Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
Find a Recent Sale
Sales Detail
Population
An assessment of population growth drivers in Adamstown Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends
The suburb of Adamstown Heights had an estimated population of 5,733 as of May 2026, reflecting a 2.0% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 5,621 people. This growth is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 5,678 in June 2025 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was 2,398 persons per square kilometer, placing Adamstown Heights in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 2.0% since the census is within 2.9 percentage points of the Rest of NSW (4.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 47.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and interstate migration being positive factors. AreaSearch's projections for Adamstown Heights are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year.
For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a 2021 base year are used. Considering projected demographic shifts, Adamstown Heights is expected to increase by 322 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 4.7% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Adamstown Heights according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Adamstown Heights, the area has averaged approximately nine new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 45 homes from FY-20 to FY-24. As of FY-26, 34 approvals have been recorded. On average, each home built between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodates approximately 3.2 new residents per year.
The demand for housing significantly exceeds the supply, which typically results in price growth and increased buyer competition. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $518,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, $300,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Adamstown Heights has significantly less development activity, at 71.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. The area is also under the national average, indicating its established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. New building activity shows an equal split between standalone homes and attached dwellings, providing accessible entry options that appeal to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.
This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 95.0% houses. With around 1140 people per dwelling approval, Adamstown Heights reflects a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add 267 residents by 2041. Construction activity is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers may encounter growing competition as population increases.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Adamstown Heights
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Adamstown Heights has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects expected to impact the area. Key projects include Westfield Kotara Mixed-Use Redevelopment, The Merewether Residences, Kotara Transport Oriented Development Precinct, and Broadmeadow Place Strategy.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Tingira Hills Care Community
Tingira Hills Care Community (formerly Opal Hillside) is a major residential aged care facility in the Lake Macquarie region. It offers 120-128 beds across various room types including single en-suite and companion rooms, catering to permanent, respite, dementia, and palliative care needs. The facility features a dedicated Memory Care Neighborhood, a Wellness Centre for rehabilitation, an on-site cafe, hairdressing salon, and a community bus for outings. Architecturally, it was specifically engineered to manage variable founding conditions and ground movement associated with local mine subsidence.
Westfield Kotara Mixed-Use Redevelopment
Scentre Group is progressing plans for a significant mixed-use redevelopment of the Westfield Kotara site to create a 'town centre of the future.' The project involves integrating high-density residential housing with the established retail hub, utilizing approximately 60% of existing land currently used for car parks. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to deliver over 16,000 dwellings across several Westfield destinations by leveraging strategic masterplanning. The redevelopment aims to enhance community connectivity by adding a substantial residential component near transport and shopping infrastructure.
Kotara Transport Oriented Development Precinct
The Kotara Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Precinct is a state-led rezoning initiative aimed at increasing housing supply within 400m of Kotara station. The planning controls, which became effective in May 2024, facilitate mid-rise residential flat buildings and shop-top housing with heights up to 22m. The precinct development is integrated with the Safe Accessible Transport (SAT) program, which is delivering a major accessibility upgrade to Kotara Station including new lifts, a new kiss and ride zone, and improved pedestrian connections to support the projected increase in local residents.
Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)
A proposed 12-court multi-purpose indoor sports complex on Wallarah and Blackley Ovals in New Lambton, designed to replace the ageing 1970s Newcastle Basketball Stadium at Broadmeadow which must be vacated by early 2028 to make way for the Broadmeadow Place Strategy housing redevelopment. The facility includes a 2,000-seat show court, allied health suites, gym and movement studio, cafe, function rooms, accessible change rooms, social spaces and car parking. It will cater to basketball, netball, volleyball, futsal, pickleball and badminton, and serve more than 6,000 active members plus regional users. The State Significant Development Application (SSD-65595459) was first exhibited in October-November 2024, then re-exhibited from 21 August to 17 September 2025 following a Response to Submissions. The amended proposal shifts the building further west and updates traffic and flood management plans. A final determination by the NSW Independent Planning Commission is expected in early 2026.
Adamstown Renewal Corridor
The Adamstown Renewal Corridor is a strategic urban renewal initiative under the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012, promoting housing intensification, mixed-use developments, economic renewal, and redevelopments of specific sites such as the former Adamstown Public School and Council Library to enhance density, streetscapes, and public spaces.
Charlestown Swim Centre Expansion
Completed $1.1 million expansion featuring a new indoor heated learn-to-swim pool (16m x 8m) with depth ranging from 60cm to 1m, designed specifically for teaching swimming skills to children from 6 months upwards. The facility now operates three pools and enables up to six classes to run simultaneously.
