Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Catalina

Catalina sits on the northern shore of the Clyde River as part of the Batemans Bay area and has an easygoing seaside character. Established streets of single-storey brick and weatherboard homes sit alongside pockets of newer infill and riverfront residences. Residents are drawn to boating, fishing and relaxed foreshore life while still having ready access to Batemans Bay shops, cafes and services. The suburb appeals to families, retirees and people after a sea change, with coastal walks, river access and local green spaces and convenient road links to surrounding beaches and bushland.

It is a small community of 2,522 people with a median age of 53 years and a high share of owner-occupation (50.7% owned outright, 24.1% owned with a mortgage), which gives it a largely settled character. Catalina is included in the Revised Batemans Bay Masterplan, and recent projects linked to the area include the South Batemans Bay link road, progress on a new community health facility at the hospital site, and council support for reopening the Batemans Bay Community Centre. Whether it suits you will come down to how much you value river access, coastal living and close ties to Batemans Bay’s services.

At $558 a week for a house, rent in Catalina would take about 49% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census (558 ÷ 1,130). On these figures that is a large share of income, so if you are renting a house in Catalina that rent share is the clearest measure of how stretched housing costs are against local incomes.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Over the past 12 months in Catalina, house values rose 3.5% while the rent houses command rose 3.3%. Both changes are modest, and the value rise has edged slightly ahead of rent growth over the year.

Put another way, the figures show modest capital growth and modest rental income growth for houses in Catalina during the last year. Which of those matters more to you will depend on your own goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.