Charlestown

NSW 2290 · Lake Macquarie

13,601 (2021) → 13,988 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

Part of the Lake Macquarie local government area (est. 222,310 residents)

Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

13,601

Population

$1.00M

Median house (2025)

Safety score

Transport score

Charlestown is a moderate growth suburb in Lake Macquarie, NSW 2290, about 110km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.00M is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 7 schools, a transport score of 64/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Charlestown has an overall score of 69/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 68/100.

110.5 km

To Sydney CBD

3.3 km

To coast

$700/wk

Median rent (house)

2.9 km

To nearest station

Demographics

13,601

Population

Median age

2.5

Avg household

Age distribution

Housing tenure

Owned
Mortgage
Rented

Commute to work

Car
Public transport
Walk/cycle
Work from home

Lake Macquarie LGA population (est. 2025)222,310

Median household income (weekly)$1,839

vs NSW median-0.6%

Bachelor degree or higher39.7%

Born in Australia84.2%

Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse4,031 / 470 / 789

Top countries of birth: England (2.13%), New Zealand (1.01%), China (0.94%), India (0.74%), Philippines (0.54%)

Top languages: Mandarin (0.92%), Macedon (0.88%), Cantonese (0.72%), Italian (0.45%), Nepali (0.4%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$1.00M+13.1%

Median house (2025)

$704K+28.5%

Median unit (2025)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$700 / $650 wk

Rental yield (house)3.6%

Days on market (house)38 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025

Residential Safety

Residential

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

Break & enter dwelling191/100k

Steal from dwelling81/100k

Motor vehicle theft213/100k

Domestic assault375/100k

Robbery15/100k

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 1,179 (all categories, latest year)8,669 per 100,000 residents2-yr5-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025

Schools

122

Within 10km7 in suburb

Govt (suburb)

Catholic (suburb)

Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1021 (above the national average of 1000).

In suburb

St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1111
Charlestown South Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1064
Charlestown East Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1040
Charlestown Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1025
Hillsborough Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1007
Newcastle Junior SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 968
Alesco Senior College - Charlestown CampusSecondary · Independent

Nearby (within 10km)

St Paul's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.4kmICSEA 1043
St Mary's Catholic CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 1.5kmICSEA 1057
Kahibah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.8kmICSEA 1066
Whitebridge High SchoolSecondary · Government · 1.8kmICSEA 1021
Wiripaang Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.9kmICSEA 826
Lakeside SchoolCombined · Government · 1.9kmICSEA 892
St James' Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.1kmICSEA 1103
Hunter Sports High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.2kmICSEA 946
Kotara South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1065
Garden Suburb Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.4kmICSEA 1045
Kotara High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.5kmICSEA 1057
Mount Hutton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.6kmICSEA 937

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

115Bus

CBD commute (est.)Data not available

Nearest train stationKotara (2.9 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

27.5°C

Summer max

18.0°C

Winter max

1,100mm

Rainfall/yr

Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

63 in suburbSupermarkets

64 in suburbCafes/Rest.

177 in suburbParks

94 in suburbPlaygrounds

294 in suburbPools

73 in suburbGyms

0Dog parks

98 in suburbGPs

10 in suburbPharmacies

40 in suburbChildcare

11 in suburbLibraries

10938 in suburbSports fields

11 in suburbVets

Nearest beachDudley Beach (3.3 km)

Nearest hospitalJohn Hunter Hospital (5.0 km)

Nearest vet670 m

Nearest airportNewcastle (19.1 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth

Annual growth rate0.70%

Projected population 204115,417

Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Lake Macquarie

Kotara South$1.22M76transport Kahibah$1.25M64transport Hillsborough (Lake Macquarie)$900K55transport Gateshead$756K31transport Garden Suburb$903K62transport Highfields$925K62transport

Compare Charlestown with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Charlestown

Frequently asked questions about Charlestown

Is Charlestown safe?

Charlestown has a residential safety score of 68/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 8,669 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Charlestown?

In Charlestown, the median house price is $1.00M and the median unit price is $704K. Median weekly house rent is $700.

How far is Charlestown from Sydney CBD?

Charlestown is about 110.5 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Charlestown?

Charlestown has 7 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1036 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Charlestown?

Charlestown has a transport score of 64/100 and 115 bus stops.