Castlereagh is a suburb in New South Wales, 65 km from Sydney CBD, around 59 minutes by car. Population is 1,248; the median age is 38 and the median household income is $123,240 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 6.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $428 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,033. Castlereagh is characterised by high crime risk and high bushfire risk. Of 3 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Castlereagh a good suburb?
Castlereagh scores a C (44/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Above the state average
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 35/100 · 65.4 km · 59 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $3.33M · Less affordable than 90% of NSW
High bushfire risk
Fire 76/100 · Crime 80/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 38 · 1,248 residents
Liveability Rating
44 / 100 · Ranked #921 in NSWEach bar is Castlereagh's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
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 Castlereagh?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
44 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataCastlereagh's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $3.33 million, about 5% below where it sat a year earlier. That said, only nine sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
Houses
$3,330,000
Based on only 9 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 122 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
Land
$2,580,000
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $688/wk
- 42 bonds
- +46% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2749 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025119 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 25% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2749.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Short-Stay Rentals
2 active Airbnb listings: 2 whole homes and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.5% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Castlereagh safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Castlereagh sits in the high band, with 83 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 38% on the prior year.
83 offences
38.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20258 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 of them fatal
Where they happened
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
Penrith City Council has published 13 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Rickabys Creek Catchment Flood Study 2025
- Peach Tree & Lower Surveyors Creeks Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2025
- College, Orth and Werrington Creeks Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Study & Plan 2021 2022
- Little Creek Catchment Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2022
- South Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2020
Schools
Three schools serve Castlereagh, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Castlereagh Public School leads the pack.
- • 456 students across 2 schools (avg 228)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 968-1022, median 995 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: The Lakes Christian College (330 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
2.0% 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
Castlereagh is car-dependent on foot — at 35/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Castlereagh.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 12.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 4.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 2.4 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 16.4 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 Castlereagh.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 1%
- Premises covered
- 388
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
Penrith: 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.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 4 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Castlereagh is home to about 1,200 residents, with a median age of 38, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $123,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,248
Median Age
38
Median Household Income
$123,240/yr
Census Median Rent
$428/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,033/mo
Avg Household Size
3.4
Median Personal Income
$43,056/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.3%
Total Dwellings
349
Owner-Occupier Rate
82.2%
Houses
97.1%
Rental Stress
18.1%
Mortgage Stress
29.5%
Work From Home
36.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.5%
- Employment Rate
- 61.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 31.0%
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.
7 residents (0.6%) 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.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,166 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
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (24 of 602).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 710 people work here; 602 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident).
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
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,547 a year through Penrith based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Other and special use 65%
- Environmental 23%
- Rural and farming 19%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
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: Penrith
In the year to August 2026, 1,063 new dwellings were approved across Penrith. That mix is 674 houses and 389 units. Approvals are down 77.5% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Deerubbin 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 7.2 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 3 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 16.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.6 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Penrith monitoring station, 4.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Richmond - Uws Hawkesbury, 10.1 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 31 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Annual rainfall
- 806 mm
- 59 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2749, 82 of 12,112 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.2% (261 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2749, 2,780 rooftop-solar systems totalling 21.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,693 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 185 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
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).
Mortgage repayments
6 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2749.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $3,330,000 this is $2,730,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Melissa Mcintosh Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Melissa Mcintosh | 47.2% | 52.8% | +3.3 |
| 2022 | Melissa Mcintosh | 43.7% | 56.3% | +1.3 |
| 2019 | Melissa Mcintosh | 45.0% | 55.0% | +6.2 |
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 Prue Car Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Prue Car ALP | 63.7% |
| 2019 | Prue Car ALP | 56.5% |
| 2015 | Prue Car ALP | 58.8% |
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 Castlereagh?
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 1,248 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.
Nearby suburbs
Penrith NSW 2750
Cranebrook NSW 2749
Emu Plains NSW 2750
Londonderry NSW 2753
Emu Heights NSW 2750
Yellow Rock NSW 2777
Compare Castlereagh 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 Castlereagh
Is Castlereagh a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Castlereagh is high (80/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Castlereagh?
Castlereagh has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Castlereagh a good place to live?
Castlereagh has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (44/100), 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 Castlereagh?
Castlereagh, NSW had a population of 1,248 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Castlereagh, NSW?
The postcode for Castlereagh, NSW is 2749.
How far is Castlereagh from Sydney?
Castlereagh is 65 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 59 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Castlereagh?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Castlereagh was $123,240 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Castlereagh?
There are too few current rental listings in Castlereagh for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $428, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Castlereagh?
The median age of residents in Castlereagh was 38 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Castlereagh at risk of bushfire?
Castlereagh has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Castlereagh?
There are 3 schools inside the Castlereagh boundary: 1 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Castlereagh walkable?
Castlereagh scores 35/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. 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 Castlereagh?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Castlereagh (Penrith) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.2 µg/m³ and PM10 of 16.3 µg/m³. That puts Castlereagh 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 Castlereagh?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Castlereagh, Richmond - Uws Hawkesbury (10.1 km away), 806 mm of rain a year over 59 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Castlereagh?
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 Castlereagh belong to?
Castlereagh sits within the Penrith local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Castlereagh?
The average residential rates bill through Penrith is $1,547 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Castlereagh?
Across Penrith, 1,063 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 77.5% 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 Castlereagh in?
Castlereagh sits within the federal Division of Lindsay, currently held by Melissa Mcintosh (Liberal).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- 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
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.