Median house price
$1.03M
+4.8% change
NSW · Central Coast Council
Kariong, 2250
Est. population · Jun 2025
7,580
Growth (1 yr)
-1.4%
Growth (5 yr)
-2.6%
Median age
36
Median income
$2,200/wk
Employment rate
66.2%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,030,000
Languages at home
11.1%non-English
Most common: Spanish, Mandarin, Korean
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- Heritage area
Suburb profile
Kariong is a hillside mid-sized suburb in Central Coast Council, with elevated streets and a greener, quieter pace. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Strong connections via buses keep the wider area accessible.
Housing is expensive relative to much of the state. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because safety, plus schools and education lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Kariong snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$650/wk
Houses $690 · Units $640
Population (ERP)
7,580
-1.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
2.3%
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
#40
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
81st
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
1st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
50th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
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
- 47.0/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 37% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2568th in Australia
- State rank
- 777th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #40 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #158 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 100%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $640
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $690
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $650
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 540
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,030,000
- Median price change
- +4.8%
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
7,580(June 2025)
-1.4% annual · -2.6% over 5 years · 1th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -1.4%
- 5-year growth
- -2.6%
- Change in 1 year
- -111
- Change in 5 years
- -202
- Growth rank in NSW
- 1th 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 (~7,500), extrapolated at -0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 6,485
- Median age
- 36
- Median household income / week
- $2,200
- Dwelling vacancy
- 2.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 49 of 2,139
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,080
- Employment rate
- 66.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,924 / 150 / 12
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)
- 859
- Against the person
- 184
- Against property
- 251
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 113.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 35 residents
- State safety percentile
- 81.4th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -3.5%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions922
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment540
- Malicious Damage To Property490
- Steal From Retail Store460
- Transport Regulatory Offences1947
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,007
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 50th
School list
- Kariong Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1007 · 50th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 502 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Great BeginningsDandaloo Streetchildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
65 public transport stops in this suburb
- Central Coast Hwy Opp 95
- Curringa Rd After Arunta Av
- Curringa Rd Opp Sansom St
- Mitchell Dr Opp Sansom St
- Pacific Hwy At Wakefield Cl
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
35 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 places of worship · 1 playgrounds · 19 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Decent local green space — 5 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 65 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 21 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.77
Sport & outdoors(22)
- Baden Powel ParkPark
- The Glide RidePlayground
- Kariong Regional Shooting ComplexSports field
- Swimming pool (19)
Entertainment(2)
- Viewpoint (2)
Transport(1)
1 bus stops
Other(9)
- Bench (2)
- Camp Site
- Camp Fire CircleFirepit
- Firepit
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife ServiceInformation
- Bulgandry Car ParkParking
- Parking
- Picnic Table
- Baden Powel Guild ChapelPlace of worship
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
Parks & reserves
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Baden Powel ParkPark
- Bardo ParkPark
- Frog parkPark
- Jarrah ParkPark
- Nullawa ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 12
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
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
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Baden Powel Guild Chapel
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 3
- Nearest hospital
- Think Well Hypnotherapy (5.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Better Health PracticesClinic
- Kariong Medical CentreDoctor
- Kariong Physiotherapy & Sports Injury CentreClinic
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)
- 268
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 35.4
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
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 321 mm · ~40 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 359 mm · ~45 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 17° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 263 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 242 mm · ~30 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· 8 proposals
August 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation10 SIMPSON CLOSE KARIONG 2250Under Assessment
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation17 MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support2 GILFORD STREET KARIONG 2250Under Assessment
May 2026
- Signage; Advertising and signage52 LANGFORD DRIVE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah5 KAROOM STREET KARIONG 2250Determined
February 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development61 GILFORD STREET KARIONG 2250Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation19 GARLICK STREET KARIONG 2250Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah16 OLIVE KARI CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
2025· 14 proposals
November 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Centre-based child care4 WOY WOY ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure12 JENIWA CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure10 GARLICK STREET KARIONG 2250Determined
August 2025
- Independent living units; Erection of a new structure5 CURRINGA ROAD KARIONG 2250Under Assessment
July 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space23 GARAFALO ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
- Commercial development; 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 Australia10 CURRINGA ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure38 TRUSCOTT AVENUE KARIONG 2250Determined
April 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool1 BARCLAY CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
March 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure43 JARRAH DRIVE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool47 MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
February 2025
- 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; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Rainwater tanks; Non-standard Housing1A CENTRAL COAST HIGHWAY KARIONG 2250Under Assessment
January 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure25 BOWIE ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure6-8 Jeniwa Close KARIONG NSW 2250Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation13 MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
2024· 11 proposals
December 2024
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences4 JESSINA STREET KARIONG 2250Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure97 CENTRAL COAST HIGHWAY KARIONG 2250Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure234 CENTRAL COAST HIGHWAY KARIONG 2250Determined
November 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure11 MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
October 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (external)48 HEMPSTALK CRESCENT KARIONG 2250Determined
August 2024
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; School1A CENTRAL COAST HIGHWAY KARIONG 2250Determined
July 2024
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation12 THURLING AVENUE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah11 CARMEL CRESCENT KARIONG 2250Determined
June 2024
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure18 DIBDEN AVENUE KARIONG 2250Determined
May 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure228 LANGFORD DRIVE KARIONG 2250Determined
January 2024
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure15 PERCY JOSEPH AVENUE KARIONG 2250Determined
2023· 8 proposals
December 2023
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space4B MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
October 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Carport1 JEFFS CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
September 2023
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure43 JARRAH DRIVE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool5 CEBALO PLACE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Subdivision of land11-25 MILYERRA ROAD KARIONG 2250Withdrawn
July 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs12 BARCLAY CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces6 JAMES CLOSE KARIONG 2250Determined
June 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs26 OLD MOUNT PENANG ROAD KARIONG 2250Determined
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)
Heritage
1 heritage place
- Mount Penang ParklandsPacific Highway, SomersbySHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
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
- Robertson
- Member of Parliament
- Gordon REID (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 114,922
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +7.1 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 40.6%Labor 59.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 7.3 km away).
Coalition 38.7%Labor 61.3%
1.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- KariongLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
- Kariong EastLabor 59.6% · Coalition 40.4% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
- Gosford WestLabor 67.1% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)6.0 km away
- Mount WhiteLabor 58.2% · Coalition 41.8% TPP (2025)6.0 km away
- Point ClareLabor 66.0% · Coalition 34.0% TPP (2025)6.1 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)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
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
More in Central Coast Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.