Callaghan sits 155 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 2 hours by car. The suburb has 1,358 residents and a median age of 20. Population grew 2.4% from 2016 to 2021. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Walkability is moderate.
Is Callaghan a good suburb?
Callaghan scores a B (60/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit.
Very walkable
Walkability 63/100 · 154.8 km · 118 min drive to Sydney
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 64/100
Community data available
median age 20 · 1,358 residents
Liveability Rating
60 / 100 · Ranked #516 in NSWEach bar is Callaghan's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 3 of 5 factors: no school or socio-economic data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Callaghan?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
60 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Is Callaghan safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Callaghan sits in the moderate band, with 70 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 17% on the prior year.
70 offences
16.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Callaghan killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Newcastle City Council has published 2 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Universities nearby
- 0.0 kmThe University of Newcastle (Callaghan)University of Newcastle · 326 courses
- 8.0 kmThe University of Newcastle (Newcastle City)University of Newcastle · 108 courses
69.4% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Callaghan is somewhat walkable on foot — at 63/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Callaghan.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 87.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 57.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 27.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.5 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Callaghan.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 14%
- Premises covered
- 22
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Newcastle: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Callaghan is home to about 1,400 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 20 against the national 38.. Unemployment is recorded at 18.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,358
Median Age
20
Median Household Income
—
Census Median Rent
—
Census Median Mortgage
—
Avg Household Size
0.0
Median Personal Income
$15,704/yr
Unemployment Rate
18.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
—
Total Dwellings
0
Owner-Occupier Rate
—
Houses
—
Rental Stress
—
Mortgage Stress
—
Work From Home
14.5%
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 63.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 63.7%
- Employment Rate
- 36.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 71.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
58 residents (4.3%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
16.5% of residents (224) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (193).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,358 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Commute to Work
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,005 people work here; 493 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 6.1 jobs for every working resident. At least 82% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,783 a year through Newcastle based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Infrastructure and transport 96%
- Parks and recreation 4%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Newcastle
In the year to August 2026, 912 new dwellings were approved across Newcastle. That mix is 266 houses and 646 units. Approvals are up 77.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 2 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 21.1 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.75 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 7 · NO₂ 0.
From the Mayfield monitoring station, 2.4 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS, 9.3 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 36 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 50.0% of addresses
- 5 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,025 mm
- 91 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.4°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 10.2°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
10 facilities within 5 km- 1.9 kmIron Smelting and Steel ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.0 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Hydrogen sulfide · Ammonia (total)
- 3.2 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Sulfur dioxide · Sulfuric acid
- 3.9 kmSteel Pipe and Tube ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Manganese & compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
- 4.1 kmSpring and Wire Product ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Hydrochloric acid
EV adoption
In postcode 2308, 12 of 207 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 12.1% (25 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 17.9%.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Sharon Claydon Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sharon Claydon | 70.8% | 29.2% | +2.9 |
| 2022 | Sharon Claydon | 68.0% | 32.0% | -4.2 |
| 2019 | Sharon Claydon | 63.8% | 36.2% | +0.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Sonia Hornery Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sonia Hornery ALP | 81.8% |
| 2019 | Sonia Hornery ALP | 75.4% |
| 2015 | Sonia Hornery ALP | 70.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Callaghan?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 1,358 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Nearby suburbs
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Warabrook NSW 2304
Compare Callaghan to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Callaghan
Is Callaghan a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Callaghan is moderate (64/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Callaghan?
Callaghan has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Callaghan a good place to live?
Callaghan has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (60/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Callaghan?
Callaghan, NSW had a population of 1,358 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Callaghan, NSW?
The postcode for Callaghan, NSW is 2308.
How far is Callaghan from Sydney?
Callaghan is 155 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 118 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median age in Callaghan?
The median age of residents in Callaghan was 20 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Callaghan walkable?
Callaghan scores 63/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Callaghan?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Callaghan (Mayfield) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 21.1 µg/m³. That puts Callaghan below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Callaghan?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Callaghan, Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS (9.3 km away), summer days average 25.4°C, winter nights 10.2°C, 1,025 mm of rain a year over 91 rainy days, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Callaghan?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Callaghan belong to?
Callaghan sits within the Newcastle local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Callaghan?
The average residential rates bill through Newcastle is $1,783 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Callaghan?
Across Newcastle, 912 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 77.4% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Callaghan in?
Callaghan sits within the federal Division of Newcastle, currently held by Sharon Claydon (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.