Located in New South Wales within the Lake Macquarie local government area, Caves Beach is a smaller suburb (postcode 2281). It is home to about 4,016 residents, with an older-leaning population and a median age of 49. Households earn a median income of $85K per year, with an average household size of 2.6 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.1% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +0.3% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 37 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 5 underway, and 75 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, community & personal service, technicians & trades. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and education. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.
The median house price in Caves Beach is $1.4 million, having risen solidly by 7.7% over the past year. Units have a median price of $895,000 (-12.5% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $670. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,090.
Caves Beach is served by 2 schools, including 1 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 996, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 28 bus stops. The crime rate in the Lake Macquarie LGA is below average at 3,436 incidents per 100,000 population.
From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 2.5% (low yield). Property prices are near the state median ($1.4M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 16.5x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +7.7% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.1% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.