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

The population of Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill is approximately 10,290 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,119 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,171. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,211 in June 2024 and an additional 293 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,898 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 12.2% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the non-metro area (5.1%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 37.3% of overall population gains during recent periods, although 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, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are 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 17.9% in total over the 17-year period.

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 annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 261 homes have been approved, with an additional two approved in FY-26 so far. On average, around 5.7 people have moved to the area each year for every dwelling built during these years.

This indicates that supply is lagging behind demand, which typically results in increased buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost of new properties is $484,000. In terms of commercial development, approximately $10.0 million in approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting a balanced level of activity compared to the rest of NSW. When comparing Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill's development levels with the rest of NSW, it is similar on a per capita basis, helping maintain market equilibrium with surrounding areas. However, building activity has slowed in recent years.

The current 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, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 56.0% houses. This trend reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles that require more diverse and affordable housing options. Wickham-Carrington-Tighes Hill has a developed market with around 438 people per dwelling approval. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the area is projected to gain 1,841 residents by 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with these growth projections, although buyers may experience increased competition as the population grows.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 41 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Newcastle Future Transit Corridor, Hunter Park Precinct, Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, and The Store Newcastle. Below is a list detailing those 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 professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.2% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.0%.

As of June 2025, 6,534 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, and workforce participation at 71.8%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area specializes in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.4% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, labour force grew by 2.6%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, 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 from Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project 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, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill SA2 had 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 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $65,058 (median) and $78,874 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 78th percentile ($996 weekly), while household income is at the 60th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 34.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (3,550 individuals). High housing costs consume 18.0% of income, leaving 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 recorded in 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. Home ownership in Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill stood at 24.1%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (32.1%) or rented (43.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,985, above Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill's mortgage repayments were higher 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 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 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 is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 40.2% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the 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% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (20.7%).

Educational participation is high in the area, 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 that there are 64 active transport stops currently operating. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with 23 individual routes collectively providing 2,564 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 160 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 366 trips per day across all routes, which equates 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 closely align with national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 54% (~5,597 people) of the total population has private health cover, a rate found to be very high. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues (12.2%) and asthma (8.5%). About 67.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.9% across Rest of NSW. Around 12.7% (1,303 people) of residents are aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 16.7% in Rest of NSW. This places the area's health profile 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, as per the ABS Census 2016 data, showed low cultural diversity with 86.4% of its population born in Australia, 90.5% being Australian citizens, and 93.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 33.8%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to the Rest of NSW's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were English (30.2%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (10.5%). Scottish (9.4%) and Welsh (0.7%) were notably overrepresented, while Macedonian was underrepresented 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 the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is over-represented at 23.6% locally, 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 figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group 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%. 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 822 people (34%), from 2,431 to 3,254. Conversely, the 65 to 74 group is projected to contract by 13 residents.