Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill
Statistical Area - sa2

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes 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

As of Aug 2025, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's population is around 10,294. This shows an increase of 1,123 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 9,171. The growth was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 10,211 as of June 2024 and additional 295 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,899 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 12.2% since the 2021 Census exceeded non-metro areas' 4.8%, making it a growth leader regionally. Overseas migration contributed approximately 37.3% of overall population gains recently, though all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 (base year: 2021) are used. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, regional areas across the nation are projected to have above median population growth. By 2041, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill is expected to increase by 1,920 persons, a total gain of 17.9% over the 17 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 experienced around 52 dwellings receiving development approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 261 homes have been approved, with one more approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 5.7 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built during these years.

This indicates that supply has substantially lagged demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $484,000. In FY-26, approximately $10.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity compared to the rest of NSW. When measured against the state, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill has similar development levels per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. However, building activity has slowed in recent years.

New building activity shows 14.0% detached houses and 86.0% medium to high-density housing. This shift towards compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 56.0% houses. This shift indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and the need for more diverse, affordable housing options. With around 438 people per dwelling approval, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill shows a developed market with population forecasts indicating it will gain 1,837 residents through to 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

A total of 41 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance. Among these key projects are Hunter Park Precinct, Newcastle Light Rail Extension, Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, and The Store Newcastle. The following list details those projects considered most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.2%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.0%. As of June 2025, 6,534 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.5% below the regional average and workforce participation at 71.8%, well above Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area shows particular strength in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.4% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating above-norm local employment opportunities. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, labour force grew by 2.6%, and unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 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 latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill has a median income of $57,773 and an average income of $70,042. This is higher than the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average) for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $63,897 (median) and $77,466 (average). Census 2021 income data ranks personal income at the 78th percentile ($996 weekly) and household income at the 60th percentile. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 34.5% of the community (3,551 individuals), aligning with metropolitan regions. 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

The dwelling structure in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill, as per the latest Census, consisted of 56.5% houses and 43.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill was 24.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (32.1%) or rented (43.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,985, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure was $450, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's mortgage repayments are higher at $1,985 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above 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 constitute 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 comprise 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 Rest of 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 notably high, with 40.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 27.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 31.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 10.7% and certificates for 20.7%. Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.5% in tertiary, 6.7% in primary, and 4.3% in secondary education.

The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 649 students, demonstrating above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1064. All three schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. School capacity is limited locally, with only 6.3 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.6, resulting in many families travelling for schooling.

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

Transport analysis shows 64 active stops operating in Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill area. These include train and bus services. There are 23 individual routes serving these stops, providing a total of 2,564 weekly passenger trips.

Residential accessibility to transport is rated excellent, with residents located an average of 160 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 366 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 40 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's health metrics are close to national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 54% of the total population, which is about 5,599 people. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 12.2 and 8.5% of residents respectively. 67.5% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.9% across Rest of NSW. As of June 30th, 2021, 12.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,304 people), which is lower than the 16.7% in Rest of NSW. This is broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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, as per data from the Australian Census of 25th August 2016, had a cultural diversity index below average. Of its population, 86.4% were born in Australia and 90.5% held citizenship. English was spoken at home by 93.1%.

Christianity dominated religious beliefs with 33.8%, although Judaism showed slight overrepresentation at 0.1% compared to the Rest of NSW's 0.1%. Ancestry-wise, English (30.2%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (10.5%) were the top groups. Notable divergences existed with Scottish representation at 9.4%, Welsh at 0.7%, and Macedonian at 0.4% compared to regional averages of 8.4%, 0.8%, and 0.8%, respectively.

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

Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill has a median age of 34, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and Australia's figure of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 23.6% locally compared to the Rest of NSW average. The 5-14 year-olds are under-represented, making up 7.6% of the population. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 21.5% to 23.6%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 12.3% to 10.5%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.5% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 821 people (34%) from 2,432 to 3,254. Conversely, the 65 to 74 group will contract by 14 residents.