Kariong flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Kariong (Central Coast, NSW) - 25.66 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Kariong's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Aircraft noise and flight paths over Kariong

Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.

Kariong at a glance

Parcels 2,179 Median lot 634 m² Mapped easements 20 Bus stops 66

How Kariong is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 72%
Public Recreation 8%
Low Density Residential 7%
Special Activities 6%
Environmental Conservation 3%
Infrastructure 2%

Buying in Kariong? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 25.66 km², Kariong is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 3% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 92% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 23 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 634 m² across 2,179 parcels.

Who lives in Kariong

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Kariong suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
6,485
usual residents, 2021
Median age
36
years
Median household income
$2,200
per week, Central Coast suburb typical $1,735
Median rent
$450
per week, Central Coast suburb typical $400
Median mortgage
$2,080
per month
Household size
3.0
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1012, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Kariong's 6,485 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.4%
5-14 15.5%
15-19 8.0%
20-24 6.2%
25-34 11.6%
35-44 14.4%
45-54 14.9%
55-64 12.4%
65-74 6.4%
75-84 3.0%
85+ 1.1%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Calga - Kulnura, the wider ABS statistical area containing Kariong. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Kariong itself.

4,793 in 2001 to 4,678 in 2025, down 2%.

Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

Kariong data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Kariong address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 84% of Kariong. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Published flood models are held over parts of Kariong. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Kariong lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Kariong planning - frequently asked

Is Kariong flood-prone?

About 3% of Kariong falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 30%. Published flood models are held over parts of Kariong; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Kariong bushfire-prone?

Around 92% of Kariong is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Central Coast average of 69%.

Is Kariong under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 84% of Kariong, and over about 91% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 4 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in Kariong?

The dominant planning zone in Kariong is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Low Density Residential.

Does Kariong have heritage-listed places?

Kariong has 23 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Kariong?

Across 2,179 surveyed parcels in Kariong, the median lot size is about 634 m². There are also 20 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Kariong have a train station?

There is no train station inside Kariong itself. The suburb is served by 66 bus stops.

What is the population of Kariong?

At the 2021 Census Kariong had 6,485 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Calga - Kulnura statistical area, which contains Kariong, went from 4,793 people in 2001 to 4,678 in 2025, down 2%.

Is Kariong an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Kariong scores 1012 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Kariong?

Median household income in Kariong was $2,200 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,735 for the typical suburb in Central Coast. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,080 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Woy Woy Bay 3.9 km 23% 92%
Mooney Mooney Creek 4.2 km 20% 93%
Tascott 5.4 km 54% 48%
Horsfield Bay 5.5 km 30% 99%
Phegans Bay 5.6 km 28% 89%
Woy Woy 5.6 km 34% 62%
Point Clare 5.8 km 46% 54%
Koolewong 5.9 km 70% 32%
Wondabyne 6.0 km 16% 90%
Calga 6.2 km <1% 96%

See all Central Coast suburb profiles →