Charlestown is an established suburb in New South Wales within the Lake Macquarie local government area (postcode 2290). It is home to about 13,601 residents, with an established family demographic and a median age of 38. Households earn a median income of $96K per year, with an average household size of 2.5 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 +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, technicians & trades, clerical & administrative. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and education. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.
The median house price in Charlestown is $1.1 million, having jumped by 16.2% over the past year. Units have a median price of $730,000 (+2.1% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $700. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,000.
Charlestown is served by 5 schools, including 5 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1054, which is above the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 110 bus stops. Healthcare facilities include 2 private hospitals. The crime rate in the Lake Macquarie LGA is below average at 3,402 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, Charlestown shows a gross rental yield of approximately 3.2%, rated as moderate yield. Property prices are near the state median ($1.1M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 11.9x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +16.2% 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.