Waratah vs Lambton

In both, most homes are detached houses. In Waratah, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Lambton, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Lambton: a median of $1.23 million, against $975,000 in Waratah, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Waratah tends to suit renters, older residents, 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

Lambton

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 41%)
  • carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 91/100)
  • But Waratah has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Waratah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($975,000 vs $1,230,000)

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 36%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $380/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Waratah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 72/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Waratah

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 24%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 17%)
  • But Lambton carries lower crime risk (74/100 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

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

Waratah Lambton
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.

Waratah Lambton
Walkability 88 / 72
Waratah — Walkability: 88/100 Lambton — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 9 / 26
Waratah — Safety: 9/100 Lambton — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 100 / 53
Waratah — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lambton — Low fire risk: 53/100

Demographics

Waratah Lambton
Population 4,927 5,214
+6% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.7% +6.2%
Median age 41 40
Median household income $78,572/yr $84,656/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $380/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waratah Lambton
0-4 4.0% / 5.4%
Waratah — 0-4: 4.0% Lambton — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 8.2% / 11.9%
Waratah — 5-14: 8.2% Lambton — 5-14: 11.9%
15-19 4.2% / 6.7%
Waratah — 15-19: 4.2% Lambton — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 8.4% / 6.5%
Waratah — 20-24: 8.4% Lambton — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 17.0% / 12.5%
Waratah — 25-34: 17.0% Lambton — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 11.3% / 12.7%
Waratah — 35-44: 11.3% Lambton — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 11.3% / 14.2%
Waratah — 45-54: 11.3% Lambton — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 10.2% / 13.4%
Waratah — 55-64: 10.2% Lambton — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 9.1% / 9.1%
Waratah — 65-74: 9.1% Lambton — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 7.4% / 5.1%
Waratah — 75-84: 7.4% Lambton — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 8.8% / 2.5%
Waratah — 85+: 8.8% Lambton — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Lambton 38.4% lone person
Lambton — Lone Person: 38.4% Lambton — Couple Families: 37.4% Lambton — One Parent Families: 17.5% Lambton — Group Household: 5.7% Lambton — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Waratah 48.4% renting
Waratah — Owned Outright: 22.2% Waratah — Mortgage: 29.3% Waratah — Renting: 48.4%
Lambton 35.9% renting
Lambton — Owned Outright: 33.1% Lambton — Mortgage: 31.0% Lambton — Renting: 35.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Waratah Lambton
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 16.3%
Waratah — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% Lambton — Bachelor Degree: 16.3%
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 14.3%
Waratah — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Lambton — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.5% / 7.5%
Waratah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5% Lambton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 5.3%
Waratah — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% Lambton — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.2%
Waratah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Lambton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

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.

Waratah Lambton
England 1.8% / 1.8%
Waratah — England: 1.8% Lambton — England: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.0%
Waratah — New Zealand: 1.3% Lambton — New Zealand: 1.0%
India 0.7% / 0.8%
Waratah — India: 0.7% Lambton — India: 0.8%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.6%
Waratah — Philippines: 0.8% Lambton — Philippines: 0.6%
Nepal 1.2% / —
Waratah — Nepal: 1.2% Lambton — Nepal: not among its largest
China 0.6% / 0.5%
Waratah — China: 0.6% Lambton — China: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Waratah 62.5% houses
Waratah — Houses: 62.5% Waratah — Townhouses: 19.4% Waratah — Flats / Apartments: 18.1%
Lambton 76.1% houses
Lambton — Houses: 76.1% Lambton — Townhouses: 14.9% Lambton — Flats / Apartments: 9.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Waratah Lambton
Median house price $975,000 $1,230,000
Median unit price $734,000 $760,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 19 sales
 22 days
from 26 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.

Waratah Lambton
2 bed $900K / $820K
Waratah — 2 bed: $900K (9 sales) Lambton — 2 bed: $820K (9 sales)

9 vs 9 sales

3 bed $999K / $1.19M
Waratah — 3 bed: $999K (40 sales) Lambton — 3 bed: $1.19M (49 sales)

40 vs 49 sales

4 bed $1.02M / $1.36M
Waratah — 4 bed: $1.02M (10 sales) Lambton — 4 bed: $1.36M (21 sales)

10 vs 21 sales

Zoning mix

Lambton has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 2%).

Waratah Lambton
Residential 71% 55%
Environmental 2% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 9%
Parks and recreation 8% 10%
Industrial 3% 6%
Commercial 6% 1%
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

Waratah Lambton
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.

Waratah Lambton
Houses 4.0%
$750/wk on $972K
 4.0%
$792/wk on $1.03M
Units 4.8%
$480/wk on $525K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Waratah Lambton
House price Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
Schools Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 74% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of NSW —

Liveability

Lambton scores higher overall (55 vs 42); Waratah is more walkable (88 vs 72).

Waratah Lambton
Grade C B
Score 42/100 55/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Lambton carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 0); Waratah carries more crime risk (91 vs 74).

Waratah Lambton
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime High
91/100
 High
74/100
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 18
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Waratah Lambton
Inside the suburb 8 3
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 4 1
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 2.4 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.6% 3.0%

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

Schools in Lambton

  • Lambton Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St John's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Lambton High School Government · Secondary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Waratah Lambton
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 8
Parks & reserves 3 4
Childcare 9 4
GPs 3 1
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Waratah Lambton
Walkability score 88/100 72/100
Distance to Sydney 155.3 km 153.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 115 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 145.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 80.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2298
 0.5%
postcode 2299
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 26
postcode 2298
 30
postcode 2299

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.

Waratah Lambton
Car (driver) 62.3% / 60.5%
Waratah — Car (driver): 62.3% Lambton — Car (driver): 60.5%
Worked from Home 26.8% / 30.4%
Waratah — Worked from Home: 26.8% Lambton — Worked from Home: 30.4%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 4.3%
Waratah — Car (passenger): 3.8% Lambton — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 4.0% / 2.9%
Waratah — Walked Only: 4.0% Lambton — Walked Only: 2.9%
Bus 1.5% / 1.2%
Waratah — Bus: 1.5% Lambton — Bus: 1.2%

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

Setting

Waratah Lambton
Elevation 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.8 km 5.7 km

NBN connectivity

Waratah Lambton
Connectivity score 69/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
2,512 premises
 40%
2,603 premises

Climate

Waratah Lambton
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)

Waratah Lambton
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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Waratah

Parks Retirees

Lambton

Parks Professionals Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Waratah

Waratah vs Mayfield Waratah vs North Lambton Waratah vs Waratah West Waratah vs Georgetown Waratah vs Mayfield West Waratah vs Broadmeadow

Other comparisons with Lambton

Lambton vs Wallsend Lambton vs New Lambton Lambton vs Elermore Vale Lambton vs North Lambton Lambton vs Jesmond Lambton vs Waratah West
Full data on Waratah Full data on Lambton
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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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