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 without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,850 a month. Around 78.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 51.8%. 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%
SA2 · 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).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,784 to 19,995 over 24 years, averaging 1.6% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbSector
1 public
Type
1 primary
Total enrolment
395
Avg per school
395
Government 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 (78.9%).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. 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.