Woongarrah
Almost every dwelling here is a freestanding house, 99.2% of the stock, and 87.9% carry four or more bedrooms, a profile built for families rather than downsizers. That shows in the numbers: the median age of 36 sits 4.0 years below national, the average household holds 3.2 people, 0.7 above national, and couples with children make up 2,571 of the 5,256 families. Household income reaches the 87th percentile nationally despite university qualifications of only 20.8%, which is 9.3 points below national, so earnings come from trades and services rather than degrees. The $880,000 median house price stays affordable against local pay, with mortgage repayments at 22.2% of income, below the 30% stress line.
Population
5,962
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,255/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
54
Median House
$880K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Woongarrah suits owner-occupier families more than most Central Coast markets because the stock is almost entirely detached: 99.2% separate houses and just 0.3% apartments. Larger homes dominate, with 87.9% carrying four or more bedrooms and only 10.7% at three, so buyers seeking a starter unit have nothing to choose from. The $880,000 median rose from $745,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025, a 28.9% one-year jump that reflects fast post-pandemic demand. Affordability still holds because incomes are strong: monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 equal 22.2% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold, and 47.8% of households already carry a mortgage versus 27.9% who own outright. That mortgage-heavy mix marks Woongarrah as an active owner-occupier market rather than a settled one.
For Buyers
Woongarrah suits owner-occupier families more than most Central Coast markets because the stock is almost entirely detached: 99.2% separate houses and just 0.3% apartments. Larger homes dominate, with 87.9% carrying four or more bedrooms and only 10.7% at three, so buyers seeking a starter unit have nothing to choose from. The $880,000 median rose from $745,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025, a 28.9% one-year jump that reflects fast post-pandemic demand. Affordability still holds because incomes are strong: monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 equal 22.2% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold, and 47.8% of households already carry a mortgage versus 27.9% who own outright. That mortgage-heavy mix marks Woongarrah as an active owner-occupier market rather than a settled one.
For Investors
The case for landlords here is steady rather than spectacular. Weekly rent of $510 against the $880,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.0%, higher than inner-Sydney premium suburbs but modest for the Central Coast. The vacancy rate of 2.9% is tight, signalling that tenants who do enter the market find few options, since only 24.3% of homes are rented against a 47.8% mortgage majority. Development is moderate, with 54 applications lodged in the past 12 months, including subdivisions and new structures that point to gradual supply rather than apartment flooding. The family-house stock, 99.2% detached, limits the tenant pool to households wanting space, but the 28.9% price rise from 2024 to 2025 shows capital growth has been the stronger return so far.
Development Activity
Total DAs
407
Last 12 Months
54
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-62.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Woongarrah iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
MacKillop Catholic College
K-12 · 1558 students
Woongarrah Public School
K-6 · 385 students
Demographics
Woongarrah skews young and family-oriented. The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, and the average household size of 3.2 sits 0.7 above national, driven by couples with children who form 2,571 of 5,256 families against just 939 couples with no children. The population is more Australian-born than typical, with overseas-born residents at 15.2%, which is 6.4 points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic led by English (2,460), Irish (573) and Scottish (532). University qualifications reach only 20.8%, 9.3 points below national, consistent with a workforce built on trades and services rather than professions. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 3,380 residents, far ahead of Buddhism (50), and resident stability is high, with 79.1% staying put and turnover at just 20.9%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.2%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward recent buyers: 47.8% of households carry a mortgage, well above the 27.9% who own outright, while 24.3% rent. That mortgage majority, paired with the young median age of 36, marks Woongarrah as a working market still being paid off rather than a settled one. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 99.2% separate houses, with apartments at 0.3% and four-plus bedroom homes at 87.9%, so density and small-dwelling options are almost absent. The median house price climbed 28.9% from $745,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025, yet repayments stay manageable: mortgage-to-income sits at 22.2% and rent-to-income at 22.6%, both comfortably below the 30% stress line because household income reaches the 87th percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$510
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$806
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.9%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.9%
Couples, no children
5,256
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare anchors the local workforce at 19.9% (345 workers), reflecting the Central Coast's hospital and aged-care base, followed by Public Admin and Education at 10.6% each (183 workers apiece) and Construction at 10.5% (181). That spread leans toward stable service and public-sector jobs rather than high-finance roles, which explains how household income reaches the 87th percentile while university qualifications stay 9.3 points below national. By occupation, Professionals lead at 516, ahead of Clerical/Admin (385) and Managers (353). Unemployment is moderate at 5.1% and the full-time employment rate is 63.3%, though participation reads 58.4%, held down by 1,333 residents not in the labour force, consistent with the family-heavy, single-earner households common in a four-bedroom-house suburb.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.3%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
58.4%
Employed
2,499
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.8%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
15.2%
Dwellings
1,783
Transport to Work
Daily life here is built around the car: 89.5% of commuters drive, while only 0.9% use public transport and 1.2% walk or cycle, far below denser metro suburbs and a function of the spread-out, detached layout at 1,120 residents per km2. No schools are recorded inside the 5.32 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Central Coast suburbs, a practical trade-off for the low-density setting. Community ties show in steady residency, with 79.1% of people staying put and turnover at just 20.9%, and 11.4% volunteering. Housing costs stay manageable, with mortgage-to-income at 22.2%, below the 30% stress line, while 7.5% of residents (432 people) report needing daily assistance.
Drive
89.5%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Woongarrah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woongarrah a good suburb to live in?
Woongarrah suits families: household income reaches the 87th percentile nationally, 99.2% of homes are detached houses and 87.9% have four or more bedrooms. The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below national. Housing costs stay manageable, with mortgage repayments at 22.2% of income, below the 30% stress line.
What is the median house price in Woongarrah?
The median house price is $880,000. It rose 28.9% from $745,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $510 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,167, equal to 22.2% of household income, below the 30% mortgage-stress threshold.
What schools are in Woongarrah?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.32 km2 Woongarrah boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Central Coast suburbs. The suburb is family-oriented, with an average household size of 3.2, which is 0.7 above national, and 2,571 couples with children.
Is Woongarrah safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Woongarrah in this dataset. As context, the suburb has high resident stability, with 79.1% of people staying put and turnover at just 20.9%, and only 7.5% of residents (432 people) report needing daily assistance, both typical of settled family areas.
Is Woongarrah good for property investment?
Rent of $510 a week against the $880,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.0%, higher than premium Sydney suburbs, and the 2.9% vacancy rate is tight. Only 24.3% of homes are rented versus a 47.8% mortgage majority, so returns have leaned on capital growth, with prices up 28.9% from 2024 to 2025.
How is Woongarrah's population changing?
Woongarrah is a young, growing family suburb, with a median age of 36, which is 4.0 years below national, and an average household of 3.2 people. Of 5,256 families, 2,571 are couples with children. Development activity is moderate, with 54 applications lodged in the past 12 months, supporting gradual expansion.
How much development is happening in Woongarrah?
There were 54 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including subdivisions and new structures rather than only renovations. That points to gradual new supply in a suburb where 99.2% of dwellings are detached houses and the vacancy rate is a tight 2.9%.
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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