Waratah sits 155 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 1 hour 55 minutes by car. Census data records 4,927 residents with a median age of 41 and a median household income of $78,572 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 9.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,827. Waratah is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 8 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Waratah a good suburb?
Waratah scores a C (42/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools and safety.
Below the state average
8 schools · Bottom 3% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 88/100 · 155.3 km · 117 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $975K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 91/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 41 · 4,927 residents
Liveability Rating
42 / 100 · Ranked #958 in NSWEach bar is Waratah'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 Waratah?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
42 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWaratah's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $975,000, about 4% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$975,000
5% below its 7 neighbours (median $1,025,000)
Based on 71 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 19 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 9 sales $900K
- 3 bed 40 sales $999K
- 4 bed 10 sales $1.02M
Units
$734,000
In line with its 4 neighbours (median $735,000)
Based on 11 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 18 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $606K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Waratah are currently listed at around $972,000 on average. Based on 15 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$972K
15 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$525K
3 units listed in the last 6 months.
18 of the suburb's 1,894 dwellings (1.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Waratah rent for around $750 a week on average, based on 20 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$750/wk
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $735/wk)
20 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$480/wk
7 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
27 rentals advertised against an estimated 917 rented homes (2.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $745/wk
- 35 bonds
- +46% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $572/wk
- 14 bonds
- +55% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2298 (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 202591 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 33% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2298.
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$750/week ($39,000 a year) on a $972,000 median
$480/week ($25,000 a year) on a $525,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
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 Waratah safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Waratah sits in the high band, with 484 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 1% on the prior year.
484 offences
1.4% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202519 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
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
Eight schools serve Waratah, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 3,191 students across 8 schools (avg 399)
- • Sectors: 4 Government, 3 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 776-1138, median 993 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Philip's Christian College - Waratah (1,466 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 2.4 kmThe University of Newcastle (Callaghan)University of Newcastle · 326 courses
- 5.7 kmThe University of Newcastle (Newcastle City)University of Newcastle · 108 courses
3.6% 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
Waratah is very walkable on foot — at 88/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Waratah.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 145.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 91.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 51.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 23.6 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 Waratah.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 43%
- Premises covered
- 2,512
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.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 12 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Waratah is home to about 4,900 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $79,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
4,927
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$78,572/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,827/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$40,820/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.5%
Total Dwellings
1,894
Owner-Occupier Rate
51.6%
Houses
62.5%
Rental Stress
23.2%
Mortgage Stress
27.9%
Work From Home
26.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
155 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 18 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 878 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 76.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 78.7%
- Employment Rate
- 53.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 44.0%
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.
183 residents (3.7%) 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.
6.3% of residents (300) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (201).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 4,730 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 (26 of 2,331).
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 5,455 people work here; 2,331 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 2.3 jobs for every working resident. At least 55% 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 $1,783 a year through Newcastle based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 71%
- Infrastructure and transport 11%
- Parks and recreation 8%
- Commercial 6%
- Industrial 3%
- Environmental 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: 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, 2.3 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS, 7.1 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 25 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.8 km
- 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
18 facilities within 5 km- 1.2 kmIron Smelting and Steel ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.5 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Sulfur dioxide · Sulfuric acid
- 2.5 kmRailway Rolling Stock Manufacturing and Repair ServicesTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene)
- 2.5 kmSteel Pipe and Tube ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Manganese & compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
- 2.9 kmSpring and Wire Product ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Hydrochloric acid
EV adoption
In postcode 2298, 46 of 6,919 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.2% (293 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2298, 1,123 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,246 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 83 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
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 $975,000 this is $375,000 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 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 Waratah?
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 4,927 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
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- #2 in Where the Nepali community lives in Newcastle
- #2 in Newcastle suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #3 in Best Newcastle suburbs for good private high schools
- #3 in Best Newcastle suburbs for good public high schools
- #3 in Newcastle suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #4 in Sportiest Newcastle suburbs
- #5 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Buddhist community
- #5 in Newcastle suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #7 in Newcastle suburbs with the best public transport
- #8 in Newcastle suburbs with the most apartments
- #8 in Best Newcastle suburbs for good public primary schools
- #8 in Newcastle suburbs that suit young professionals
- #9 in Newcastle suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #10 in Newcastle suburbs where seniors live
- #11 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Hindu community
- #12 in Newcastle suburbs with the largest Muslim community
- #13 in Best Newcastle suburbs to rent in
- #13 in Best Newcastle suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
Nearby suburbs
Mayfield NSW 2304
Lambton NSW 2299
North Lambton NSW 2299
Waratah West NSW 2298
Georgetown NSW 2298
Mayfield West NSW 2304
Compare Waratah 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 Waratah
Is Waratah a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Waratah is high (91/100, 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 Waratah?
Waratah has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Waratah a good place to live?
Waratah has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (42/100), 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 Waratah?
Waratah, NSW had a population of 4,927 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Waratah, NSW?
The postcode for Waratah, NSW is 2298.
How far is Waratah from Sydney?
Waratah is 155 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 117 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Waratah?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Waratah was $78,572 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 Waratah?
The median advertised rent in Waratah is $750 a week for houses (20 listings) and $480 a week for units (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Waratah?
The median age of residents in Waratah was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Waratah?
There are 8 schools inside the Waratah boundary: 4 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Waratah walkable?
Waratah scores 88/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Waratah?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Waratah (Mayfield) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 21.1 µg/m³. That puts Waratah 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 Waratah?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Waratah, Newcastle Nobbys Signal Station AWS (7.1 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 Waratah?
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 Waratah belong to?
Waratah sits within the Newcastle local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Waratah?
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 Waratah?
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 Waratah in?
Waratah sits within the federal Division of Newcastle, currently held by Sharon Claydon (Australian Labor Party).
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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.