Located in New South Wales, Lake Cathie sits 380 km from Sydney CBD, around 4 hours 20 minutes by car. The suburb has 4,296 residents, a median age of 52, and a median household income of $66,300 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 23.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $380 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,850. The area shows high bushfire risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Lake Cathie a good suburb?
Lake Cathie scores a D (27/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 10/100 · 379.8 km · 261 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $965K
High bushfire risk
Fire 77/100 · Crime 41/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 52 · 4,296 residents
Liveability Rating
27 / 100 · Ranked #1325 in NSWEach bar is Lake Cathie's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school 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 Lake Cathie?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
27 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataLake Cathie's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $965,000, about 6% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$965,000
Based on 91 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 47 days — median across 55 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 36 sales $888K
- 4 bed 44 sales $1.05M
- 5 bed 9 sales $1.69M
Land
$630,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 87 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Lake Cathie are currently listed at around $1.1 million on average. Based on 44 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.1M
44 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$750K
3 units listed in the last 6 months.
47 of the suburb's 1,713 dwellings (2.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Lake Cathie rent for around $700 a week on average, based on 27 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$700/wk
27 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
29 rentals advertised against an estimated 303 rented homes (9.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $700/wk
- 17 bonds
- +26% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2445 (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 202586 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 35% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2445.
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$700/week ($36,000 a year) on a $1.1 million 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.
Short-Stay Rentals
49 active Airbnb listings: 48 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 2.6% 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 Lake Cathie safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Lake Cathie sits in the moderate band, with 112 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 33% on the prior year.
112 offences
32.9% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20259 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has published 10 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Camden Haven River and Lakes System Flood Study Update (2025) 2026
- North Brother Local Catchments Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2021
- North Brother Local Catchments Flood Study 2020
- Hastings River Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2014
- Dunbogan - Report for Flood Access Investigation & Design Route Options Feasibility 2008
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 2.1 km
- Rate
- -0.37 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -15.0 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Lake Cathie, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 395 students in one school (avg 395)
Primary
Walkability
Lake Cathie is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 9 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Lake Cathie.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 11.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 5.3 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 15.2 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 Lake Cathie.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 57%
- Premises covered
- 2,542
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
Port Macquarie-Hastings: 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 12 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Lake Cathie is home to about 4,300 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $66,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
4,296
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$66,300/yr
Census Median Rent
$380/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,850/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$34,216/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.5%
Total Dwellings
1,713
Owner-Occupier Rate
82.3%
Houses
91.0%
Rental Stress
29.8%
Mortgage Stress
33.5%
Work From Home
15.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 86.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 94.6%
- Employment Rate
- 46.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.1%
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.
27 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.
12.2% of residents (504) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (412).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 4,122 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 (15 of 1,680).
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 568 people work here; 1,680 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.3 jobs per working resident. At least 60% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $1,325 a year through Port Macquarie-Hastings based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 53%
- Residential 29%
- Rural and farming 15%
- Parks and recreation 2%
- Not zoned 2%
Planning zones cover 99% of the suburb's area. 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Port Macquarie-Hastings
In the year to August 2026, 546 new dwellings were approved across Port Macquarie-Hastings. That mix is 357 houses and 189 units. Approvals are up 32.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Birpai 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 5.1 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 4 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 11.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.92 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Port Macquarie monitoring station, 11.4 km away.
Setting
- Elevation
- 9 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.1 km
- 3.5 km to a named beach
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
2 facilities within 5 km- 3.3 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 4.6 kmOther Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and QuarryingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 2445, 29 of 6,368 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (174 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2445, 2,253 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,154 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 138 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
1 mortgage broker is registered in this suburb, 2 across postcode 2445.
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 $965,000 this is $365,000 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 Alison Penfold The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alison Penfold | 40.2% | 59.8% | +4.0 |
| 2022 | David Gillespie | 36.2% | 63.8% | -1.4 |
| 2019 | David Gillespie | 34.8% | 65.2% | +3.5 |
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 Robert Dwyer Liberal — elected at the Mar 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Leslie Williams LP | 60.8% |
| 2019 | Leslie Williams NP | 70.3% |
| 2015 | Leslie Williams NP | 69.0% |
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 Lake Cathie?
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 4,296 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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- #2 in Camden Haven suburbs where seniors live
- #2 in Camden Haven suburbs with the most rooftop solar
- #3 in Camden Haven suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #4 in The most liveable suburbs in Camden Haven
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- #8 in Camden Haven's most owner-occupied suburbs
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Nearby suburbs
Compare Lake Cathie 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 Lake Cathie
Is Lake Cathie a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Lake Cathie is moderate (41/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Lake Cathie?
Lake Cathie has a high recorded bushfire history (77/100, 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 Lake Cathie a good place to live?
Lake Cathie has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (27/100), 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 Lake Cathie?
Lake Cathie, NSW had a population of 4,296 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Lake Cathie, NSW?
The postcode for Lake Cathie, NSW is 2445.
How far is Lake Cathie from Sydney?
Lake Cathie is 380 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 261 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Lake Cathie?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Lake Cathie was $66,300 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 Lake Cathie?
The median advertised rent in Lake Cathie is $700 a week for houses (27 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Lake Cathie?
The median age of residents in Lake Cathie was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Lake Cathie at risk of bushfire?
Lake Cathie has a high recorded bushfire history (77/100). 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 Lake Cathie?
There is 1 school inside the Lake Cathie boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Lake Cathie walkable?
Lake Cathie scores 10/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Lake Cathie?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Lake Cathie (Port Macquarie) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 11.3 µg/m³. That puts Lake Cathie below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Lake Cathie?
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 Lake Cathie belong to?
Lake Cathie sits within the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Lake Cathie?
The average residential rates bill through Port Macquarie-Hastings is $1,325 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Lake Cathie?
Across Port Macquarie-Hastings, 546 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 32.7% 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 Lake Cathie in?
Lake Cathie sits within the federal Division of Lyne, currently held by Alison Penfold (The Nationals).
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
- 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.