Malua Bay vs Waratah West
Property investment comparison - Malua Bay, NSW 2536 vs Waratah West, NSW 2298
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Malua Bay wins 1, Waratah West wins 4. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Malua Bay | Waratah West |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $955K | $955K |
| Median unit price | - | $720K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 3.60% | 3.70% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 3.65% | 4.30% |
| 1-year house growth | +2.4% | +10.4% |
| 3-year house growth | +9.2% | +23.9% |
| Vacancy rate | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Population | 2,071 | 3,142 |
Malua Bay vs Waratah West: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $955K in Malua Bay and $955K in Waratah West.
On cash flow, Waratah West leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 3.70%, compared with 3.60% in Malua Bay, a gap of 0.10 percentage points.
Over the past year house prices moved +2.4% in Malua Bay and +10.4% in Waratah West, so recent momentum favours Waratah West, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Looking back three years, Malua Bay houses are +9.2% and Waratah West houses +23.9%, so Waratah West has compounded faster than Malua Bay over the longer window.
Rental vacancy is the same in both, at 2.0%.
Waratah West is the bigger suburb, with a population of 3,142 against 2,071, larger than Malua Bay; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Waratah West for rental income, Waratah West for recent price momentum. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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