Saratoga vs Koolewong

Saratoga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 48 in Koolewong. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Saratoga, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Saratoga: a median of $1.3 million, against $1 million in Koolewong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Saratoga tends to suit families with children, while Koolewong suits people living alone and 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

Saratoga

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 57/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 57%)

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

First-home buyers

Koolewong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,000,000 vs $1,300,000)

Weighs house 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

Koolewong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (71 min vs 80 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (79.6 km vs 86.1 km)
  • But Saratoga is more walkable (58/100 vs 38/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Saratoga

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 57/100)
  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 38/100)

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

Investors

Koolewong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.1% vs 2.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Saratoga Koolewong
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.

Saratoga Koolewong
Walkability 58 / 38
Saratoga — Walkability: 58/100 Koolewong — Walkability: 38/100
Safety 80 / 43
Saratoga — Safety: 80/100 Koolewong — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 72 / 8
Saratoga — Low fire risk: 72/100 Koolewong — Low fire risk: 8/100

Demographics

Saratoga has more residents (3,982 vs 920); Saratoga has higher household incomes ($103,428 vs $90,220).

Saratoga Koolewong
Population 3,982
+77% vs other
 920
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.1% +5.6%
Median age 43 48
Median household income $103,428/yr
+13% vs other
 $90,220/yr
Median weekly rent $485/wk
+7% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Saratoga Koolewong
0-4 5.0% / 5.4%
Saratoga — 0-4: 5.0% Koolewong — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 13.5% / 8.9%
Saratoga — 5-14: 13.5% Koolewong — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 6.1% / 7.2%
Saratoga — 15-19: 6.1% Koolewong — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 5.5% / 3.4%
Saratoga — 20-24: 5.5% Koolewong — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 10.1% / 8.8%
Saratoga — 25-34: 10.1% Koolewong — 25-34: 8.8%
35-44 11.6% / 10.5%
Saratoga — 35-44: 11.6% Koolewong — 35-44: 10.5%
45-54 14.2% / 14.7%
Saratoga — 45-54: 14.2% Koolewong — 45-54: 14.7%
55-64 14.1% / 16.6%
Saratoga — 55-64: 14.1% Koolewong — 55-64: 16.6%
65-74 11.6% / 11.5%
Saratoga — 65-74: 11.6% Koolewong — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 6.5% / 9.5%
Saratoga — 75-84: 6.5% Koolewong — 75-84: 9.5%
85+ 1.8% / 2.4%
Saratoga — 85+: 1.8% Koolewong — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Saratoga 52.1% couple families
Saratoga — Couple Families: 52.1% Saratoga — Lone Person: 28.8% Saratoga — One Parent Families: 15.9% Saratoga — Group Household: 2.3% Saratoga — Other Families: 0.9%
Koolewong 43.1% couple families
Koolewong — Couple Families: 43.1% Koolewong — Lone Person: 37.2% Koolewong — One Parent Families: 14.2% Koolewong — Group Household: 2.9% Koolewong — Other Families: 2.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Saratoga 15.9% renting
Saratoga — Owned Outright: 38.9% Saratoga — Mortgage: 45.2% Saratoga — Renting: 15.9%
Koolewong 22.3% renting
Koolewong — Owned Outright: 44.1% Koolewong — Mortgage: 33.5% Koolewong — Renting: 22.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Saratoga Koolewong
Certificate III & IV 18.6% / 14.6%
Saratoga — Certificate III & IV: 18.6% Koolewong — Certificate III & IV: 14.6%
Bachelor Degree 13.1% / 15.3%
Saratoga — Bachelor Degree: 13.1% Koolewong — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 9.9%
Saratoga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Koolewong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 5.4%
Saratoga — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Koolewong — Postgraduate Degree: 5.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 3.7%
Saratoga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Koolewong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

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.

