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 around 10,463 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,292 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,171 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,211 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 293 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,947 persons per square kilometer. Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's growth rate of 14.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of NSW (5.7%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 37.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is projected to increase by 1,920 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 15.9% in total 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 seen approximately 52 dwellings granted development approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 261 homes have been approved, with an additional six approved in FY-26 so far. On average, about 5.7 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built during these years.

This indicates that supply is lagging behind demand, potentially leading to increased buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost of new properties is around $297,000. In terms of commercial development, approximately $10.0 million in approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting balanced activity compared to residential development. When examined against the Rest of NSW, Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill has similar levels of development per person, helping maintain market equilibrium with surrounding areas. However, building activity has slowed in recent years.

The type of new housing being constructed is predominantly medium and high-density (86%), with only 14% being detached houses. This shift from the area's existing housing stock, which is currently 56% houses, suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more affordable, diverse housing options. With approximately 438 people moving to the area per dwelling approval, Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill exhibits characteristics of a developed market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to grow by 1,668 residents by 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with these growth projections, but increased competition among buyers can be expected as the population continues to rise.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 42 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Newcastle Future Transit Corridor, Hunter Park Precinct, Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, and The Store Newcastle. Below is a list of those likely to be most relevant.

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

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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 representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 3.4% as of September 2025. Employment grew by an estimated 3.3% over the past year.

As of that date, 6,692 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was at 78.4%, well beyond the Rest of NSW average of 61.5%. According to Census responses, 32.8% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

The area showed strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 0.4% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. There were 0.7 workers for each resident as at the Census, indicating a higher level of local employment opportunities. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 3.3% while labour force increased by 4.0%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.6 percentage points. 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 Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May-25, project national employment 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 employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.8% 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 latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill SA2 is high nationally. The median income is $63,250 and the average income stands at $74,739. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $52,390 and the average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $68,854 (median) and $81,361 (average). Census 2021 income data shows personal income ranks at the 78th percentile ($996 weekly), while household income sits at the 60th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 34.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (3,609 individuals). 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 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill stood at 24.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (32.1%) or rented (43.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,985, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,985 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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 account for the remaining 42.0%, with lone person households at 31.4% and group households comprising 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks: 40.2% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in SA4 region. Bachelor degrees lead at 27.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 31.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (20.7%). Educational participation is notably high: 28.2% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education, including tertiary education (10.5%), primary education (6.7%), and secondary education (4.3%).

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

Public transport analysis indicates 69 active transport stops operating within Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill area. These comprise a mix of train and bus services, with 23 individual routes collectively providing 2580 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 160 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. Car remains the dominant mode at 83%, with 6% walking and 5% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 32.8% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. 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 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 according to AreaSearch's assessment. The prevalence of common health conditions is slightly higher than average across both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover is very high, at approximately 56% of the total population (around 5,869 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW. Mental health issues impact 12.2% of residents, while asthma affects 8.5%. About 67.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Rest of NSW. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,325 people), which is lower than the 23.0% in Rest of NSW. National rankings are 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 2016, had 86.4% of its population born in Australia, with 90.5% being citizens and 93.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 33.8%. Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to the Rest of NSW's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (10.5%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was also overrepresented at 9.4% compared to the regional average of 8.0%, while Macedonian and Welsh ancestries were similarly represented at 0.4% and 0.7% respectively.

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 the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and also significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 cohort is over-represented in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill at 23.6%, compared to the Rest of NSW average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 7.6%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between January 2021 and present, the proportion of the population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 21.5% to 23.6%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 12.3% to 10.5% and the 45 to 54 group has dropped from 12.5% to 11.3%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to increase by 781 people (32%), from 2,472 to 3,254, while the 65 to 74 group is expected to decrease by 28 residents.