Georgetown vs Waratah

Georgetown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Waratah. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Georgetown, most households own their home. In Waratah, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Waratah tends to suit renters, people living alone, and older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Georgetown

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 91/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (86% vs 62%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 41%)
  • But Waratah has more childcare (9 vs 0)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Georgetown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($650,000 vs $734,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Waratah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (48% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $423/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Waratah

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 14%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 12%)
  • But Georgetown carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 91/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Georgetown and Waratah drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Georgetown Waratah
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Georgetown Waratah
Walkability 88 / 88
Georgetown — Walkability: 88/100 Waratah — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 52 / 9
Georgetown — Safety: 52/100 Waratah — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Georgetown — Low fire risk: 100/100 Waratah — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Waratah has more residents (4,927 vs 2,072); Georgetown has higher household incomes ($104,260 vs $78,572).

Georgetown Waratah
Population 2,072 4,927
+138% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.7% +9.7%
Median age 36 41
Median household income $104,260/yr
+25% vs other
 $78,572/yr
Median weekly rent $423/wk
+17% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Georgetown Waratah
0-4 6.7% / 4.0%
Georgetown — 0-4: 6.7% Waratah — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 10.1% / 8.2%
Georgetown — 5-14: 10.1% Waratah — 5-14: 8.2%
15-19 4.3% / 4.2%
Georgetown — 15-19: 4.3% Waratah — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 8.4% / 8.4%
Georgetown — 20-24: 8.4% Waratah — 20-24: 8.4%
25-34 18.0% / 17.0%
Georgetown — 25-34: 18.0% Waratah — 25-34: 17.0%
35-44 14.6% / 11.3%
Georgetown — 35-44: 14.6% Waratah — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 13.4% / 11.3%
Georgetown — 45-54: 13.4% Waratah — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 12.3% / 10.2%
Georgetown — 55-64: 12.3% Waratah — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 6.6% / 9.1%
Georgetown — 65-74: 6.6% Waratah — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 4.2% / 7.4%
Georgetown — 75-84: 4.2% Waratah — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 1.2% / 8.8%
Georgetown — 85+: 1.2% Waratah — 85+: 8.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Georgetown 36.1% lone person
Georgetown — Lone Person: 36.1% Georgetown — Couple Families: 37.3% Georgetown — One Parent Families: 16.3% Georgetown — Group Household: 8.9% Georgetown — Other Families: 1.5%
Waratah 45.7% lone person
Waratah — Lone Person: 45.7% Waratah — Couple Families: 24.0% Waratah — One Parent Families: 17.0% Waratah — Group Household: 11.0% Waratah — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Georgetown 30.6% renting
Georgetown — Owned Outright: 26.8% Georgetown — Mortgage: 42.6% Georgetown — Renting: 30.6%
Waratah 48.4% renting
Waratah — Owned Outright: 22.2% Waratah — Mortgage: 29.3% Waratah — Renting: 48.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Georgetown Waratah
Bachelor Degree 18.8% / 14.4%
Georgetown — Bachelor Degree: 18.8% Waratah — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Certificate III & IV 17.2% / 14.0%
Georgetown — Certificate III & IV: 17.2% Waratah — Certificate III & IV: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.5%
Georgetown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Waratah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 4.9%
Georgetown — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Waratah — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 1.9%
Georgetown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Waratah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Georgetown Waratah
England 2.2% / 1.8%
Georgetown — England: 2.2% Waratah — England: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.3%
Georgetown — New Zealand: 1.3% Waratah — New Zealand: 1.3%
Nepal 0.8% / 1.2%
Georgetown — Nepal: 0.8% Waratah — Nepal: 1.2%
Italy 0.7% / 0.6%
Georgetown — Italy: 0.7% Waratah — Italy: 0.6%
India 0.3% / 0.7%
Georgetown — India: 0.3% Waratah — India: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.8%
Georgetown — Philippines: not among its largest Waratah — Philippines: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Georgetown 85.8% houses
Georgetown — Houses: 85.8% Georgetown — Flats / Apartments: 8.8% Georgetown — Townhouses: 5.4%
Waratah 62.5% houses
Waratah — Houses: 62.5% Waratah — Flats / Apartments: 18.1% Waratah — Townhouses: 19.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Georgetown Waratah
Median house price $1,016,000 $975,000
Median unit price $650,000 $734,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 10 sales
 21 days
from 19 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Georgetown Waratah
2 bed $890K / $900K
Georgetown — 2 bed: $890K (15 sales) Waratah — 2 bed: $900K (9 sales)

15 vs 9 sales

3 bed $1.09M / $999K
Georgetown — 3 bed: $1.09M (45 sales) Waratah — 3 bed: $999K (40 sales)

45 vs 40 sales

4 bed $1.27M / $1.02M
Georgetown — 4 bed: $1.27M (10 sales) Waratah — 4 bed: $1.02M (10 sales)

10 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Georgetown Waratah
Residential 89% 71%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 11%
Parks and recreation 0% 8%
Commercial 3% 6%
Industrial 5% 3%
Environmental 0% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Georgetown Waratah
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +77%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Georgetown Waratah
Houses 4.4%
$850/wk on $1.01M
 4.0%
$750/wk on $972K
Units — 4.8%
$480/wk on $525K

Ranking within NSW

Georgetown Waratah
House price Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Income Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 3% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 55% of NSW

Liveability

Georgetown scores higher overall (68 vs 42).

Georgetown Waratah
Grade B C
Score 68/100 42/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Waratah carries more crime risk (91 vs 48).

Georgetown Waratah
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
48/100
 High
91/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 21
within 5 km
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Georgetown Waratah
Inside the suburb 0 8
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 4
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 3.2 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 3.6%

Schools in Georgetown

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Waratah

  • Callaghan College Waratah Campus Government · Secondary at peers
  • Corpus Christi Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • St Philip's Christian College - Waratah Independent · Combined at peers
  • Waratah Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Philip's Christian College Dynamic Learning Independent · Combined · Special school below peers
  • Newcastle Middle School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Georgetown Waratah
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 0 9
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4

Mobility

Georgetown Waratah
Walkability score 88/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 156.5 km 155.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 119 min 117 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 33.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 145.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2298
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 2298
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Georgetown Waratah
Car (driver) 62.1% / 62.3%
Georgetown — Car (driver): 62.1% Waratah — Car (driver): 62.3%
Worked from Home 28.6% / 26.8%
Georgetown — Worked from Home: 28.6% Waratah — Worked from Home: 26.8%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.8%
Georgetown — Car (passenger): 4.5% Waratah — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only 2.2% / 4.0%
Georgetown — Walked Only: 2.2% Waratah — Walked Only: 4.0%
Bus 1.3% / 1.5%
Georgetown — Bus: 1.3% Waratah — Bus: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.3%).

Setting

Georgetown Waratah
Elevation 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.5 km
4.9 km to a named beach
 3.8 km

NBN connectivity

Georgetown Waratah
Connectivity score 70/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 45%
1,019 premises
 43%
2,512 premises

Climate

Georgetown Waratah
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Georgetown Waratah
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 21.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.75 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Georgetown Waratah
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Georgetown Waratah
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Georgetown Waratah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Georgetown

Parks Urban

Waratah

Parks Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Georgetown

Georgetown vs Mayfield Georgetown vs Islington Georgetown vs Broadmeadow Georgetown vs Hamilton North

Other comparisons with Waratah

Waratah vs Mayfield Waratah vs Lambton Waratah vs North Lambton Waratah vs Waratah West Waratah vs Mayfield West Waratah vs Broadmeadow
Full data on Georgetown Full data on Waratah
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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