. These are the council area's residents, not West Haven's.
Residents 2025
92,432
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How West Haven compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Haven a good suburb to live in?
West Haven may suit people seeking a quieter, established setting, particularly older households: the median age is 67 and 57.9% own outright. It is less suited to buyers needing strong public transport, because 86.2% of workers drove and only 1.2% walked or cycled.
What is the median house price in West Haven?
A reliable median house price requires recent settled sales. The $400 weekly rent and $1,625 monthly mortgage are useful affordability markers, not sale prices; compare at least 12 months of comparable transactions before making an offer.
What schools are in West Haven?
School choices should be checked by exact address and enrolment zone rather than assumed from the suburb name. Confirm nearby primary and secondary options, travel times and sector details before buying; average household size is 2.0, so needs may differ between households.
Is West Haven safe?
Use current police incident data for exact streets and compare patterns with nearby suburbs before deciding. West Haven has 1,139 residents and a density of 699.8 people per square kilometre; those figures describe scale, not personal risk.
Is West Haven good for property investment?
It may suit a selective, income-focused strategy: rent is $400 weekly and vacancy is 6.9%, but only 11.3% of households rent. Six development applications in 12 months suggest some activity, so compare tenant depth, maintenance and resale demand with nearby Wauchope.
How is West Haven's population changing?
Change appears gradual: West Haven has 1,139 residents, 80.8% stayed at the same address and 6 development applications were recorded over 12 months. That points to an established market shaped more by renovations and household ageing than by a large construction pipeline.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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