Lake Cathie (postcode 2445) is a smaller residential area in New South Wales within the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area. It is home to about 4,296 residents, with a mature demographic and a median age of 52. Households earn a median income of $66K per year, with an average household size of 2.4 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.5% 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, technicians & trades, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and construction. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.
Lake Cathie has a median house price of $1.1 million, which has jumped by 14% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $650,000 (+1.6% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $725. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,850.
Lake Cathie is served by 1 school, including 1 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1007, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 35 bus stops. The crime rate in the Port Macquarie-Hastings LGA is below average at 3,587 incidents per 100,000 population.
From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 3.6% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($1.1M/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 16.0x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +14.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.5% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.