Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill

Population growth drivers in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's population is 10,403 as of May 2026. This is an increase of 1,232 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,171. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses. The population density ratio is 2,930 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally. Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's 13.4% growth since the Census exceeded the Rest of NSW's 4.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 47.1% to this growth.

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 are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 1,557 persons, reflecting an increase of 14.9% over 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill has averaged approximately 52 new dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25261 homes were approved, with a further 10 approved in FY-26 so far. Each year, an average of 5.7 people moved to the area for each dwelling built during these years.

This significant demand outpaces supply, typically exerting upward pressure on prices and intensifying competition among buyers. The average construction cost value of new homes is $297,000. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $10.0 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium with surrounding areas despite recent moderation in development activity. Currently, 14.0% of new building activity comprises standalone homes, while 86.0% involves townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to accommodate downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This change is notable given the current housing mix of 56.0% houses, likely due to reduced development site availability and evolving lifestyle demands. The area has approximately 438 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established population. By 2041, Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill is projected to grow by 1,549 residents, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite potential heightened competition among buyers as the population increases.

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 40 projects that could potentially impact this region. Notable projects include Hunter Park Precinct, Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, The Store Newcastle, and Bowline. The following details the ones likely to have the greatest relevance.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 3.8%, lower than Regional NSW's 3.9%. Resident employment numbers were 6,609 as of December 2025, with an unemployment rate at 0.1% below the regional average.

Workforce participation was 76.2%, significantly higher than Regional NSW's 60.5%. Census data shows 32.8% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with the latter showing notable concentration at 1.9 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.4%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating above-normal employment opportunities locally. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.4%, labour force by 1.6%, leading to a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. In comparison, Regional NSW saw employment decline by 1.2% and labour force decrease by 0.8%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $63,250 and an average income of $74,739. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Regional NSW's $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $69,777 (median) and $82,452 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 78th percentile ($996 weekly), while household income is at the 60th percentile. Income distribution data shows 34.5% of the population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, similar to Regional NSW's 29.9%. High housing costs consume 18.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 58th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill, as per the latest Census data, 56.5% of dwellings were houses while 43.5% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments and 'other' dwellings. This is in contrast to Regional NSW's dwelling composition which was 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill stood at 24.1%, with mortgaged properties at 32.1% and rented ones at 43.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,985, significantly higher than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Weekly rent in the area averaged $450 compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863 and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 58.0% of all households, including 19.2% couples with children, 27.5% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 42.0%, with lone person households at 31.4% and group households making up 10.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill is notable with 40.2% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 31.4% holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (20.7%). Educational participation is high with 28.2% currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 10.5% in tertiary, 6.7% in primary, and 4.3% in secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in tertiary education, 6.7% in primary education, and 4.3% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in the Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill area shows there are 69 active transport stops operating. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with 23 individual routes collectively providing 2,580 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 160 meters from the nearest one. In this primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. The car remains the dominant mode of transport at 83%, while walking accounts for 6% and cycling for 5%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 32.8% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 368 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 37 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill residents have relatively positive health outcomes. AreaSearch's analysis found mortality rates and health conditions were largely in line with national benchmarks, with common health issues slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover was high at approximately 56% of the total population (~5,836 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW. Mental health issues impacted 12.2% of residents, while asthma affected 8.5%. A total of 67.5% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age residents had an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 13.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,386 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill, surveyed in June 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 86.4% born in Australia, 90.5% citizens, and 93.1% speaking English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion (33.8%). Judaism, though small at 0.1%, was proportionally similar to Regional NSW's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (25.9%), Irish (10.5%). Notably, Scottish (9.4%) and Welsh (0.7%) were more prevalent than regionally (8.0% and 0.5% respectively). Macedonian representation was similar at 0.4%.

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age of Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill is 34, which is lower than Regional NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to Regional NSW, the 25-34 cohort is over-represented at 23.4% locally, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 3.7%. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 21.5% to 23.4%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 14.5% to 15.7%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 12.3% to 10.7% and the 45-54 group dropped from 12.5% to 11.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to expand by 680 people (28%) from 2,437 to 3,118, while the 65-74 group is expected to contract by 26 residents.