Salamander Bay vs Soldiers Point

In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Soldiers Point: a median of $1.29 million, against $1.05 million in Salamander Bay. On these figures, Salamander Bay tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Salamander Bay

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Salamander Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($650,000 vs $812,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,290,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Salamander Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (203.6 km vs 206.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Salamander Bay

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 33%)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Salamander Bay returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 2.4%)
  • Soldiers Point is growing faster (9.7% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
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.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Walkability 34 / 39
Salamander Bay — Walkability: 34/100 Soldiers Point — Walkability: 39/100
Safety 32 / 38
Salamander Bay — Safety: 32/100 Soldiers Point — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 45 / 100
Salamander Bay — Low fire risk: 45/100 Soldiers Point — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Salamander Bay has more residents (4,991 vs 1,564); Soldiers Point has higher household incomes ($70,200 vs $57,564).

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Population 4,991
+69% vs other
 1,564
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +9.7%
Median age 57 56
Median household income $57,564/yr $70,200/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk $400/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
0-4 3.1% / 3.1%
Salamander Bay — 0-4: 3.1% Soldiers Point — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 9.7% / 9.2%
Salamander Bay — 5-14: 9.7% Soldiers Point — 5-14: 9.2%
15-19 4.9% / 4.5%
Salamander Bay — 15-19: 4.9% Soldiers Point — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 3.6% / 3.3%
Salamander Bay — 20-24: 3.6% Soldiers Point — 20-24: 3.3%
25-34 7.2% / 7.4%
Salamander Bay — 25-34: 7.2% Soldiers Point — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 8.0% / 7.7%
Salamander Bay — 35-44: 8.0% Soldiers Point — 35-44: 7.7%
45-54 10.8% / 12.7%
Salamander Bay — 45-54: 10.8% Soldiers Point — 45-54: 12.7%
55-64 14.5% / 18.4%
Salamander Bay — 55-64: 14.5% Soldiers Point — 55-64: 18.4%
65-74 17.0% / 19.3%
Salamander Bay — 65-74: 17.0% Soldiers Point — 65-74: 19.3%
75-84 15.4% / 12.1%
Salamander Bay — 75-84: 15.4% Soldiers Point — 75-84: 12.1%
85+ 5.9% / 1.9%
Salamander Bay — 85+: 5.9% Soldiers Point — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Salamander Bay 51.6% lone person
Salamander Bay — Lone Person: 51.6% Salamander Bay — Couple Families: 28.9% Salamander Bay — One Parent Families: 15.6% Salamander Bay — Group Household: 2.3% Salamander Bay — Other Families: 1.6%
Soldiers Point 47.7% lone person
Soldiers Point — Lone Person: 47.7% Soldiers Point — Couple Families: 30.8% Soldiers Point — One Parent Families: 14.2% Soldiers Point — Group Household: 5.1% Soldiers Point — 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.

Salamander Bay 23.3% renting
Salamander Bay — Owned Outright: 53.2% Salamander Bay — Mortgage: 23.6% Salamander Bay — Renting: 23.3%
Soldiers Point 25.8% renting
Soldiers Point — Owned Outright: 48.4% Soldiers Point — Mortgage: 25.8% Soldiers Point — Renting: 25.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
England 5.5% / 6.5%
Salamander Bay — England: 5.5% Soldiers Point — England: 6.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 2.1%
Salamander Bay — New Zealand: 1.3% Soldiers Point — New Zealand: 2.1%
South Africa 0.7% / 1.3%
Salamander Bay — South Africa: 0.7% Soldiers Point — South Africa: 1.3%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.8%
Salamander Bay — Scotland: 0.7% Soldiers Point — Scotland: 0.8%
Germany 0.6% / 0.8%
Salamander Bay — Germany: 0.6% Soldiers Point — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.5%).

