SuburbCheck

Lake Cathie

NSW 2445 · Port Macquarie-Hastings

4,296 (2021)4,664 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

Part of the Port Macquarie-Hastings local government area (est. 90,351 residents)

28
Overall score

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

4,296
Population
$933K
Median house (2025)
74
Safety score
0
Transport score

Lake Cathie is a moderate growth suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW 2445, about 300km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $933K is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 0/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Lake Cathie has an overall score of 28/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 74/100.

300.1 km
To Sydney CBD
2.0 km
To coast
$700/wk
Median rent (house)
13.9 km
To nearest station

Demographics

4,296
Population
52
Median age
2.4
Avg household

Age distribution

Housing tenure

  • Owned
  • Mortgage
  • Rented

Commute to work

  • Car
  • Public transport
  • Walk/cycle
  • Work from home
Port Macquarie-Hastings LGA population (est. 2025)90,351
Median household income (weekly)$1,275
vs NSW median-31.1%
Bachelor degree or higher26.0%
Born in Australia86.4%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse1,559 / 61 / 92

Top countries of birth: England (4.38%), New Zealand (1.35%), Scotland (0.58%), Germany (0.44%), USA (0.4%)

Top languages: Cantonese (0.4%), Italian (0.21%), Spanish (0.14%), Thai (0.12%), Australian Indigenous Languages (0.09%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$933K+3.3%
Median house (2025)
$668K
Median unit (2025)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$700 / $650 wk
Rental yield (house)3.9%
Days on market (house)30 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025

Residential Safety

74
Residential

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

6
Break & enter dwelling140/100k
10
Steal from dwelling233/100k
4
Motor vehicle theft93/100k
14
Domestic assault326/100k
0
Robbery0/100k

Residential incidents over time

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

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 148 (all categories, latest year)3,445 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

3
Within 10km1 in suburb
1
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

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

In suburb

  • Lake Cathie Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1011

Nearby (within 10km)

  • The Nature SchoolCombined · Independent · 9.1kmICSEA 1064
  • North Haven Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 9.7kmICSEA 988

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

0
CBD commute (est.)Data not available
Nearest train stationWauchope (13.9 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

27.0°C
Summer max
19.0°C
Winter max
1,500mm
Rainfall/yr
6.9h
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.

11 in suburbSupermarkets
22 in suburbCafes/Rest.
55 in suburbParks
44 in suburbPlaygrounds
11 in suburbPools
00 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
11 in suburbGPs
00 in suburbPharmacies
11 in suburbChildcare
00 in suburbLibraries
1212 in suburbSports fields
0Vets
Nearest beachRainbow Beach (3.2 km)
Nearest hospitalPort Macquarie Base Hospital (11.4 km)
Nearest vet11.3 km
Nearest airportPort Macquarie (12.8 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth
Annual growth rate2.08%
Projected population 20414,840
Projected households 20411,981

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Port Macquarie-Hastings

Compare Lake Cathie with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Lake Cathie

Frequently asked questions about Lake Cathie

Is Lake Cathie safe?

Lake Cathie has a residential safety score of 74/100, 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 3,445 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Lake Cathie?

In Lake Cathie, the median house price is $933K and the median unit price is $668K. Median weekly house rent is $700.

How far is Lake Cathie from Sydney CBD?

Lake Cathie is about 300.1 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Lake Cathie?

Lake Cathie has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1011 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Lake Cathie?

Lake Cathie has a transport score of 0/100.

Data sources: ABS Census 2021 & ERP, NSW Valuer General, BOCSAR, TfNSW, ACARA, Bureau of Meteorology, OpenStreetMap, NSW DPHI. Data refreshed quarterly.

Data shown is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. How we calculate scores.