Charlestown NSW 2290
Charlestown is a suburb in New South Wales, 145 km from Sydney CBD, around 2 hours by car. Population is 13,601; the median age is 38 and the median household income is $95,628 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 5.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $400 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,000. Charlestown is characterised by high crime risk. Of 7 schools within the suburb boundary, 3 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Charlestown a good suburb?
Charlestown scores a B (56/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on safety.
Above the state average
7 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 19% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 92/100 · 145 km · 120 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $1.06M
High crime risk
Fire 46/100 · Crime 83/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 38 · 13,601 residents
Liveability Rating
56 / 100 · Ranked #601 in NSWEach bar is Charlestown'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 Charlestown?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
56 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataCharlestown's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.06 million, roughly 15% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,055,500
In line with its 8 neighbours (median $1,040,000)
Based on 276 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 197 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 25 sales $905K
- 3 bed 135 sales $1,000K
- 4 bed 80 sales $1.25M
- 5 bed 14 sales $1.34M
Units
$675,000
Based on 87 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 47 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 12 sales $528K
- 2 bed 46 sales $648K
- 3 bed 27 sales $800K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Charlestown are currently listed at around $1.06 million on average. Based on 46 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.06M
46 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$730K
19 units listed in the last 6 months.
65 of the suburb's 5,302 dwellings (1.2%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Charlestown rent for around $780 a week on average, based on 59 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$780/wk
In line with its 3 neighbours (median $770/wk)
59 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$620/wk
26 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
85 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,416 rented homes (6.0%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $750/wk
- 90 bonds
- +43% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $620/wk
- 19 bonds
- +42% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2290 (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 202584 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 36% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2290.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$780/week ($41,000 a year) on a $1.06 million median
$620/week ($32,000 a year) on a $730,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Charlestown safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Charlestown sits in the high band, with 1,072 incidents recorded in 2025 — down 0.5% on the prior year.
1,072 offences
0.5% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202534 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 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
Lake Macquarie City Council has published 14 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- North Creek (Warners Bay) Flood Risk Management Study and Plan, January 2026 2026
- Morans, Stockton, Mullards, Clacks, Melaleuca and Dora Creeks Flood Study - November 2025 2025
- Lake Macquarie City Flood Studies & Floodplain Risk Management Studies/Plans 2025
- North Creek Warners Bay Flood Study (Final Report) January 2025 2025
- Flood Studies for Eight Residual Lake Macquarie Waterway Tributary Catchments 2021
Schools
Seven schools serve Charlestown, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Charlestown East Public School and Charlestown Public School lead the pack.
- • 1,376 students across 6 schools (avg 229)
- • Sectors: 5 Government, 1 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 940-1102, median 1036 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Joseph's Primary School (361 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 8.3 kmThe University of Newcastle (Callaghan)University of Newcastle · 326 courses
- 9.1 kmThe University of Newcastle (Newcastle City)University of Newcastle · 108 courses
1.9% 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
Charlestown is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 92/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 5 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Charlestown.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 331.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 201.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 148.7 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.2 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 Charlestown.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 38%
- Premises covered
- 6,886
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
Lake Macquarie: 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 42 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 9 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Charlestown is home to about 13,600 residents, with a median age of 38, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $96,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
13,601
Median Age
38
Median Household Income
$95,628/yr
Census Median Rent
$400/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,000/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$45,760/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.5%
Total Dwellings
5,302
Owner-Occupier Rate
73.3%
Houses
76.0%
Rental Stress
21.8%
Mortgage Stress
25.1%
Work From Home
28.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
68 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 24 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,387 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.2%
- Employment Rate
- 63.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 44.5%
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.
315 residents (2.3%) 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.
4.8% of residents (605) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (454).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 12,735 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (72 of 7,029).
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 8,000 people work here; 7,029 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.1 per resident). At least 9% 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
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,708 a year through Lake Macquarie based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 70%
- Parks and recreation 12%
- Environmental 11%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- Commercial 3%
- Zones under 1% 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Lake Macquarie
In the year to August 2026, 1,212 new dwellings were approved across Lake Macquarie. That mix is 846 houses and 366 units. Approvals are up 1.6% 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 6.5 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 21.7 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.64 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 8 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 1.
From the Newcastle monitoring station, 7.3 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS, 11.1 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 108 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 3.2% of addresses
- 257 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
1 facility within 5 km- 4.7 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
EV adoption
In postcode 2290, 240 of 27,050 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.2% (873 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2290, 5,169 rooftop-solar systems totalling 35.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 13,958 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 371 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
5 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 9 across postcode 2290.
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 $1,055,500 this is $455,500 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 Pat Conroy Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pat Conroy | 61.5% | 38.5% | +5.5 |
| 2022 | Pat Conroy | 55.8% | 44.2% | -1.4 |
| 2019 | Pat Conroy | 54.5% | 45.5% | +5.5 |
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 Jodie Harrison Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jodie Harrison ALP | 71.1% |
| 2019 | Jodie Harrison ALP | 62.4% |
| 2015 | Jodie Harrison ALP | 62.9% |
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 Charlestown?
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 13,601 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.
Featured in
- #1 in Best Newcastle suburbs for good public primary schools
- #2 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- #3 in Where the Korean community lives in Newcastle
- #3 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Nepali is spoken at home
- #4 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Greek is spoken at home
- #4 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Italian is spoken at home
- #4 in Where the Nepali community lives in Newcastle
- #6 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Filipino is spoken at home
- #7 in Newcastle suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #8 in Newcastle suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #8 in Where the Macedonian community lives in Newcastle
- #9 in Best Newcastle suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #9 in Where the Greek community lives in Newcastle
- #9 in Newcastle suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #10 in Newcastle suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #10 in Newcastle suburbs where the most Mandarin is spoken at home
- #11 in Where the Chinese community lives in Newcastle
- #13 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Buddhist community
- #14 in Most walkable suburbs in Newcastle
- #14 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Sikh community
Nearby suburbs
Adamstown Heights NSW 2289
Mount Hutton NSW 2290
Gateshead NSW 2290
Whitebridge NSW 2290
Kahibah NSW 2290
Garden Suburb NSW 2289
Compare Charlestown to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Charlestown
Is Charlestown a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Charlestown is high (83/100, 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 Charlestown?
Charlestown has a moderate recorded bushfire history (46/100, 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 Charlestown a good place to live?
Charlestown has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (56/100), 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 Charlestown?
Charlestown, NSW had a population of 13,601 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Charlestown, NSW?
The postcode for Charlestown, NSW is 2290.
How far is Charlestown from Sydney?
Charlestown is 145 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 120 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Charlestown?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Charlestown was $95,628 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 Charlestown?
The median advertised rent in Charlestown is $780 a week for houses (59 listings) and $620 a week for units (26 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Charlestown?
The median age of residents in Charlestown was 38 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Charlestown at risk of bushfire?
Charlestown has a moderate recorded bushfire history (46/100). 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 Charlestown?
There are 7 schools inside the Charlestown boundary: 3 above, 1 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Charlestown walkable?
Charlestown scores 92/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally 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 Charlestown?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Charlestown (Newcastle) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 21.7 µg/m³. That puts Charlestown 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 Charlestown?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Charlestown, Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS (11.1 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 Charlestown?
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 Charlestown belong to?
Charlestown sits within the Lake Macquarie local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Charlestown?
The average residential rates bill through Lake Macquarie is $1,708 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Charlestown?
Across Lake Macquarie, 1,212 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 1.6% 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 Charlestown in?
Charlestown sits within the federal Division of Shortland, currently held by Pat Conroy (Australian Labor Party).
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
- 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.