Newcastle Art Gallery Expansion
Major expansion of Newcastle Art Gallery to create a contemporary arts and cultural hub, including new contemporary galleries, education facilities, conservation laboratories, public amenities, exhibition spaces, and community areas. Part of Newcastle's cultural precinct development strategy with enhanced accessibility and visitor experience to enhance cultural offerings in the city.
Mount Hutton Precinct Area Plan
A precinct-specific planning framework forming Part 12 of the Lake Macquarie Development Control Plan 2014. Originally adopted by Council on 10 February 2020 to replace the 2004 plan, it sets controls for infrastructure delivery, built form and natural environment outcomes across the Mount Hutton suburb between Warners Bay and Belmont. The plan supports medium-density housing in the R3 zone south of Cowmeadow Road, road and roundabout upgrades, new shared pathways, stormwater works, and revegetation along Scrubby Creek. The framework has been progressively updated, most recently through the city-wide Housing Diversity amendments adopted by Council on 23 February 2026, which align the DCP with the Housing Diversity Planning Proposal that took effect on 1 August 2025. These reforms permit a broader mix of housing in R2 and R3 zones, allow subdivision down to 200 square metres in R3 and 250 square metres in R2, and remove minimum lot width requirements. A separate but related amendment finalised on 21 March 2025 rezoned 1 Progress Road from R2 Low Density Residential to E1 Local Centre, increasing the maximum building height on that site from 8.5 to 10 metres to support an expansion of the Dunkley Parade shops.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis reveals Adamstown Heights significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide
Adamstown Heights has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.1%. Over the past year, it shows relative employment stability.
As of December 2025, 3,013 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.9% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is high at 68.9%, compared to Regional NSW's 60.5%. According to Census responses, 34.4% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical.
Adamstown Heights shows strong specialization in professional & technical with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 0.3% of local workers, below Regional NSW's 5.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending December 2025, labour force increased by 0.4% while employment decreased by 0.4%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Regional NSW recorded employment decline of 1.2%, labour force decline of 0.8%, and unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.3% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Adamstown Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.3% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch
According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Adamstown Heights had median taxpayer income of $61,378 and average income of $76,364. These figures exceed national averages of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively in Regional NSW. Applying Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% from financial year ended June 2023 to March 2026, estimated median income is approximately $67,712 and average income is $84,245. Data from the Census conducted in August 2021 ranks incomes in Adamstown Heights between 77th and 84th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income analysis shows that 29.5% of residents earn between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (1,691 individuals), similar to the surrounding region at 29.9%. High earners comprise 36.7%, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 88.0% of income, reflecting robust purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Adamstown Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
Adamstown Heights' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.9% houses and 5.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Adamstown Heights was at 43.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.7% and rented ones at 15.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,201, higher than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Adamstown Heights was $475, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Adamstown Heights' median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,201 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Adamstown Heights features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 79.6% of all households, including 40.8% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.4%, with lone person households at 17.7% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Adamstown Heights shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators
Adamstown Heights has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 36.4% holding university qualifications compared to the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in SA4 region. The area's educational advantage is reflected in its knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.8% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.0% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.6% and certificates for 21.4%.
Educational participation in the area is high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.0% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Adamstown Heights has 63 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 35 different routes, offering a total of 1,484 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 126 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 92%, with an average vehicle ownership of 1.7 per dwelling, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 34.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.
The service frequency averages 212 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 23 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
The level of general health in Adamstown Heights is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts
Adamstown Heights shows better-than-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but closer to the national average for older, at-risk cohorts.
Private health cover is very high in the area, with approximately 57% of the total population (~3,272 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 8.3 and 8.0% of residents respectively. 69.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,054 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Adamstown Heights ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Adamstown Heights had a below average cultural diversity, with 86.2% of its population born in Australia, 94.5% being citizens, and 91.1% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion was Christianity, comprising 50.1% of the population. Judaism was notably overrepresented, making up 0.1% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.
The top three ancestry groups were English (29.2%), Australian (29.0%), and Irish (9.8%). Welsh (1.1%) and Macedonian (1.7%) were overrepresented compared to Regional NSW averages of 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively. Serbian was also slightly overrepresented at 0.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Adamstown Heights's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms
The median age in Adamstown Heights is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Regional NSW, Adamstown Heights has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (15.2%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (8.4%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25-34 grew from 10.8% to 11.9%, while the 5-14 age group declined from 15.7% to 14.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Adamstown Heights's age structure, with the 25-34 cohort expected to grow by 22% (147 people), reaching 830 from 682. Conversely, the 75-84 and 5-14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.