Central Coast suburbs where homes are owned outright

Chain Valley Bay tops the ranking, where 66.7% of homes are owned outright — no mortgage against them (798 dwellings). Erina and Lake Munmorah follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 58 eligible Central Coast suburbs.

This page ranks Central Coast suburbs by the share of occupied private dwellings owned outright — owned with no mortgage against them — at the 2021 Census. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.

Owned outright is a narrower measure than owner-occupied, and the difference is the point: a suburb can be almost entirely owner-occupied and still be mostly mortgaged. The share here is dwellings owned without a mortgage divided by all dwellings whose tenure was reported — outright, mortgaged and rented added together, because the ABS publishes a count per tenure type and no total. High shares tend to mark established, older, low-turnover places rather than desirable ones, and that is a description of who lives there now, not a recommendation.

Central Coast suburbs where the most homes are owned outright

Ranked by the share of occupied private dwellings owned without a mortgage at the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents. Owned outright is a narrower measure than owner-occupied — it excludes everyone still paying one off.

1

Chain Valley Bay

NSW 2259 · 2,773 residents

66.7% of homes owned outright · 798 dwellings

D 100.0
2

Erina

NSW 2250 · 5,205 residents

54.7% of homes owned outright · 978 dwellings

B 98.2
3

Lake Munmorah

NSW 2259 · 5,084 residents

50.9% of homes owned outright · 1,074 dwellings

D 96.5
4

Halekulani

NSW 2262 · 2,677 residents

49.6% of homes owned outright · 542 dwellings

C 94.7
5

Green Point

NSW 2251 · 6,810 residents

45.4% of homes owned outright · 1,167 dwellings

C 93.0
6

Summerland Point

NSW 2259 · 2,708 residents

44.7% of homes owned outright · 459 dwellings

D 91.2
7

Ettalong Beach

NSW 2257 · 5,161 residents

44.7% of homes owned outright · 1,081 dwellings

B 89.5
8

Davistown

NSW 2251 · 2,602 residents

43.7% of homes owned outright · 397 dwellings

B 87.7
9

Forresters Beach

NSW 2260 · 3,354 residents

41.0% of homes owned outright · 440 dwellings

B 86.0
10

Buff Point

NSW 2262 · 3,559 residents

40.0% of homes owned outright · 539 dwellings

C 84.2
11

Terrigal

NSW 2260 · 12,730 residents

39.9% of homes owned outright · 1,839 dwellings

B 82.5
12

Tumbi Umbi

NSW 2261 · 5,369 residents

39.3% of homes owned outright · 674 dwellings

C 80.7
13

Empire Bay

NSW 2257 · 2,522 residents

39.2% of homes owned outright · 337 dwellings

B 79.0
14

Kincumber

NSW 2251 · 7,398 residents

38.9% of homes owned outright · 936 dwellings

C 77.2
15

Avoca Beach

NSW 2251 · 4,708 residents

38.9% of homes owned outright · 592 dwellings

B 75.4

Ranked from 58 qualifying suburbs.

How we ranked these

100% share of occupied private dwellings owned WITHOUT a mortgage in the 2021 Census, divided by all dwellings whose tenure was reported — owned outright, mortgaged and rented added together, because the ABS publishes a count per tenure type and no total — and percentile-ranked within Central Coast's candidate pool. A narrower measure than owner-occupied, which counts everyone still paying one off. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of outright-owned dwellings breaks ties. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.

Common questions about this ranking

What are the central Coast suburbs where homes are owned outright?

Chain Valley Bay tops the ranking, where 66.7% of homes are owned outright — no mortgage against them (798 dwellings). Erina and Lake Munmorah follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 58 eligible Central Coast suburbs.

How is this ranking put together?

Each Central Coast suburb is ranked by the share of its occupied private dwellings owned without a mortgage in the 2021 Census. The denominator is every dwelling whose tenure was reported — owned outright, owned with a mortgage and rented, added together — because the Census publishes a count per tenure type and no total. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included.

How is this different from owner-occupied?

Owner-occupied counts everyone who owns the home they live in, mortgage or not. This counts only those who owe nothing on it. A suburb can be almost entirely owner-occupied and still be mostly mortgaged, so the two lists are not the same list.

What does a high share tell me about a suburb?

Usually that it is established and that people have stayed: paying off a mortgage takes decades, so outright ownership concentrates where residents are older and turnover is low. It is a description of who lives there now, not a measure of how desirable or affordable the suburb is.

How current is it?

The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.

Same list in other cities

Related

Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.

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