Newcastle - Cooks Hill

Newcastle - Cooks Hill lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Newcastle - Cooks Hill's population is 14,452 as of November 2025. This reflects a growth of 1,647 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,805. The increase is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data: 14,264 in June 2024 and an additional 420 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,631 persons per square kilometer, placing Newcastle - Cooks Hill in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 12.9% since the 2021 census exceeded Rest of NSW's 5.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55.9% of population gains recently, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics predict exceptional growth, placing Newcastle - Cooks Hill in the top 10 percent of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with an expected increase of 6,824 persons by 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 45.9% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Newcastle - Cooks Hill was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Newcastle-Cooks Hill has seen approximately 236 dwellings granted development approval annually. Between Financial Year 21 (FY-21) and FY-25, around 1,180 homes were approved, with a further 3 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each dwelling constructed over the past five financial years has added about 1.7 new residents per year. This rate has eased to 1 person per dwelling over the past two financial years.

New homes are being built at an expected construction cost of $496,000 on average, indicating a focus on premium market properties. In FY-26, there have been $207.4 million in commercial approvals, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Newcastle-Cooks Hill has seen new home approvals that are 220.0% higher per person, offering greater choice for buyers and attracting robust developer interest. Recent construction comprises approximately 2.0% standalone homes and 98.0% townhouses or apartments, catering to affordable entry pathways and appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 29 people per dwelling approval, Newcastle-Cooks Hill exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 6,636 residents by 2041.

Existing development levels appear aligned with future population requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include East End Newcastle, Dairy Farmers Towers, The Store Newcastle, and Pottery Lane Residential Development - Newcastle.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment performance in Newcastle - Cooks Hill exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Newcastle - Cooks Hill has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate is 3.3% and the area experienced an estimated employment growth of 3.4% over the past year as of September 2025. There are 9,540 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is high at 75.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, 35.1% of residents work from home. The key industries are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical employment with a share of 2.4 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.5% of local workers compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

There are 1.7 workers per resident, indicating the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.4%, labour force increased by 4.1%, resulting in a rise of unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Newcastle - Cooks Hill's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's data for Newcastle - Cooks Hill SA2 in financial year 2023 shows median income at $63,510 and average income at $98,452. This is higher than Rest of NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,137 (median) and $107,175 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%. Census 2021 data shows individual earnings rank at the 88th percentile nationally ($1,149 weekly). Household income ranks at the 61st percentile. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket dominates with 32.4% of residents (4,682 people), similar to surrounding regions at 29.9%. Housing costs consume 17.6% of income. Disposable income ranks at the 59th percentile and SEIFA income ranking places the area in the 8th decile.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Newcastle - Cooks Hill had 11.7% houses and 88.3% other dwellings in its dwelling structure as of the latest Census. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership within Newcastle - Cooks Hill was at 26.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.7% and rented ones at 54.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,169, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure for Newcastle - Cooks Hill was $445, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Newcastle - Cooks Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,169 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375 at $445.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 49.2% of all households, including 12.9% couples with children, 29.1% couples without children, and 6.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 50.8%, with lone person households at 40.8% and group households making up 10.1%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Newcastle - Cooks Hill exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

In Newcastle - Cooks Hill, the proportion of residents aged 15 years or above with university qualifications is 48.0%, which exceeds the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 30.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 27.1% of residents aged 15 years or above holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 10.4% while certificates make up 16.7%. Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education programs.

This includes 12.8% pursuing tertiary education, 4.9% in primary education, and 4.5% engaged in secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Newcastle-Cooks Hill has 89 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry, light rail, and bus services. These are served by 43 routes that facilitate 6,650 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 116 meters to the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most residents commute outward using cars (75%), walking (15%), or cycling (3%). The area has a below-average vehicle ownership rate of 0.9 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 35.1% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

On average, services run 950 trips daily across all routes, equating to around 74 weekly trips per stop.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Newcastle-Cooks Hill shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (10,174 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 10.7% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.9%. A total of 68.1% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are generally typical. The area has 18.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,651 people), lower than the 23.0% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes rank broadly in line with national averages.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Newcastle-Cooks Hill showed low cultural diversity, with 87.4% Australian citizens, 82.0% born in Australia, and 89.7% speaking English at home. Christianity dominated at 39.2%, but Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%. Top ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (22.6%), and Irish (11.2%).

Scottish (9.9%) Welsh (0.8%) and Polish (0.9%) were notably overrepresented compared to regional averages.

Newcastle - Cooks Hill's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Newcastle-Cooks Hill has a median age of 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but matches the national norm also at 38. The age group of 25-34 shows strong representation in Newcastle-Cooks Hill at 22.9%, compared to Rest of NSW's figure, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 5.0%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of the population in the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 21.5% to 22.9%. Conversely, the proportion of the population in the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 6.2% to 5.0%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 12.3% to 11.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that Newcastle-Cooks Hill's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 61%, reaching a total of 5,333 people from its current figure of 3,309.