Waratah vs North Lambton

North Lambton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 41 in Waratah. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Waratah, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In North Lambton, most households own their home. On these figures, Waratah tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while North Lambton suits young adults.

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

North Lambton

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (86% vs 62%)
  • carries lower crime risk (68/100 vs 91/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (49% 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

Too close to call

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

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Waratah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/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 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (38% vs 14%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 14%)
  • But North Lambton carries lower crime risk (68/100 vs 91/100)

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

  • Waratah is growing faster (9.7% vs 4.5%)
  • North Lambton returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.6% vs 4.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Waratah and North 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 North 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 North Lambton
Walkability 88 / 72
Waratah — Walkability: 88/100 North Lambton — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 9 / 32
Waratah — Safety: 9/100 North Lambton — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Waratah — Low fire risk: 100/100 North Lambton — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Waratah has more residents (4,927 vs 3,454); Waratah skews older (41 vs 31).

Waratah North Lambton
Population 4,927
+30% vs other
 3,454
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.7% +4.5%
Median age 41 31
Median household income $78,572/yr $87,256/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $400/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Waratah North Lambton
0-4 4.0% / 5.8%
Waratah — 0-4: 4.0% North Lambton — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 8.2% / 10.6%
Waratah — 5-14: 8.2% North Lambton — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 4.2% / 6.3%
Waratah — 15-19: 4.2% North Lambton — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 8.4% / 13.9%
Waratah — 20-24: 8.4% North Lambton — 20-24: 13.9%
25-34 17.0% / 19.5%
Waratah — 25-34: 17.0% North Lambton — 25-34: 19.5%
35-44 11.3% / 12.2%
Waratah — 35-44: 11.3% North Lambton — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 11.3% / 9.8%
Waratah — 45-54: 11.3% North Lambton — 45-54: 9.8%
55-64 10.2% / 8.0%
Waratah — 55-64: 10.2% North Lambton — 55-64: 8.0%
65-74 9.1% / 6.7%
Waratah — 65-74: 9.1% North Lambton — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 7.4% / 5.1%
Waratah — 75-84: 7.4% North Lambton — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 8.8% / 1.9%
Waratah — 85+: 8.8% North Lambton — 85+: 1.9%

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

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%
North Lambton 34.2% lone person
North Lambton — Lone Person: 34.2% North Lambton — Couple Families: 31.4% North Lambton — One Parent Families: 17.8% North Lambton — Group Household: 14.6% North Lambton — Other Families: 2.0%
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%
North Lambton 39.3% renting
North Lambton — Owned Outright: 27.9% North Lambton — Mortgage: 32.8% North Lambton — Renting: 39.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Waratah North Lambton
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 15.2%
Waratah — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% North Lambton — Bachelor Degree: 15.2%
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 14.9%
Waratah — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% North Lambton — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.5% / 7.2%
Waratah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5% North Lambton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 4.5%
Waratah — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% North Lambton — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 1.6%
Waratah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% North Lambton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

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 North Lambton
England 1.8% / 1.8%
Waratah — England: 1.8% North Lambton — England: 1.8%
China 0.6% / 1.8%
Waratah — China: 0.6% North Lambton — China: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.7%
Waratah — New Zealand: 1.3% North Lambton — New Zealand: 0.7%
India 0.7% / 1.3%
Waratah — India: 0.7% North Lambton — India: 1.3%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.6%
Waratah — Philippines: 0.8% North Lambton — Philippines: 0.6%
Pakistan 0.4% / 1.0%
Waratah — Pakistan: 0.4% North Lambton — Pakistan: 1.0%
Nepal 1.2% / —
Waratah — Nepal: 1.2% North Lambton — Nepal: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.7%
Waratah — Vietnam: not among its largest North Lambton — Vietnam: 0.7%

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%
North Lambton 85.8% houses
North Lambton — Houses: 85.8% North Lambton — Townhouses: 8.8% North Lambton — Flats / Apartments: 5.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Waratah North Lambton
Median house price $975,000 $965,000
Median unit price $734,000 $800,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 19 sales
 25 days
from 33 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 North Lambton
2 bed $900K / $850K
Waratah — 2 bed: $900K (9 sales) North Lambton — 2 bed: $850K (14 sales)

9 vs 14 sales

3 bed $999K / $935K
Waratah — 3 bed: $999K (40 sales) North Lambton — 3 bed: $935K (60 sales)

40 vs 60 sales

4 bed $1.02M / $1.09M
Waratah — 4 bed: $1.02M (10 sales) North Lambton — 4 bed: $1.09M (24 sales)

10 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Waratah North Lambton
Residential 71% 73%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 15%
Parks and recreation 8% 7%
Commercial 6% 0%
Environmental 2% 3%
Industrial 3% 0%
Planning zones cover 100% of Waratah and 99% of North Lambton. 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

Waratah North 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 North Lambton
Houses 4.0%
$750/wk on $972K
 4.6%
$745/wk on $840K
Units 4.8%
$480/wk on $525K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Waratah North Lambton
House price Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Schools Higher than 3% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of NSW —

Liveability

North Lambton scores higher overall (57 vs 42); Waratah is more walkable (88 vs 72).

Waratah North Lambton
Grade C B
Score 42/100 57/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Waratah carries more crime risk (91 vs 68).

Waratah North Lambton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 Moderate
68/100
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
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Waratah North Lambton
Inside the suburb 8 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 2.4 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 1.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.6% 7.3%

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 North Lambton

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

Amenities in the suburb

Waratah North Lambton
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 9 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Waratah North Lambton
Walkability score 88/100 72/100
Distance to Sydney 155.3 km
+1% vs other
 153.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 116 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 145.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 88.2
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 North Lambton
Car (driver) 62.3% / 66.0%
Waratah — Car (driver): 62.3% North Lambton — Car (driver): 66.0%
Worked from Home 26.8% / 25.6%
Waratah — Worked from Home: 26.8% North Lambton — Worked from Home: 25.6%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 3.5%
Waratah — Car (passenger): 3.8% North Lambton — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 4.0% / 1.6%
Waratah — Walked Only: 4.0% North Lambton — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus 1.5% / 3.0%
Waratah — Bus: 1.5% North Lambton — Bus: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.0%).

Setting

Waratah North Lambton
Elevation 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.8 km 5.5 km

NBN connectivity

Waratah North Lambton
Connectivity score 69/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
2,512 premises
 44%
1,446 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Waratah North 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

North Lambton

Parks Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Waratah

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

Other comparisons with North Lambton

North Lambton vs Lambton North Lambton vs Jesmond North Lambton vs Waratah West North Lambton vs Birmingham Gardens North Lambton vs Callaghan
Full data on Waratah Full data on North 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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