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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
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Population
Ashtonfield is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
The population of the suburb of Ashtonfield is estimated at around 4,622 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 33 people since the census in 2021, when the population was recorded as 4,589. The latest estimate by AreaSearch, based on examination of the ABS's ERP data release from June 2024 and validation of new addresses, shows a resident population of 4,621. This results in a population density ratio of 676 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 56.99999999999999% of the overall population gains in recent periods.
AreaSearch's projections for Ashtonfield are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government SA2-level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of regional areas nationwide by 2041, with Ashtonfield expected to gain 509 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 11.0% over the 17-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Ashtonfield is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Ashtonfield has had minimal residential development activity over the past five years, with fewer than four dwelling approvals annually. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is constrained by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that such low approval numbers can lead to significant variations in yearly growth figures and relativities due to individual projects.
Ashtonfield's development activity is notably lower than that of the Rest of NSW, and it falls below national averages for property development.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Ashtonfield has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely affecting this region. Notable projects include Stony Pinch Urban Development, Ashtonfield Public School Upgrade, Bloomfield Colliery Continuation Project, and Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road Intersection Upgrade.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Raymond Terrace and Heatherbrae Strategy 2020-2040
A comprehensive 20-year strategic framework for the revitalization of Raymond Terrace and Heatherbrae. Key initiatives include the award-winning Public Domain Plan (PDP), town centre streetscape upgrades on William and Adelaide Streets, and the creation of a community civic hub. The strategy aims to deliver approximately 2,500 new homes by 2041, supported by $50 million in proposed stormwater upgrades and significant infrastructure projects like the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Heatherbrae.
Maitland Local Housing Strategy 2041
The Maitland Local Housing Strategy 2041 is a comprehensive framework adopted by Council in June 2023 and endorsed by the NSW Government in September 2024. It manages residential growth to accommodate a projected population increase of 54,800 residents by 2041. The strategy prioritizes housing diversity, infill development, and the '15-minute neighborhood' concept, aiming to deliver approximately 25,200 additional dwellings. Recent implementation milestones include the adoption of the Residential Density Guide in October 2025 to support affordable housing delivery.
East Maitland Catalyst Area
The East Maitland Catalyst Area (EMCA) is a strategic growth precinct focused on housing acceleration and health service expansion. The project centers on the draft EMCA Structure Plan, which outlines changes to land use and zoning to support approximately 3,000 to 4,000 new dwellings and 6,500 additional residents by 2045. Key anchors include the new Maitland Hospital, Maitland Private Hospital, and Stockland Green Hills. The plan emphasizes infill development, medium-density housing within walking distance of transport, and improved infrastructure to manage regional growth.
Hunter Transmission Project
A critical 500 kV overhead transmission line project spanning approximately 110 km between Bayswater Power Station and a new switching station in Olney State Forest. The project serves as the northern section of the 'Sydney Ring' high-capacity network, designed to transfer up to 5 GW of energy from the Central-West Orana and New England Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) to the NSW grid. Key infrastructure includes new switching stations at Bayswater South and Olney, and upgrades to existing substations at Bayswater and Eraring. The project is vital for grid reliability as NSW coal-fired power stations retire.
Stony Pinch Urban Development
A major long-term urban transformation project involving the post-mining rehabilitation of the 3,600-hectare Bloomfield Colliery site. The conceptual masterplan envisions a significant mixed-use precinct comprising up to 19,200 dwellings, a dedicated town centre, employment lands, and extensive recreation facilities, while preserving substantial bushland corridors. The site is strategically located near the intersection of the Pacific Highway and New England Highway, identified as a future freight and employment hub. Current operations at the colliery are approved until 2030, with a pending modification to extend mining activities to 2035 to facilitate a stable final landform for future urban use.
M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace
A $2.1 billion, 15-kilometre dual carriageway motorway extension from Black Hill to Raymond Terrace, bypassing Hexham and Heatherbrae. As of early 2026, the project is over 70% complete, with all bridge foundations finished and the 2.6-kilometre viaduct over the Hunter River seeing significant progress. Key features include four new interchanges and the widening of the Hexham Straight. The extension is designed to remove up to 25,000 vehicles per day from local congestion points and reduce travel times by up to nine minutes.
