Kotara couples lushness with convenience

The report and ranking drew on the insights of a 12-strong investment expert panel and recent housing performance drawn from open-source data, which aim to give unparalleled insights into the Australian suburbs that are set for future growth.

Located a mere 9 kilometres from Newcastle’s central business district, Kotara is a thriving area in and of itself renowned for its vibrancy and family-friendly environment.

Originally designed with the intention of creating a “garden suburb” with high-quality housing, Kotara rapidly grew in population after 1947, and has since cultivated a leisurely suburban atmosphere.

Kotara offers a variety of exceptionally well-constructed houses with a range of styles that appeal to families, professionals and retirees alike. Notably, a significant proportion of people within the area have been recorded as living in the same house for upwards of five years, a testament to the liveability of the area.

Living up to its reputation as an ideal destination for families, Kotara also harbours a variety of schools that range from preschool age all the way to high school; the area additionally being home to another smaller school which specially caters to students with disabilities.

Kotara is also replete with a number of recreational areas, such as Blackbutt Reserve, that contains a vast array of walking tracks, playgrounds and picnic facilities that are enjoyed by locals. Other such parks within the area include locations like Nesbitt Park, Kotara Park and Lugar Street reserve, which all provide a range of sporting fields and children’s equipment for families to utilise.

The area boasts a shopping district that is known as one of Newcastle’s largest, with its commercial district containing Westfield Kotara and the Homemakers Centre which offers a number of lifestyle stores.

Kotara also has easy access via train to Sydney and the Greater Newcastle region – one route among these links leading to the Lake Macquarie area for those looking to enjoy a picturesque seaside trip.

Even with the wealth of facilities it offers, Kotara still maintains a fairly affordable price point at a median house price below $920,000 and a population of only 3,929.

With the area being recently earmarked within a leaked government document as a location set for a density surge, there is no better time to take advantage of the ability to start anew within the idyllic suburbia of Kotara.

Check out which other suburbs have made the cut in the FAST 50 2025 report here.