StreetScout

Waratah (NSW), NSW

By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·

39/100
Suburb Score

Less advantaged than the national average

Waratah (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 39% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 968, where about 1000 is the national average).

A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.

Is Waratah (NSW) a good place to live?

There’s no single answer — it depends on what matters to you. So instead of one mystery number, we break it down: a transparent score on each part of life we can back with public data, and an honest “not yet” on the parts we can’t.

37/100
Livability

Below the national middle on the data we score

A weighted blend of the 2 components we can score for Waratah (NSW) from public data. It sits alongside — and reconciles with — the socio-economic Suburb Score above; it is a transparent read, not a complete verdict.

Socio-economic advantage

39/100

Less advantaged than the national average

Less advantaged than the national average — the same ABS SEIFA-based Suburb Score (39/100) shown above. Income, education and occupation, as published by the ABS. · ABS SEIFA 2021

Housing affordability

32/100

Less affordable than the national median

Median weekly rent was $350 at the 2021 Census — more affordable than about 32% of suburbs we can compare. Housing data only, no valuations. · ABS Census 2021

Not yet scored

We’d rather leave these open than publish a number we can’t stand behind. Here’s where each one stands.

  • Amenities & accessNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap amenity mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
  • Green spaceNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap green-space mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
  • TransportNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap public-transport mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
  • SchoolsNot scored yet — school performance (ACARA / ICSEA) needs a data-reuse licence cleared before we can publish it.
  • SafetyNot scored yet — Australia has no single open crime dataset and safety data carries defamation and legal care, so it is gated pending a go/no-go and will be data-only when added.
  • CommunityNot scored yet — we won't reduce community to a number from a proxy. We'd rather leave it open than publish an invented value judgement.

A transparent read on public data, not a verdict — and not a measure of any person or community. See our methodology for how each component is worked out and why some aren’t scored yet.

Waratah (NSW) at a glance

Population (2021)
4,927
Median age
41
Median weekly household income
$1,511
SEIFA score
968
Local government area
Newcastle
Coordinates
-32.9057, 151.7249

Map of Waratah (NSW)

© OpenStreetMap contributors · View larger map

Housing & property in Waratah (NSW)

What it costs to live in Waratah (NSW) and how residents hold their homes, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census.

Median rent
$350
per week
Median mortgage
$1,827
per month
Owner-occupied
49%
of dwellings
Rented
46%
of dwellings

The full tenure and dwelling-type breakdown is in the Waratah (NSW) demographics section below.

How we treat property data. StreetScout shows official ABS housing figures and nothing more — no sale-price estimates, no real-estate agent referrals or lead capture, and we never pass your details to anyone. Just the public data, so you can read Waratah (NSW) for yourself.

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021. © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. See our methodology.

Waratah (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)

The figures below profile Waratah (NSW) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 28% and 17% of residents were born overseas.

Age profile

Age groupPeopleShare
Children (0–14)60112%
Youth (15–24)62213%
Young adults (25–44)1,39628%
Mid-life (45–64)1,06422%
Seniors (65+)1,24525%

Share of the 4,928 people counted by age.

Housing and households

TenureDwellingsShare
Owned outright40321%
Owned with a mortgage53228%
Rented87846%
Dwelling typeDwellingsShare
Houses1,18462%
Townhouses & semis36819%
Flats & apartments32917%

Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,895 occupied private dwellings in Waratah (NSW).

Average household size
2.2 people
Median weekly family income
$2,090
Median weekly personal income
$785

Community and culture

Born overseas
786 (17%)
Speaks a language other than English at home
551 (12%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
221 (4%)

Work and education

Completed Year 12
2,169 (51%)
Labour-force participation
56.6%
Unemployment rate
4.8%
Employed full-time
1,296
Employed part-time
875

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.

Weather and climate in Waratah (NSW)

Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Waratah (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 27.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.3°C). The area receives roughly 898 mm of rain across the year.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRain
Jan27.1°C20.7°C75 mm
Feb26.2°C20.5°C92 mm
Mar25.1°C19.6°C149 mm
Apr22.7°C16.5°C76 mm
May20°C13.2°C44 mm
Jun17.3°C11.1°C79 mm
Jul17.3°C9.9°C56 mm
Aug18.2°C10.3°C48 mm
Sep20.7°C12.7°C59 mm
Oct22.7°C15.2°C79 mm
Nov24°C17°C71 mm
Dec25.9°C19°C70 mm

Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).

Share your local knowledge of Waratah (NSW)

Lived here or spent time in Waratah (NSW)? Add a review or a quick tip. Reviews and tips are moderated before they appear.

Your rating (optional)

Common questions about Waratah (NSW)

Is Waratah (NSW) a good place to live?

There's no single answer, so we score what the public data can back. On socio-economic advantage and housing affordability, Waratah (NSW) rates 37/100 overall (Below the national middle on the data we score). Public transport, schools and safety aren't scored yet — see our methodology for why.

What is the median rent in Waratah (NSW)?

At the 2021 Census, the median weekly rent in Waratah (NSW) was $350, and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,827. These are official ABS Census figures — StreetScout publishes housing data only, with no property valuations or agent referrals.

Where is Waratah (NSW)?

Waratah (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia, in the Newcastle local government area.

What is the population of Waratah (NSW)?

At the 2021 Census, Waratah (NSW) had a population of about 4,927.

Is Waratah (NSW) an advantaged area?

Waratah (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 968, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 39 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 39% of Australian suburbs.

What is the weather like in Waratah (NSW)?

Waratah (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 22.3°C and overnight lows of about 15.5°C, with roughly 898 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).

Nearby suburbs in New South Wales

More suburb guides in New South Wales

Other hand-written, cited guides browse all guides.