Waratah (NSW)

Waratah has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

The Waratah (NSW) statistical area (Lv2), based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, had an estimated population of around 5,014 as of Nov 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 87 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,927. The change was inferred from the resident population estimate of 4,971 by AreaSearch in Jun 2024, following examination of ABS ERP data release, and an additional 41 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,625 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

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. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, the Waratah (NSW) (SA2) is projected to have an above median population growth of Australia's regional areas, with an expected expansion of 627 persons by 2041, reflecting a gain of 10.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Waratah, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Waratah averaged approximately 15 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending FY25. This totals an estimated 75 homes. In FY26, up to July, 4 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.3 people moved to Waratah per year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25.

New construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations. The average expected construction cost value of new properties is $510,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, there have been $964,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Rest of NSW, Waratah shows approximately half the construction activity per person. Nationally, it places among the 16th percentile of areas assessed, indicating more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. This level is similarly under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent construction comprises 25% detached dwellings and 75% townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is currently 62% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. Waratah reflects a highly mature market with around 986 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Waratah is expected to grow by 531 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Waratah has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Former Waratah Gasworks Redevelopment, Waratah Park Masterplan, Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC), and another Hunter Indoor Sports Centre project. The following list details those expected to have the most relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Waratah has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Waratah has an educated workforce with key sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.7% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.8%.

As of September 2025, 2,859 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.2% below Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Workforce participation is at 56.4%, similar to Rest of NSW. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Waratah specializes in health care & social assistance, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.4% of local workers compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

There is one worker for every resident, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8%, labour force by 3.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Waratah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Waratah had a median taxpayer income of $51,430 and an average income of $61,778 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is below the national average for the same period, with Rest of NSW having a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates suggest approximately $55,987 for the median taxpayer income and $67,252 for the average income as of September 2025. In Waratah, household, family, and personal incomes all ranked modestly between the 36th and 46th percentiles according to the 2021 Census figures. The predominant income bracket in Waratah spanned 31.6% of locals (1,584 people) with incomes between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to broader trends across the metropolitan region where 29.9% fell into the same category. Housing affordability pressures were severe in Waratah, with only 80.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 32nd percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 4th decile.

Waratah displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Waratah's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 62.5% houses and 37.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Waratah stood at 22.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.4% and rented ones at 48.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,827, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent in Waratah was $350, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Waratah's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Waratah features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 56.0% of all households, including 18.4% couples with children, 22.3% couples without children, and 13.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 44.0%, with lone person households at 35.8% and group households comprising 8.6%. The median household size is 2.2 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in Waratah aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Waratah has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 31.6% holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. The area's strong educational advantage is reflected in the distribution of qualifications: Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 34.9% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (9.8%) and certificates (25.1%).

Educational participation in Waratah is notably high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.6% in tertiary education, 7.9% in primary education, and 5.9% pursuing secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis shows 65 active transport stops in Waratah. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 64 individual routes operating, serving 5,368 weekly passenger trips collectively.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 120 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 766 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 82 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Waratah is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Waratah faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 51%, covering around 2,576 people, compared to 56.7% across the Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues are the most prevalent condition, impacting 12.6% of residents, followed by arthritis at 8.6%. Around 59.0% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in the Rest of NSW. Waratah has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 23.5%, or around 1,178 people, compared to 16.7% in the Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with the general population's health profile.

In terms of cultural diversity, Waratah records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Waratah's population was found to be culturally diverse, with 85.0% being citizens and 82.8% born in Australia. English was spoken at home by 87.6%. Christianity was the dominant religion at 49.7%.

Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0.1% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were English (28.4%), Australian (27.0%), and Irish (10.2%). Notably, Welsh (0.7%) was slightly overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.8%. Similarly, Polish (0.9%) and Macedonian (0.4%) had higher representations than their regional averages of 0.8% each.

Waratah's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Waratah was 40 in the year 2021, which is slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The percentage of people aged 25-34 in Waratah was notably higher at 20.7% compared to Rest of NSW's average and well above the national average of 14.5%. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals aged 5-14 was lower at 6.8%. From the Census conducted on the 10th of August 2021, Waratah's median age decreased by 1.4 years to 40 from its previous figure of 41. The percentage of people aged 25 to 34 grew from 17.0% to 20.7%, while those aged 35 to 44 increased from 11.3% to 13.0%. Conversely, the proportion of individuals aged 45 to 54 decreased from 11.3% to 9.5%, and those aged 5-14 dropped from 8.2% to 6.8%. Population forecasts for Waratah indicate significant demographic changes by the year 2041. The number of individuals aged 25 to 34 is projected to increase steadily, rising by 299 people (29%) from 1,037 to 1,337. Conversely, both age groups of 15-24 and 55-64 are expected to decrease in number.