Cooks Hill

Population growth drivers in Cooks Hill are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The population of Cooks Hill is estimated at around 4,200 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 426 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,774 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 4,059 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validation of 55 new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 5,833 persons per square kilometer, placing Cooks Hill in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 11.3% since the 2021 census exceeded Rest of NSW's 5.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56.00000000000001% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, significant population increase is forecasted for Cooks Hill, with an expected increase of 1,889 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 44.3% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Cooks Hill among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Cooks Hill has recorded approximately 22 residential properties granted approval annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 112 homes were approved, with none so far in FY-26. On average, about 4.8 new residents arrive per year per dwelling constructed over the past five financial years.

This indicates significant demand exceeding supply, which typically leads to price growth and increased buyer competition. New properties are constructed at an average value of $678,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $100.3 million, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Rest of NSW, Cooks Hill shows comparable building activity per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area.

Recent construction comprises 4.0% detached houses and 96.0% attached dwellings, favouring higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 83 people per dwelling approval, Cooks Hill exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Cooks Hill is expected to grow by 1,859 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Cooks Hill 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 19 projects that could impact the region. Major initiatives include Dairy Farmers Towers, The Store Newcastle, Sovereign Park | The Hill, and Newcastle Art Gallery Expansion. Relevant projects are listed below.

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

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.

Cooks Hill ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Cooks Hill has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.6%, lower than the national average of 3.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.9%.

As of September 2025, there are 2,838 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Rest of NSW's rate. Workforce participation is high at 79.3%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. A significant number of residents work from home (33.9%), possibly due to Covid-19 lockdown impacts. The leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with the latter showing strong specialization in Cooks Hill compared to the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented. There are 0.9 workers for each resident, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.9% while labour force grew by 4.4%, causing the unemployment rate to rise slightly by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced a decline in employment (-0.5%) and labour force (-0.1%), with a similar unemployment rate increase (0.4 percentage points). Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.2% over ten years in Cooks Hill, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch reports median taxpayer income in Cooks Hill suburb was $53,402 in financial year 2023. Average income stood at $83,256. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to $52,390 and $65,215 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated median income as of September 2025 is approximately $58,133, with average income at around $90,632. Census data shows individual earnings in Cooks Hill are at the 81st percentile nationally ($1,025 weekly). Income brackets indicate that 31.8% of locals (1,335 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category. High housing costs consume 18.7% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 55th percentile. Cooks Hill's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Cooks Hill displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As of the latest Census, dwelling structures in Cooks Hill consisted of 17.5% houses and 82.5% other dwellings (including semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cooks Hill stood at 23.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 20.7% and rented ones at 56.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,297, exceeding Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Cooks Hill was recorded at $430, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Cooks Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Cooks Hill features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 49.4% of all households, including 14.3% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 50.6%, with lone person households at 37.1% and group households comprising 13.7%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Cooks Hill fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational attainment in Cooks Hill is notable with 45.7% of residents aged 15 and above 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 29.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 26.4% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (16.2%). Educational participation is high, with 29.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 13.7% in tertiary education, 5.6% in primary education, and 4.9% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 5.6% in primary education, and 4.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Cooks Hill has 16 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 15 different routes, offering a total of 1,044 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 123 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 77%, followed by walking at 14% and cycling at 3%. On average, there are 0.9 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 33.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 149 trips per day, equating to roughly 65 weekly trips per stop.

Cooks Hill's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Cooks Hill residents show positive health outcomes, according to AreaSearch's analysis. Mortality rates and health conditions align with national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are low across all age groups. Private health cover is high at 60% of the total population (2,511 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW. Mental health issues affect 12.8%, asthma impacts 8.2%. 67.1% report no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Working-age residents show higher chronic health conditions prevalence. The area has 16.7% aged 65 and over (701 people), lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes are above average, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

Cooks Hill ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cooks Hill, as per the census data from June 2016, showed lower cultural diversity with 85.0% of its population born in Australia and 90.6% being citizens. English was spoken at home by 92.8% of residents. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 35.9%.

Judaism, however, was overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, making up 0.1% of Cooks Hill's population. In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (31.1%), Australian (24.1%), and Irish (11.5%). Notable differences existed in Welsh (0.8% vs regional 0.5%), Scottish (9.5% vs 8.0%), and Polish (0.9% vs 0.5%) representations.

Cooks Hill's population is younger than the national pattern

Cooks Hill has a median age of 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and also lower than Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in Cooks Hill at 23.7%, compared to the Rest of NSW average. Meanwhile, the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 5.8%. This over-representation of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 21.6% to 23.7% of Cooks Hill's population. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 12.2% to 10.5%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 7.3% to 5.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Cooks Hill's age profile will have evolved significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow significantly, expanding by 569 people (57%) from 995 to 1,565.