Charlestown (NSW)
NSWCharlestown (NSW) is a growing suburb in NSW with 13,601 residents.
- SAL code
- 10884
- SA2
- 111011208
- Population
- 13,601
- LGA
- Lake Macquarie
Charlestown (NSW), NSW had 13,601 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 3.5% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,000 a month. Around 73.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 38.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 79.8% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 10 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?13,601
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+3.5%
3yr: +2.1% · 10yr: +5.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,839/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.8%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
4
4 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?10
5 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?10
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?89
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?104
Lake Macquarie · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Population over time — Charlestown - Dudley (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Charlestown (NSW) suburb alone is ~13,601 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 23,557 to 26,087 over 24 years, averaging 0.4% per year.
Schools
4 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Charlestown PS39.7%
- Charlestown SPS 17.9%
- Charlestown EPS 13.3%
- Hillsborough PS 12.0%
- Wiripaang PS 8.1%
- Kahibah PS 3.7%
- Kotara SPS 3.0%
- Belair PS 1.6%
- Garden Suburb PS 0.7%
Secondary
Whitebridge HS74.6%
- Cardiff HS 12.7%
- Hunter Sp HS 8.1%
- Kotara HS 4.6%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.3%Almost entirely detached houses (79.8%), owner-occupied (73%), built for families (47% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
13 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 43.6% | 3.10 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 21.8% | 1.55 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 11.4% | 0.81 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 10.2% | 0.73 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 3.5% | 0.25 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 3.2% | 0.23 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 3.1% | 0.22 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 1.1% | 0.08 km² |
| RU6 | ZoneRural | 0.8% | 0.05 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.5% | 0.04 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.4% | 0.03 km² |
| SP3 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.1% | 8,701 m² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.