Salt Ash
NSW 2318 · Port Stephens
1,103 (2021) → 1,258 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth
Part of the Port Stephens local government area (est. 79,727 residents)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Salt Ash is a moderate growth suburb in Port Stephens, NSW 2318, about 137km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $893K is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 22/100, and is right by the coast. Salt Ash has an overall score of 27/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 64/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: England (3.35%), Philippines (0.73%), Germany (0.54%), Thailand (0.54%), New Zealand (0.45%)
Top languages: Thai (0.54%), Polish (0.45%), Spanish (0.45%), Mandarin (0.36%), Sinhal (0.36%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
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
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 994 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Salt Ash Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 933
Nearby (within 10km)
- Catherine McAuley Catholic CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 5.9kmICSEA 1022
- Wirreanda Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.5kmICSEA 986
- Medowie Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 8.4kmICSEA 997
- Medowie Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · 8.7kmICSEA 1033
- Bobs Farm Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 9kmICSEA 994
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
Moderate GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Port Stephens
Compare Salt Ash with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Salt Ash
Is Salt Ash safe?
Salt Ash has a residential safety score of 64/100, 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 8,522 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Salt Ash?
In Salt Ash, the median house price is $893K. Median weekly house rent is $680.
How far is Salt Ash from Sydney CBD?
Salt Ash is about 137.4 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Salt Ash?
Salt Ash has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 933 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Salt Ash?
Salt Ash has a transport score of 22/100 and 37 bus stops.