Saratoga Koolewong
England 5.5% / 6.4%
Saratoga — England: 5.5% Koolewong — England: 6.4%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.6%
Saratoga — New Zealand: 2.1% Koolewong — New Zealand: 1.6%
China 0.3% / 2.3%
Saratoga — China: 0.3% Koolewong — China: 2.3%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.9%
Saratoga — South Africa: 0.7% Koolewong — South Africa: 0.9%
Italy 0.4% / 0.9%
Saratoga — Italy: 0.4% Koolewong — Italy: 0.9%
Scotland 0.5% / —
Saratoga — Scotland: 0.5% Koolewong — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Saratoga 95.0% houses
Saratoga — Houses: 95.0% Saratoga — Flats / Apartments: 2.4% Saratoga — Townhouses: 2.6%
Koolewong 91.0% houses
Koolewong — Houses: 91.0% Koolewong — Flats / Apartments: 5.0% Koolewong — Townhouses: 3.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Saratoga Koolewong
Median house price $1,300,000 $1,000,000
Median unit price $965,000 —
Median land price — $770,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 48 sales
 42 days
from 12 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.

Saratoga Koolewong
2 bed $1.09M / $874K
Saratoga — 2 bed: $1.09M (7 sales) Koolewong — 2 bed: $874K (6 sales)

7 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.27M / $1.01M
Saratoga — 3 bed: $1.27M (41 sales) Koolewong — 3 bed: $1.01M (8 sales)

41 vs 8 sales

4 bed $1.35M / $1.07M
Saratoga — 4 bed: $1.35M (29 sales) Koolewong — 4 bed: $1.07M (10 sales)

29 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Koolewong has more land zoned for conservation (50% vs 20%).

Saratoga Koolewong
Residential 61% 32%
Environmental 20% 50%
Parks and recreation 17% 5%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 12%
Planning zones cover 100% of Saratoga and 99% of Koolewong. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Saratoga Koolewong
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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.

Saratoga Koolewong
Houses 2.8%
$880/wk on $1.62M
 4.1%
$825/wk on $1.03M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Saratoga Koolewong
House price Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW

Liveability

Saratoga scores higher overall (67 vs 37); Saratoga is more walkable (58 vs 38).

Saratoga Koolewong
Grade B C
Score 67/100 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Koolewong carries more bushfire risk (92 vs 28); Koolewong carries more crime risk (57 vs 20).

Saratoga Koolewong
Bushfire Low
28/100
 High
92/100
Crime Low
20/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Saratoga Koolewong
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Saratoga

  • Brisbania Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Koolewong

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

Amenities in the suburb

Saratoga Koolewong
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 4 3
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0

Mobility

Saratoga sits further from the CBD (86.1 km vs 79.6 km).

Saratoga Koolewong
Walkability score 58/100 38/100
Distance to Sydney 86.1 km
+8% vs other
 79.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 80 min 71 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 83/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 63.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2251
 0.8%
postcode 2256
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 2251
 31
postcode 2256

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.

Saratoga Koolewong
Car (driver) 57.7% / 44.0%
Saratoga — Car (driver): 57.7% Koolewong — Car (driver): 44.0%
Worked from Home 37.1% / 45.9%
Saratoga — Worked from Home: 37.1% Koolewong — Worked from Home: 45.9%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 5.5%
Saratoga — Car (passenger): 3.3% Koolewong — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Train 0.9% / 3.6%
Saratoga — Train: 0.9% Koolewong — Train: 3.6%
Bus 0.4% / 1.1%
Saratoga — Bus: 0.4% Koolewong — Bus: 1.1%
Walked Only 0.6% / —
Saratoga — Walked Only: 0.6% Koolewong — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.7%).

Setting

Saratoga Koolewong
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.5 km 5.1 km

NBN connectivity

Saratoga Koolewong
Connectivity score 49/100 91/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
1,658 premises
 83%
424 premises

Climate

Saratoga Koolewong
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Saratoga Koolewong
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Saratoga Koolewong
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Saratoga Koolewong
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Saratoga Koolewong
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Saratoga

Large Blocks Outer

Koolewong

Large Blocks Outer Parks Quiet Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Saratoga

Saratoga vs Woy Woy Saratoga vs Kincumber Saratoga vs Green Point Saratoga vs Davistown Saratoga vs St Huberts Island Saratoga vs Kincumber South

Other comparisons with Koolewong

Koolewong vs Woy Woy Koolewong vs Green Point Koolewong vs Tascott Koolewong vs Woy Woy Bay
Full data on Saratoga Full data on Koolewong
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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