New South Wales · Postcode 2289

Kotara South postcode and suburb data

New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 111 km from Sydney

Metro Top 10% SEIFA Above NSW income
1,267
Population (2021)
$2,230
Household income/wk
$378
Median rent/wk
37
Median age
9/10
SEIFA advantage

Suburb snapshot

Kotara South at a glance vs NSW

Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.

Quick facts

2289 Postcode See every suburb sharing this postcode
1,267 People Resident population, Census 2021
Lake Macquarie Council area 96 suburbs, 20 postcodes
37 Median age Years, Census 2021
$2,230/wk Household income Suburb median, Census 2021 dollars
Decile 9/10 SEIFA advantage Very high advantage
1 Schools ACARA 2025 profiles in this suburb

Benchmarks against NSW

Household income
$2,230/wk
15% above NSW average
Suburb median, Census 2021
Weekly rent
$378/wk
15% below NSW average
Suburb median, Census 2021
SEIFA advantage
9/10
3.0 deciles above NSW average
IRSAD decile, higher means more advantage
Median age
37 years
8.0 years younger than NSW average
Resident median age
Unemployment
3.1%
1.9 pts below NSW average
Census labour-force rate

Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.

Where Kotara South ranks: household income is in the top 25% of NSW suburbs; SEIFA decile 9 puts it in the top 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.

ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021

Detailed comparison table

Kotara South vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.

MetricKotara SouthNSW avgAU avg
Household income/wk $2,230 +NSW $1,931 $1,836
Rent/wk $378 -NSW $445 $390
Mortgage/month $2,167 ≈NSW $2,247 $1,958
Median age 37 45.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 9/10 +NSW 6.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 3.1% -NSW 5.0% 5.0%

Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.

Postcode 2289 covers Kotara South, an inland suburb of Sydney about 111 km from the city centre. It forms part of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales. Local government services are provided by Lake Macquarie.

According to the 2021 Census, Kotara South has a population of 1,267 with a median age of 37. The median weekly household income is $2,230, above the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 3.1%, lower than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 57 (4.5% of residents).

Housing in Kotara South includes a median weekly rent of $378, median monthly mortgage repayment of $2,167, with 442 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 76.7% of housing.

On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Kotara South scores in decile 9 out of 10, which is well above the national average.

Kotara South is served by St James' Primary School.

Kotara South is part of the Newcastle statistical area in New South Wales.

Kotara South details

Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.

Postcode2289
StateNew South Wales (NSW)
Phone Area Code02
Population (2021)1,267
Median Age37 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$2,230/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$935/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$378
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$2,167
Average Household Size2.8 persons
Area0.6 km²
Population Density2165/km²
Total Dwellings442
Australian Citizens94.0%
Indigenous Population57 (4.5%)
Unemployment Rate3.1%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile9/10 (well above average)
Latitude-32.951
Longitude151.691
Distance from Sydney111 km
Region (SA4)Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
Area (SA3)Newcastle
Local GovernmentLake Macquarie
Federal ElectorateNewcastle
State ElectorateWallsend
Time ZoneAEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time)

Age Profile

0–14 (24.6%) 15–24 (11.2%) 25–44 (28.0%) 45–64 (21.9%) 65+ (14.4%)
Show counts
0–14 years312 (24.6%)
15–24 years142 (11.2%)
25–44 years355 (28.0%)
45–64 years278 (21.9%)
65+ years182 (14.4%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (30.6%) Mortgaged (46.1%) Rented (23.3%)

SEIFA socio-economic index

Kotara South is in SEIFA IRSAD decile 9 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more relative socio-economic advantage. This is an area-level index, not a score for individual households.
More disadvantagedMiddle rangeMore advantaged

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Asthma104 (8.2%)
Arthritis92 (7.3%)
Diabetes56 (4.4%)
Heart Disease51 (4.0%)
Cancer38 (3.0%)
Lung Condition21 (1.7%)
Dementia14 (1.1%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle21 (4.8%)
1 vehicle134 (30.7%)
2 vehicles202 (46.3%)
3+ vehicles79 (18.1%)

Schools in Kotara South

ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Kotara South. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.

St James' Primary School
Primary · Cat · ICSEA 1104 · 334 students

Suburbs Near Kotara South

Same Postcode (2289)

More Kotara South Data

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.