Lake Cathie
NSWLake Cathie is a growing suburb in NSW with 4,296 residents.
- SAL code
- 12251
- SA2
- 108041162
- Population
- 4,296
- LGA
- Port Macquarie-Hastings
Lake Cathie, NSW had 4,296 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 9.6% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 65-74 years, and the median age sits at 52. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,850 a month. Around 82.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 54.0%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 91.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 7 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
?4,296
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+9.6%
3yr: +7.0% · 10yr: +19.4%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,275/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
52
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?4/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.9%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?4
3 long day, 1 OSHC
Parks & green space
?7
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
No data for this suburb
Dwelling approvals
?33
Port Macquarie-Hastings · 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)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Laurieton - Bonny Hills (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Lake Cathie suburb alone is ~4,296 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,784 to 19,995 over 24 years, averaging 1.6% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Lake Cathie PS98.8%
- Nth Haven PS 0.8%
- Herons Ck PS 0.3%
Secondary
HSC Westport98.8%
- Camden Haven HS 1.1%
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
Almost entirely detached houses (91.1%), owner-occupied (82%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 32.4% | 6.21 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 15.6% | 3.00 km² |
| RU1 | ZoneRural | 14.8% | 2.85 km² |
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 13.5% | 2.58 km² |
| R5 | ZoneResidential | 13.3% | 2.55 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.5% | 0.49 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.3% | 0.43 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 1.7% | 0.32 km² |
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 0.8% | 0.16 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 0.7% | 0.14 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 0.6% | 0.12 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.3% | 0.06 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 0.3% | 0.05 km² |
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.