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 was around 14,875 as of February 2026. This reflected an increase of 2,070 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,805 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,264 in June 2024 and an additional 642 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 3,737 persons per square kilometer, placing Newcastle-Cooks Hill in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 16.2% since the 2021 census exceeded that of Rest of NSW (5.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 55.9% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. 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. The area is expected to increase by 6,824 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 41.8% 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 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 1,180 homes were approved, with another 3 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, about 1.7 new residents per year have been associated with each dwelling constructed over the past five financial years (FY-21 to FY-25), indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this has eased to an average of 1 resident per dwelling in the last two financial years.

The average construction cost for new homes is around $496,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year alone, there have been approximately $207.4 million in commercial approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Newcastle - Cooks Hill has seen new home approvals that are 220.0% higher per capita, offering greater choice for buyers and reflecting robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises approximately 2.0% standalone homes and 98.0% townhouses or apartments, suggesting a skew towards compact living which can provide affordable entry pathways and attract downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 29 people per dwelling approval, Newcastle - Cooks Hill exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain approximately 6,213 residents by 2041.

Current development levels appear aligned with future population requirements, helping maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 56 projects that could impact this region. 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. Its unemployment rate is 3.3%. Over the past year, it experienced an estimated employment growth of 3.4%.

As of September 2025, there are 9,540 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which is 0.5% below Rest of NSW's rate. Workforce participation in Newcastle-Cooks Hill is high at 75.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, 35.1% of residents work from home. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area has a specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 2.4 times the regional level. In contrast, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.5% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's rate of 5.3%. There are 1.7 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 3.4%, while 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. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Newcastle-Cooks Hill's employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Newcastle - Cooks Hill SA2 has a median income of $63,510 and an average income of $98,452. This is among the top percentile nationally. In contrast, Rest of NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Newcastle - Cooks Hill SA2 would be approximately $69,137 (median) and $107,175 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings in the area stand at the 88th percentile nationally with a weekly income of $1,149. However, household income ranks lower at the 61st percentile. The distribution data shows that 32.4% of residents (4,819 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket, which is similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 29.9%. High housing costs consume 17.6% of income in Newcastle - Cooks Hill SA2. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 59th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it 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

In Newcastle - Cooks Hill, as per the latest Census, 11.7% of dwellings were houses while 88.3% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes and apartments. This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW where 82.6% of dwellings are houses. Home ownership in Newcastle - Cooks Hill stood at 26.1%, with mortgaged properties at 19.7% and rented ones at 54.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,169, higher than the Non-Metro NSW average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Newcastle - Cooks Hill was $445, compared to $330 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, mortgage repayments averaged $1,863 and rents were $375 per week.

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 percent of all households, including 12.9 percent couples with children, 29.1 percent couples without children, and 6.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 50.8 percent, with lone person households at 40.8 percent and group households comprising 10.1 percent of the total. 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

Educational attainment in Newcastle - Cooks Hill is notable with 48.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 27.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (16.7%). Educational participation is high at 27.5%, comprising tertiary education (12.8%), primary education (4.9%), and secondary education (4.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.8% in tertiary education, 4.9% in primary education, and 4.5% pursuing 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 stops are served by 43 different routes, collectively facilitating 6,650 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 116 meters from the nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most residents commute outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 75%, while walking and cycling account for 15% and 3% respectively. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 35.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. On average, there are 950 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 74 weekly trips per individual 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 demonstrates 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 (10,472 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 10.7 and 7.9% of residents respectively. 68.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are broadly typical. The area has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,762 people), lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes are strong, with national rankings broadly inline with the general population.

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 had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.4% citizens, 82.0% born in Australia, and 89.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 39.2%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (22.6%) - lower than regional average of 30.0% - and Irish (11.2%). Scottish, Welsh, and Polish groups were notably overrepresented at 9.9%, 0.8%, and 0.9% respectively.

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 Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 23.4% of its population, higher than Rest of NSW's percentage but significantly above the national average of 14.4%. According to data from the 2021 Census, Newcastle-Cooks Hill's 25-34 age group has increased from 21.5% to 23.4%, while its 45-54 cohort has decreased from 12.3% to 10.8%. The 5-14 age group has also dropped, from 6.2% to 4.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Newcastle-Cooks Hill's age profile. Notably, the 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 53%, adding 1,852 people and reaching a total of 5,333 from its current figure of 3,480.