Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay is a coastal township on the shores of Port Stephens, centred on a sheltered harbour and marina and a lively foreshore with cafés, seafood restaurants and visitor services. It is a base for boating, fishing and dolphin and whale watching cruises, and residents have easy access to surf beaches at One Mile, Fingal Bay and Shoal Bay as well as headland walks in Tomaree National Park. Road and regional bus links connect the town to larger Hunter centres.

About 6,141 people live in Nelson Bay, with a median age of 51 and a median household income of $1,305 a week. Housing ranges from holiday apartments and waterfront homes to older suburban cottages, and most properties are owner-occupied. Council-led town centre and foreshore projects are under way and the local Tomaree Community Hospital has been part of planning discussion for emergency department refurbishment. That combination tends to suit holidaymakers, families and retirees; whether it suits you depends on what you want from a coastal town.

A house in Nelson Bay at the current median price of $1,000,000 works out to about 14.7 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, and a median unit at $840,000 is about 12.4 times that annual income. Both sit well above what a typical household there earned at the last Census. On the renting side, a house rent of $700 a week would take about 53.7% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and a unit rent of $570 a week would take about 43.6%—each a large share of that income. Which measure matters most depends on whether you plan to rent or buy.

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

The clearest split in Nelson Bay over the past year is between houses and units. Unit values rose a strong 15.3% while unit rents also recorded a strong 10.0% increase. House values fell modestly, down 2.2%, even as house rents climbed a solid 7.7%.

Put simply, the unit side showed the bigger capital gain over the year, while both houses and units produced higher rental income, with unit rents rising faster than house rents. Which of those outcomes matters to you will depend on whether your priority is capital growth or rental income and on your own 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.