Ashtonfield Public School Upgrade
Completed upgrade to Ashtonfield Public School providing 12 new permanent classrooms in a two-storey building, student amenities including toilets, a lift, and refurbishments to the library, administration areas, canteen with covered outdoor learning area (COLA), and hall. The project replaced temporary demountable buildings and increased staff parking by 14 spaces. The upgrade includes landscaping and walkways to enhance the educational facilities for the student community.
Bloomfield Colliery Continuation Project
Extension of open-cut coal mining operations at Bloomfield Colliery into The Creek Cut and Workshop areas to continue operations until December 31, 2035. The project involves mining of shallow historic underground workings to prevent subsidence issues and improve final landform stability. Production will be reduced to a maximum of 0.9 million tonnes per annum of run-of-mine coal with no increase in equipment or infrastructure. The mine currently employs 93 personnel and has been in continuous operation since 1937.
Employment
The exceptional employment performance in Ashtonfield places it among Australia's strongest labour markets
Ashtonfield has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.8% in December 2025, lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was 67.7%, higher than Regional NSW's 61.3%.
A moderate 23.8% of residents worked from home, based on Census responses. Key industries of employment were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Ashtonfield had a particular employment specialization in mining, with an employment share 2.8 times the regional level. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented, with only 0.4% of Ashtonfield's workforce compared to Regional NSW's 5.3%.
Many residents commuted elsewhere for work, based on Census data. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.3%, employment decreased by 0.2%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Regional NSW experienced an employment decline of 1.2% and a labour force decline of 0.8%, with a rise in unemployment rate 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 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ashtonfield's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% 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
As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2023, Ashtonfield's median income among taxpayers is $61,345. The average income for the suburb was $75,390 during this period. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Regional NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since June 30, 2023, current estimates for Ashtonfield would be approximately $66,780 (median) and $82,070 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, incomes in Ashtonfield cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 35.8% of locals fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 category, with 1,654 people in this range. This pattern is similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% occupy this income range. Economic strength is evident through 30.4% of households earning more than $3,000 weekly, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, while strong earnings rank residents within the 77th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Ashtonfield is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region
As of the latest Census evaluation, Ashtonfield's dwelling structure comprised 94.0% houses and 6.0% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ashtonfield stood at 34.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.4% and rented dwellings at 21.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, higher than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Ashtonfield was $440, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Ashtonfield's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Ashtonfield features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households comprise 81.8% of all households, including 41.8% couples with children, 28.7% couples without children, and 11.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 18.2%, with lone person households at 16.2% and group households comprising 1.3% of the total. 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
The educational profile of Ashtonfield exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
The area's university qualification rate is 22.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 15.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (28.5%). Educational participation is high, with 32.5% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (11.2%), secondary (9.7%), and tertiary (4.5%).
Educational participation is notably high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 9.7% in secondary education, and 4.5% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
As of the 2021 Census, Ashtonfield has 42 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 74 different routes that collectively facilitate 675 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 158 meters from the nearest stop. Most Ashtonfield residents commute outward due to its predominantly residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 96% of residents. On average, there are 1.9 vehicles per dwelling in Ashtonfield, which is higher than the regional average.
Approximately 23.8% of Ashtonfield residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 96 trips per day, equating to roughly 16 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Ashtonfield is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
Ashtonfield faces significant health challenges, as assessed by AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.
The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~2,621 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 10.2% of residents and asthma impacting 8.9%. A total of 65.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 15.4% of residents aged 65 and over (711 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. National rankings are broadly in line with the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Ashtonfield ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Ashtonfield, surveyed in the year 2016, had a population with 87.3% born in Australia, 93.5% being citizens, and 91.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 57.3%. Judaism, however, showed an overrepresentation of 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.
In terms of ancestry, Australian (31.5%), English (30.7%), and Irish (8.2%) were the top groups. Notable divergences existed for Welsh (0.6% vs 0.5%), Russian (0.3% vs 0.2%), and Australian Aboriginal (3.3% vs 4.6%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Ashtonfield's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms
The median age in Ashtonfield 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, Ashtonfield has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.8%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (9.0%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25-34 grew from 10.7% to 12.9%, while the population aged 45-54 decreased from 14.4% to 13.2%. The population aged 5-14 also dropped from 15.9% to 14.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Ashtonfield's age structure. Notably, the population aged 25-34 is expected to grow by 24%, reaching 742 people from 596. Conversely, the populations aged 55-64 and 15-24 are projected to decline.