Katoomba (postcode 2780) is a moderately sized suburb in New South Wales within the Blue Mountains local government area. It is home to about 8,268 residents, with an older-leaning population and a median age of 48. Households earn a median income of $61K per year, with an average household size of 2.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.5% 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 English, Australian, Irish.
Median house prices in Katoomba stand at $1.0 million, having climbed sharply by 17.4% over the last twelve months. Units have a median price of $700,000 (+32.5% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $565. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,600.
Katoomba is served by 4 schools, including 3 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 1019, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 4 rail stations, 104 bus stops. Healthcare facilities include 1 public hospital. The crime rate in the Blue Mountains LGA is low at 1,840 incidents per 100,000 population.
From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 2.9% (low yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($1.0M/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 16.6x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +17.4% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.5% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.