Salt Ash
NSWSalt Ash is a growing suburb in NSW with 1,103 residents.
- SAL code
- 13482
- SA2
- 106031125
- Population
- 1,103
- LGA
- Port Stephens
Salt Ash, NSW had 1,103 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 16.2% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 46. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,950 a month. Around 87.6% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 45.2%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 97.6% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 3 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
?1,103
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+16.2%
3yr: +10.1% · 10yr: +24.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,461/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
46
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?5/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.2%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?2
1 long day, 1 OSHC
Parks & green space
?3
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?31
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?28
Port Stephens · 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 — Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Salt Ash suburb alone is ~1,103 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 10,830 to 17,178 over 24 years, averaging 1.9% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Salt Ash PS80.8%
- Bobs Farm PS 11.1%
- Fern Bay PS 6.5%
- Wirreanda PS 1.5%
- Tanilba Bay PS 0.1%
- Medowie PS 0.0%
Secondary
Hunter River HS80.8%
- Tomaree HS 11.1%
- Newcastle HS 6.5%
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 (97.6%), owner-occupied (88%), built for families (41% 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
7 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 48.7% | 25.00 km² |
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 30.3% | 15.53 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 10.9% | 5.58 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 5.1% | 2.64 km² |
| SP1 | ZoneSpecial use | 3.0% | 1.53 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.6% | 0.84 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 0.2% | 0.11 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.