SuburbCheck

Karuah vs Swan Bay (Port Stephens)

The verdict

Karuah is more affordable, with a median house price of $643K versus $730K in Swan Bay (Port Stephens). Karuah rates higher for liveability (29 vs 22). Swan Bay (Port Stephens) rates higher for education (36 vs 14).

Scores

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Overall1419
Transport00
Education1436
Liveability2922

Overall is based on transport, liveability & education — the metrics available at consistent quality nationwide. Residential safety is compared separately below.

Demographics

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Population1,618310
Median age5052
Median household income (wk)$1,061$1,156
Bachelor degree or higher12.1%21.3%
Born in Australia80.8%78.7%
Avg household size2.32.5

Growth: Karuah Moderate Growth · Swan Bay (Port Stephens) Moderate Growth

Property

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Median house price$643K$730K
Median unit price$500KData not available
House price YoY16.5%Data not available
Median rent — house (wk)$600$600
Rental yield (house)4.4%Data not available
Days on market (house)2835

Median price history

Safety

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Residential safety score47
Break & enter dwelling /100k124Data not available
Motor vehicle theft /100k247Data not available
Domestic assault /100k1,174Data not available
Total incidents /100k (all)5,933Data not available

Total incidents over time

Schools

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Total schools10
Government10
Independent00
Average ICSEA863Data not available

See the full school list on each profile: Karuah · Swan Bay (Port Stephens)

Transport

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Transport score00
Train stations00
Bus stops00
Light rail stops00
Ferry wharves00
CBD commute (min)Data not availableData not available
Nearest train station (km)6.4 km10.4 km

Liveability

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Summer max temp27.5°C27.5°C
Winter max temp18.0°C18.0°C
Annual rainfall (mm)1,1001,100
Supermarkets00
Cafes & restaurants00
Parks40
Playgrounds1Data not available
Swimming poolsData not availableData not available
Medical GPs00
Distance to coast (km)2.7 km1.9 km
Distance to CBD (km)154.6 km147.6 km
Nearest beach (km)8.7 km9.6 km
Nearest hospital (km)21.2 km21.1 km

Population & growth

KaruahSwan Bay (Port Stephens)
Population (2021)1,618310
Estimated 20251,845353
Projected 20412,061395
Annual growth rate3.34%3.30%

Common questions

Which is more affordable, Karuah or Swan Bay (Port Stephens)?

Karuah is more affordable, with a median house price of $643K versus $730K.

Which has better public transport, Karuah or Swan Bay (Port Stephens)?

Karuah and Swan Bay (Port Stephens) have similar transport scores.

Try another comparison

Compare two suburbs

Karuah

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SuburbCheck

A free, data-driven tool to compare Australian suburbs on safety, schools, transport, property and liveability — built from public government data.

Data sources

ABS Census & ERP · Valuers-General · BOCSAR & state crime agencies · GTFS · ACARA · Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap.

Data is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. Figures are indicative and should not be the sole basis for property or relocation decisions.

© 2026 SuburbCheck · Data refreshed quarterly.