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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Sales Detail
Population
Population growth drivers in Corlette are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends
As of November 2025, the estimated population for the Corlette statistical area (Lv2) is around 5,674, reflecting a decrease of 25 people since the 2021 Census. This decline represents a 0.4% change from the previous population count of 5,699. AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population as 5,627, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional validated new address since the Census date, supports this decrease. This results in a population density ratio of 1,897 persons per square kilometer, which is higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 98.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.
AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate that the Corlette (SA2) is expected to increase by 432 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 7.9% over the 17-year period, which is just below the median growth rate for non-metropolitan areas nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Corlette is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Corlette has had minimal residential development activity with 2 dwelling approvals annually over the past five years, totalling 12. These low development levels reflect the rural nature of the area, where development is typically driven by specific local housing needs rather than broad market demand. Note; given the small number of approvals, individual development projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.
Corlette shows significantly less construction activity than Rest of NSW. Development levels are likewise under national averages. Recent construction comprises 33.0% standalone homes and 67.0% attached dwellings. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns which currently stand at 74.0% houses. At around 5683 people per approval, Corlette shows a mature, established area.
Population forecasts indicate Corlette will gain 446 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Corlette has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely affecting this region. Key projects are The Belvedere, Central Avenue Salamander Bay Retail Development, Salamander Bay Town Centre Place Plan, and Kurrara Hill. Relevant details are outlined below.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy
State-wide NSW planning reforms to enable diverse low and mid-rise housing, including dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses, and apartment buildings up to 6 storeys. The policy applies to residential zones within 800m of 171 nominated transport hubs and town centres. Stage 1 (dual occupancies) commenced 1 July 2024, and Stage 2 (mid-rise apartments and terraces) commenced 28 February 2025. In June 2025, further amendments adjusted aircraft noise thresholds and clarified storey definitions to expand the policy's reach. The initiative is expected to facilitate approximately 112,000 additional homes by 2030.
Salamander Bay Town Centre Place Plan
The Salamander Bay Town Centre Place Plan is a strategic framework designed to transform the precinct into a vibrant, walkable, and environmentally focused hub. Formally approved by Port Stephens Council on 25 November 2025, the plan facilitates mixed-use developments, including low and mid-rise housing and expanded commercial spaces, particularly on council-owned land along Salamander Way and behind the Tomaree Library. Key objectives include enhancing pedestrian and traffic flow, creating high-quality public domain areas with community gathering spaces, and protecting the adjacent Mambo Wetlands through strategic conservation buffers. The plan supports the broader regional goal of delivering 11,000 new homes in the Port Stephens LGA over the next 20 years.
Central Avenue Salamander Bay Retail Development
Salamander Bay's newest retail and bulky goods outlet development, featuring precast concrete panel structures with 6-meter high eaves, glazed shop fronts with individual amenities, and opportunities for mezzanine levels. The high-profile site is directly adjacent to Salamander Bay Square and positioned among major national retailers. The completed development offers flexible commercial and retail spaces suitable for various business uses with excellent signage opportunities and parking allocation.
Nelson Bay Road Duplication - Williamtown to Bobs Farm
NSW Government $275 million investment to improve safety and travel times on Nelson Bay Road including duplicating the road from Williamtown to Bobs Farm. Major connection between Newcastle Airport, RAAF base and Nelson Bay used by 25,000 motorists daily.
Port Stephens Housing Delivery Program
A comprehensive housing delivery program targeting the construction of 11,100 new homes across Port Stephens by 2041 to accommodate a population growth of 20,000. The strategy prioritizes housing diversity through a mix of infill and greenfield developments, streamlines development application processes, and coordinates infrastructure upgrades to support new communities.
Newcastle Offshore Wind Project
The Newcastle Offshore Wind project proposes a floating wind farm off Newcastle, NSW, with an expected capacity of up to 10 gigawatts, pending a Scoping Study's results.
The Belvedere
An eight-storey luxury residential development comprising 56 apartments including two- and three-bedroom residences and penthouses, with rooftop amenities such as a pool, spa, gym, and sauna, along with communal green spaces, an office, and a coffee shop, aimed at addressing housing shortages in Port Stephens.
Kurrara Hill
A 10-storey mixed-use development featuring 48 modern apartments with a mix of one to four-bedroom units, two business premises, one retail space, premium landscaping, and secure on-site parking.
Employment
Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.0%, Corlette has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally
Corlette has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.
As of September 2025, Corlette has 2,294 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. The workforce participation rate is significantly lower at 49.8%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among Corlette residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. Notably, the area has a strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share 1.5 times higher than the regional level.
Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.6% of Corlette's workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population count versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Corlette's labour force decreased by 2.6%, while employment declined by 2.4%, leading to a fall in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.5%, the labour force fall by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data for NSW up to 25-Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that over five years, employment is expected to expand by 6.6%, and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Corlette's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.1% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 indicates that median income in Corlette is $43,918 with an average of $62,567. This is lower than the national averages of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average) for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth from June 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income in Corlette would be approximately $47,809 with an average of $68,110. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 39th percentile ($1,566 weekly) and personal income at the 23rd percentile. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 32.0% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (1,815 residents), similar to the regional figure of 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.0% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Corlette is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
Dwelling structure in Corlette, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 74.2% houses and 25.7% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 81.1% houses and 18.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Corlette was 51.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.6% and rented dwellings at 21.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Corlette was $1,950, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Corlette was $445, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $360. Nationally, Corlette's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Corlette features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size
Family households constitute 77.5% of all households, including 26.5% couples with children, 40.8% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 22.5%, with lone person households at 20.3% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Corlette shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators
The area's university qualification rate is 21.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 13.8% and certificates at 27.7%. A total of 23.2% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.2% in secondary education, 7.7% in primary education, and 2.9% in tertiary education.
A substantial 23.2% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.2% in secondary education, 7.7% in primary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Transport analysis shows 48 active public transport stops in Corlette. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 34 individual routes. Together, they facilitate 410 weekly passenger trips.
The accessibility of these services is rated excellent, with residents typically residing 149 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 58 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Corlette is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Health data shows significant challenges in Corlette, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.
Approximately 52% (~2,933 people) have private health cover, which is relatively low compared to other areas. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.7%) and mental health issues (7.7%). About 61.8% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 59.3%. Corlette has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 33.8% (1,917 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 28.1%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Corlette are above average and better than the general population across various health metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Corlette ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Corlette's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 80.1% of its population born in Australia, 92.1% being citizens, and 93.9% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Corlette is Christianity, comprising 59.2% of the population, compared to 57.4% across Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are English (34.9%), Australian (26.3%), and Irish (9.2%).
Notably, Welsh, Maltese, and Croatian ethnicities have higher representations in Corlette than regionally: Welsh at 1.0% vs 0.7%, Maltese at 0.7% vs 0.5%, and Croatian at 0.6% vs 0.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Corlette ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide
The median age in Corlette is 52 years, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 years and also above the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 17.2% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.9%. This concentration in the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 9.4% to 10.5% of Corlette's population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age cohort has declined from 11.0% to 10.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Corlette. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 89%, adding 202 residents and reaching a total of 429. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 69% of population growth, underscoring trends towards an aging demographic. Conversely, both the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.