Karuah vs Limeburners Creek

Limeburners Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 50 in Karuah. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Limeburners Creek, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Limeburners Creek: a median of $945,000, against $654,000 in Karuah. On these figures, Karuah tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Limeburners Creek suits families with children and couples.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Karuah has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • Limeburners Creek is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 51%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Karuah has cheaper houses ($654,000 vs $945,000)
  • Limeburners Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Karuah has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 9%)
  • Limeburners Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Limeburners Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (145 min vs 151 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (194.5 km vs 196.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Karuah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Karuah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.7% vs -2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Karuah Limeburners Creek
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.

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Walkability 10 / 6
Karuah — Walkability: 10/100 Limeburners Creek — Walkability: 6/100
Low fire risk 24 / 18
Karuah — Low fire risk: 24/100 Limeburners Creek — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Karuah has more residents (1,618 vs 327); Limeburners Creek has higher household incomes ($82,472 vs $55,172).

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Population 1,618
+80% vs other
 327
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.7% -2.7%
Median age 50 43
Median household income $55,172/yr $82,472/yr
+49% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Karuah Limeburners Creek
0-4 5.6% / 4.9%
Karuah — 0-4: 5.6% Limeburners Creek — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 12.1% / 20.5%
Karuah — 5-14: 12.1% Limeburners Creek — 5-14: 20.5%
15-19 4.9% / 2.1%
Karuah — 15-19: 4.9% Limeburners Creek — 15-19: 2.1%
20-24 3.9% / 4.3%
Karuah — 20-24: 3.9% Limeburners Creek — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 10.0% / 9.8%
Karuah — 25-34: 10.0% Limeburners Creek — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 8.7% / 9.8%
Karuah — 35-44: 8.7% Limeburners Creek — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 11.3% / 15.3%
Karuah — 45-54: 11.3% Limeburners Creek — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 14.2% / 16.5%
Karuah — 55-64: 14.2% Limeburners Creek — 55-64: 16.5%
65-74 18.8% / 11.9%
Karuah — 65-74: 18.8% Limeburners Creek — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 10.1% / 3.7%
Karuah — 75-84: 10.1% Limeburners Creek — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.2% / 2.8%
Karuah — 85+: 1.2% Limeburners Creek — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Karuah 31.0% couple families
Karuah — Couple Families: 31.0% Karuah — Lone Person: 43.3% Karuah — One Parent Families: 20.4% Karuah — Group Household: 4.3% Karuah — Other Families: 1.0%
Limeburners Creek 51.3% couple families
Limeburners Creek — Couple Families: 51.3% Limeburners Creek — Lone Person: 19.7% Limeburners Creek — One Parent Families: 21.1% Limeburners Creek — Group Household: 7.9% Limeburners Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Karuah 20.8% renting
Karuah — Owned Outright: 49.3% Karuah — Mortgage: 29.9% Karuah — Renting: 20.8%
Limeburners Creek 8.9% renting
Limeburners Creek — Owned Outright: 46.5% Limeburners Creek — Mortgage: 44.6% Limeburners Creek — Renting: 8.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 21.1%
Karuah — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Limeburners Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.4% / 8.9%
Karuah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4% Limeburners Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Bachelor Degree 3.6% / 2.8%
Karuah — Bachelor Degree: 3.6% Limeburners Creek — Bachelor Degree: 2.8%
Postgraduate Degree 0.7% / 2.1%
Karuah — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7% Limeburners Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.2%
Karuah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Limeburners Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Karuah Limeburners Creek
England 2.5% / 1.2%
Karuah — England: 2.5% Limeburners Creek — England: 1.2%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Karuah — New Zealand: 1.1% Limeburners Creek — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines 0.6% / 1.2%
Karuah — Philippines: 0.6% Limeburners Creek — Philippines: 1.2%
Italy — / 1.2%
Karuah — Italy: not among its largest Limeburners Creek — Italy: 1.2%
Scotland 1.0% / —
Karuah — Scotland: 1.0% Limeburners Creek — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / —
Karuah — Germany: 0.6% Limeburners Creek — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Karuah 92.6% houses
Karuah — Houses: 92.6% Karuah — Flats / Apartments: 4.3% Karuah — Townhouses: 3.2%
Limeburners Creek 94.5% houses
Limeburners Creek — Houses: 94.5% Limeburners Creek — Flats / Apartments: 5.5% Limeburners Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Median house price $654,000 $945,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $350,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 18 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Limeburners Creek has more land zoned for conservation (47% vs 27%); Karuah has more rural and farming land (67% vs 53%).

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Rural and farming 67% 53%
Environmental 27% 47%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 0%
Residential 2% 0%
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

Karuah Limeburners Creek
New dwellings approved 495
across Port Stephens
 743
across Mid-Coast
Approvals change year on year -72% +327%

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.

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Houses 3.7%
$620/wk on $865K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Karuah Limeburners Creek
House price Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 46% of NSW
Income Higher than 15% of NSW —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 63% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 51% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 59% of NSW —

Liveability

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Grade D —
Score 12/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
82/100
Crime High
74/100
 —
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
18/100
 Low
26/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Karuah

  • Karuah Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Limeburners Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 14 10

Mobility

Karuah sits further from the CBD (196.5 km vs 194.5 km).

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Walkability score 10/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 196.5 km
+1% vs other
 194.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 151 min 145 min
Public transport score 26/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 3 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2324
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2324
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.

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Car (driver) 79.1% / 86.0%
Karuah — Car (driver): 79.1% Limeburners Creek — Car (driver): 86.0%
Worked from Home 12.0% / 14.0%
Karuah — Worked from Home: 12.0% Limeburners Creek — Worked from Home: 14.0%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / —
Karuah — Car (passenger): 4.3% Limeburners Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 3.4% / —
Karuah — Walked Only: 3.4% Limeburners Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.2% / —
Karuah — Bicycle: 1.2% Limeburners Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.0%).

Setting

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km 9.9 km

NBN connectivity

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Connectivity score 70/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
1,055 premises
 0%
86 premises

Climate

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Average residential rate $1,359/yr $1,560/yr
Council Port Stephens Mid-Coast

Federal electorate

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Karuah Limeburners Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Karuah

Acreage Affordable Coastal Retirees

Limeburners Creek

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Karuah

Karuah vs North Arm Cove Karuah vs Swan Bay Karuah vs Twelve Mile Creek Karuah vs The Branch

Other comparisons with Limeburners Creek

Limeburners Creek vs Clarence Town Limeburners Creek vs Booral Limeburners Creek vs Allworth Limeburners Creek vs Twelve Mile Creek Limeburners Creek vs Glen Martin Limeburners Creek vs The Branch
Full data on Karuah Full data on Limeburners Creek
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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