NSW · Central Coast Council

Wallarah, 2259

Est. population · Jun 2025

357

Growth (1 yr)

+2.6%

Growth (5 yr)

+19.4%

Median age

42

Median income

$1,887/wk

Employment rate

52.7%

University qualified

8%

Work from home

16.6%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$940,000

Languages at home

7.3%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

28.3/100
Below average

2103rd in NSW

Verified 95% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Outer suburban
What Wallarah is known for: Outer suburban

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Wallarah, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Wallarah, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/wallarah

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Suburb profile

Wallarah is an outer metropolitan suburb of Sydney, in Central Coast Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

Housing is relatively affordable, with median house prices 16% below the peer median. Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The main trade-offs are limited school access and thinner park access, with school access 80% below the peer median.

Wallarah's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in New South Wales (504)

Strengths

  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Housing is relatively affordable

Weaknesses

  • School access is sparse
  • Park access is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Wallarah compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$940k

+6.8% change

Median rent

$680/wk

Houses $700 · Units $500

Population (ERP)

357

+2.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

3.0%

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

#249

among Metro Sydney · Emerging

Crime rate

71st

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

92nd

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

23%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

65th

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
28.3/100 — Below average
National rank
6565th in Australia
State rank
2103rd in NSW
Peer rank
#249 among Metro Sydney · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#874 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
95%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$500
Houses (January to March 2026)
$700
All types (January to March 2026)
$680
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
472
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$940,000
Median price change
+6.8%

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 (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

357(June 2025)

+2.6% annual · +19.4% over 5 years · 92th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.6%
5-year growth
+19.4%
Change in 1 year
+9
Change in 5 years
+58
Growth rank in NSW
92th 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 (~450), extrapolated at +4.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
344
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$1,887
Dwelling vacancy
3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
3 of 101
Median monthly mortgage
$2,275
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$525
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.5% / 38.5% / 22.9%
Employment rate
52.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
16.6% / 0% / 66.2%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
87 / 10 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 19% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified8% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified10.9% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational19% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below62% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Society and culture22.7%
  • Management and commerce21.8%
  • Engineering and related technologies18.2%
  • Health10%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services8.2%
  • Education7.3%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$57,267

55th percentile in NSW · -2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,745

50th percentile in NSW · -3% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

19th percentile in NSW · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$63,771

39th percentile in NSW · +1% vs Australia

Residents with business income
8.0%

10th percentile in NSW · -23% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2259 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
38,707
Taxpayers reporting net rent
4,072
Median net rent
-$1,081
Taxpayers reporting business income
3,268
Taxable income vs state median
+2%
Salary / wages vs state median
0%
Rental investment vs state median
-21%
Super vs state median
-9%
Business income vs state median
-20%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

7.3% speak a language other than English at home; 16.3% born overseas

Language at home
305 English only · 24 other
Non-English at home
7.3%
Born overseas
53 (16.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
22 (6.4%)
Australian citizens
302

Religion

53.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 53.2%, while 34.6% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion34.6%32.8%
Christianity53.2%47.6%
Other / not stated12.2%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican23%11.9%
Catholic18.3%22.4%
Christian (not further defined)3.2%2.4%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2259, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
35
Against the person
9
Against property
12
Rate per 1,000 residents
98
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 38 residents
State crime-rate percentile
71th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+6.4%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
13
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
36.41

Most common offence types

  • Breach Bail Conditions4
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault2
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment3
  • Malicious Damage To Property3
  • Transport Regulatory Offences5

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,042
Median ICSEA percentile
65th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
School list
  • MacKillop Catholic CollegeCombined · Catholic · ICSEA 1042 · 65th percentile · LBOTE 25% · 1,558 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Jilliby PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Morisset HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Porters Creek PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wadalba CSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Woongarrah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wyee PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wyong HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

6 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Bruce Cres After Sparks Rd
  • Bruce Cres After Sparks Rd
  • Bruce Cres At Sparks Rd
  • Bruce Cres At Sparks Rd
  • Sparks Rd At Bruce Cres

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

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

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
8%
Woodland / forest cover
8%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
27°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Wyong Hospital (4.2 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
17
Participants per 1,000 residents
47.6

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

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 (12%)

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· 2 proposals
  • September 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation
    200 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Under Assessment
  • April 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    200 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Additional Information Requested
2025· 3 proposals
  • December 2025

  • Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    220 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Under Assessment
  • September 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    205 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Under Assessment
  • August 2025

  • Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
    180 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Withdrawn
2024· 2 proposals
  • May 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    175 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Withdrawn
  • March 2024

  • Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
    35 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
2023· 3 proposals
  • November 2023

  • Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure; Non-standard Housing
    35 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Withdrawn
  • September 2023

  • Shed; Erection of a new structure
    245 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • June 2023

  • Dual occupancy
    295 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
2022· 5 proposals
  • December 2022

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    60 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • Dual occupancy
    185 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • November 2022

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    100 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • August 2022

  • Shed
    195 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • January 2022

  • Shed
    80 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
2021· 3 proposals
  • June 2021

  • Shed
    185 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • April 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    130 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined
  • February 2021

  • Shed
    310 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Withdrawn
2020· 1 proposal
  • November 2020

  • Shed
    375 BRUCE CRESCENT WALLARAH 2259Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Dobell
Member of Parliament
Emma McBRIDE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,541
Turnout (2025)
91.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+2.9 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 4.6 km away).

Coalition 38.2%Labor 61.8%

2.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Warnervale EastLabor 59.3% · Coalition 40.7% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
  • WoongarrahLabor 57.4% · Coalition 42.6% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
  • Hamlyn TerraceLabor 63.3% · Coalition 36.7% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
  • CharmhavenLabor 65.4% · Coalition 34.6% TPP (2025)3.9 km away
  • Blue HavenLabor 67.5% · Coalition 32.5% TPP (2025)4.1 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
5/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

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.