Qualifications

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

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Certificate III & IV 19.5% / 17.8%
Salamander Bay — Certificate III & IV: 19.5% Soldiers Point — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.7% / 11.7%
Salamander Bay — Bachelor Degree: 8.7% Soldiers Point — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 9.8%
Salamander Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Soldiers Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 3.8%
Salamander Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Soldiers Point — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 2.0%
Salamander Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Soldiers Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Salamander Bay 59.3% houses
Salamander Bay — Houses: 59.3% Salamander Bay — Townhouses: 31.4% Salamander Bay — Flats / Apartments: 9.4%
Soldiers Point 61.1% houses
Soldiers Point — Houses: 61.1% Soldiers Point — Townhouses: 13.9% Soldiers Point — Flats / Apartments: 25.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Median house price $1,050,000 $1,290,000
Median unit price $650,000 $812,500
Median land price $440,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 80 sales
 44 days
from 20 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.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
3 bed $860K / $1.05M
Salamander Bay — 3 bed: $860K (61 sales) Soldiers Point — 3 bed: $1.05M (14 sales)

61 vs 14 sales

4 bed $1.31M / $1.37M
Salamander Bay — 4 bed: $1.31M (74 sales) Soldiers Point — 4 bed: $1.37M (9 sales)

74 vs 9 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
2 bed $600K / $782K
Salamander Bay — 2 bed: $600K (13 sales) Soldiers Point — 2 bed: $782K (10 sales)

13 vs 10 sales

3 bed $1.05M / $875K
Salamander Bay — 3 bed: $1.05M (8 sales) Soldiers Point — 3 bed: $875K (5 sales)

8 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Salamander Bay has more land zoned for conservation (49% vs 9%).

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Residential 25% 60%
Environmental 49% 9%
Parks and recreation 20% 29%
Commercial 3% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Industrial 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

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
New dwellings approved 495
across Port Stephens
same for both
Approvals change year on year -72%
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.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Houses 4.4%
$780/wk on $922K
 2.4%
$700/wk on $1.5M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
House price Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Schools Higher than 39% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW

Liveability

Soldiers Point scores higher overall (50 vs 31).

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Grade C B
Score 31/100 50/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Salamander Bay carries more bushfire risk (55 vs 0).

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Bushfire Moderate
55/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
32/100
 Moderate
51/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Inside the suburb 6 1
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Salamander Bay

  • St Philip's Christian College - Port Stephens Independent · Combined above peers
  • Tomaree High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Philip's Christian College Gilibaa Independent · Primary below peers
  • Tomaree Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Edmondson Park College Independent · Primary
  • St Philip's Christian College Dynamic Learning - Port Stephens Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Soldiers Point

  • Soldiers Point Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 7 4
Childcare 5 0
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
EV chargers 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Soldiers Point sits further from the CBD (206.7 km vs 203.6 km).

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Walkability score 34/100 39/100
Distance to Sydney 203.6 km 206.7 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 157 min 161 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 116.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 31.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2317
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 39
postcode 2317
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.

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Car (driver) 68.2% / 63.3%
Salamander Bay — Car (driver): 68.2% Soldiers Point — Car (driver): 63.3%
Worked from Home 24.1% / 31.3%
Salamander Bay — Worked from Home: 24.1% Soldiers Point — Worked from Home: 31.3%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 2.4%
Salamander Bay — Car (passenger): 4.2% Soldiers Point — Car (passenger): 2.4%
Walked Only 2.3% / 2.4%
Salamander Bay — Walked Only: 2.3% Soldiers Point — Walked Only: 2.4%
Bicycle 0.8% / 0.6%
Salamander Bay — Bicycle: 0.8% Soldiers Point — Bicycle: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).

Setting

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Elevation 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 538 m
3.4 km to a named beach
 272 m
508 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Connectivity score 62/100 60/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
3,282 premises
 28%
1,144 premises

Climate

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
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

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Average residential rate $1,359/yr
same for both
Council Port Stephens
same for both

Federal electorate

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Salamander Bay Soldiers Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Salamander Bay

Coastal Retirees Townhouses

Soldiers Point

Beach Coastal Parks Quiet Retirees
Full data on Salamander Bay Full data on Soldiers Point
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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