Median house price
$1.02M
+18% change
NSW · Port Stephens Council
Fullerton Cove, 2318
Est. population · Jun 2025
819
Growth (1 yr)
+1.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+13.1%
Median age
69
Median income
$1,062/wk
Employment rate
24.3%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,020,000
Languages at home
2.2%non-English
Most common: Croatian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Fullerton Cove is a coastal smaller community a long way from Sydney, where beach life and a quieter rhythm set the tone. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric.
With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
Desirability lands below average here: softer local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus parks and green space weighing on the result versus similar coastal suburbs, even with safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Fullerton Cove snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$660/wk
Population (ERP)
819
+1.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
10.8%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#71
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
18th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
81st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 36.6/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4367th in Australia
- State rank
- 1376th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #71 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #139 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 81%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $700
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 63
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,020,000
- Median price change
- +17.9%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
819(June 2025)
+1.6% annual · +13.1% over 5 years · 81th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.6%
- 5-year growth
- +13.1%
- Change in 1 year
- +13
- Change in 5 years
- +95
- Growth rank in NSW
- 81th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~950), extrapolated at +3.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 735
- Median age
- 69
- Median household income / week
- $1,062
- Dwelling vacancy
- 10.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 37 of 344
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,873
- Employment rate
- 24.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 224 / 80 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 32
- Against the person
- 12
- Against property
- 13
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 39.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 61 residents
- State safety percentile
- 17.6th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -10.9%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order36
- Domestic Violence Related Assault72
- Fraud93
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment92
- Malicious Damage To Property41
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Public transport
41 public transport stops in this suburb
- 145 Fullerton Cove Rd
- Fullerton Cove Rd Opp 260
- Fullerton Cove Rd Opp Coxs Lane
- Fullerton Cove Rd Opp Stanley Park
- Nelson Bay Rd Opp Fullerton Cove Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
10 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Well connected by public transport — 41 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Transport(10)
10 bus stops
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 2
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Hunter New England Mental Health Service (12.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 23
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 28.1
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 18°
- Rainfall
- 295 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 366 mm · ~46 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 272 mm · ~34 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 3 proposals
July 2026
- Shed; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure257 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Under Assessment
April 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure281 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
March 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah14 Sugar Glider Way, Fullerton CoveDetermined
2025· 5 proposals
November 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)2 RINGTAIL PLACE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
April 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure407 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure440 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Awnings, blinds and canopies; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support432 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Community facility6 THE COVE DRIVE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
2024· 3 proposals
May 2024
- Restaurant or cafe; Advertising and signage; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Food and drink premise432 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
March 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Animal care premises1 ZIRCON LANE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
February 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Caravan park21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
2023· 7 proposals
December 2023
- Demolition; Signage; Commercial development; Advertising and signage; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Business identification sign; Retail Premise; Shop; Sewage reticulation system; Waste Infrastructure; Sewerage system42 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
August 2023
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces468 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
July 2023
- Other21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
May 2023
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces3 GEORGE STREET FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
- Other21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Under Assessment
April 2023
- Dual occupancy; Pools / decks / fencing; Garages, carports and car parking spaces488 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
- Dual occupancy; Pools / decks / fencing; Garages, carports and car parking spaces488 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Rejected
2022· 3 proposals
November 2022
- Farm buildings305 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
October 2022
- Other21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
February 2022
- Other1 ZIRCON LANE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
2021· 9 proposals
November 2021
- Other1 ZIRCON LANE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
October 2021
- Home business374 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
- Other77 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
- Other21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
August 2021
- Shed27 WILLOW LANE FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
July 2021
- Other21 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
June 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing; Alterations and additions to residential development334 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
May 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development50 1 WAGTAIL WAY FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
March 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development456 FULLERTON COVE ROAD FULLERTON COVE 2318Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Paterson
- Member of Parliament
- Meryl SWANSON (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 127,926
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.3 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.1%Labor 56.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 12.5 km away).
Coalition 47.2%Labor 52.8%
4.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- WilliamtownLabor 49.6% · Coalition 50.4% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
- Fern BayLabor 56.3% · Coalition 43.7% TPP (2025)5.3 km away
- Salt AshLabor 45.7% · Coalition 54.3% TPP (2025)8.5 km away
- Raymond Terrace EastLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)11.5 km away
- Wirreanda MedowieLabor 55.3% · Coalition 44.7% TPP (2025)11.6 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Port Stephens Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.