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
Hillvue 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 estimated population of the suburb of Hillvue is around 6,809 as of May 2026. This reflects a growth of 281 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,528. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 6,769 following examination of ABS data released in June 2025 and an additional 54 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population density equates to 579 persons per square kilometer. Hillvue's growth rate of 4.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth rate of 3.6%. Natural growth contributed approximately 44.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as overseas and interstate migration also being positive contributors.
AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase its population by 696 persons to reach a total of 7,505 by 2041, reflecting a gain of 9.6% over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Hillvue recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Hillvue shows approximately 23 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 119 homes. As of FY-26, 12 approvals have been recorded. On average, each home built between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodates around three new residents per year, indicating demand outpacing supply. The average construction value for new homes is $514,000, suggesting a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.
This financial year has seen $4.3 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting Hillvue's residential character. Compared to Rest of NSW, Hillvue exhibits around 75% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 40th percentile nationally, implying limited buyer options but strong demand for established homes. Recent construction consists of 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the current housing mix of 94.0% houses. The area has an estimated 420 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet development environment. Population forecasts suggest Hillvue will gain 656 residents by 2041, with existing development levels aligning with future requirements and maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.
Population forecasts indicate Hillvue will gain 656 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Existing development levels seem aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Hillvue
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
Hillvue has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Goonoo Goonoo Commercial Precinct, Hillvue Public Preschool, Tamworth Sports and Entertainment Precinct, and Majestic Tamworth. The following list details those most relevant.
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
Tamworth Sports and Entertainment Precinct
A 341-hectare structure plan precinct on the southern edge of Tamworth, designed to support and grow major regional sports, equine and entertainment facilities. The precinct encloses the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC), the Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence (NICSE) and the Longyard Golf Course. The flagship development is the Aquatic, Education and Health Centre of Excellence on Jack Smyth Drive, Hillvue. Originally budgeted at $45 million, the project's estimated cost has risen to around $57 million following a development application modification submitted in early 2026, with the increase attributed to construction industry escalation and pool contractor pricing. Funding includes $15 million from the NSW Government's Centre of Excellence Fund, $9 million from the Australian Government's Growing Regions Program, and a Council contribution that will be partly met through asset recycling. Council is working with preferred contractor Richard Crookes Constructions through an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process, with enabling works to begin at the Hillvue site in coming months and a final budget, funding strategy and Design and Construct contract proposal expected to be considered by Council by June 2026. Stage 1 will deliver a 50 metre indoor pool with central swim wall and moveable floor, a 17 by 10 metre warm water pool, spa and sauna, accessible amenities, foyer, cafe, spectator seating, allied health rooms, education and meeting spaces, sports science testing lab, gym and parking, with a target opening in mid-2027. The precinct also establishes two Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) to support late-night live music and events in the Tamworth CBD and the Longyard area, and includes new road connections, an aquatic education hub, and medium-density housing along the western edge near Longyard Golf Course. Adoption of the wider Regional Structure Plan was deferred from December 2025 to 2026 to allow further community consultation on issues raised during exhibition.
Calala Battery Energy Storage System
The Calala Battery Energy Storage System is a utility-scale 250 MW / 500 MWh facility located near Tamworth. It consists of two independent stages: a 100 MW portion with a long-term offtake agreement and a 150 MW merchant portion. The site utilizes 138 Tesla Megapacks and connects to the 330kV Tamworth Substation via underground cabling to provide grid firming and frequency control for the National Electricity Market.
Goonoo Goonoo Commercial Precinct
A 52-hectare (130-acre) major retail and light industrial precinct at the southern gateway to Tamworth, located 4 km south of the CBD and fronting the New England Highway. The precinct is the last remaining E3-zoned land within Tamworth's Longyard large format retail district, currently subdivided into 41 lots across four stages. The development will be anchored by a full-line Woolworths supermarket as part of a neighbourhood retail centre incorporating a chemist, GP, newsagent and bakery. Bulk earthworks across the entire site are complete and civil works (roads, sewerage and associated infrastructure) are progressing. Most lots in stages one and two are reportedly sold, with stage two (across from the AELEC on Jack Smyth Drive) ready to build first. Practical completion of stages one and two is targeted for mid-2026, with construction on individual lots commencing from registration in early 2026. The total investment is estimated at around 400 million dollars.
Southern Gateway Activation Precinct
Draft structure plan for the Southern Gateway area on Tamworth's southern fringe near Kingswood, providing a high-level framework for diverse housing development from large residential lots to standard urban lots. The plan wraps around the existing Kingswood residential estate and features gently rolling hills with elevated areas offering panoramic views. The structure plan is part of three major growth precincts identified by Council to accommodate population growth and enhance liveability over the next 20 years. Public exhibition of the draft structure plan closed in 2025, with technical studies and planning amendments still required to facilitate the long-term vision. The precinct is bounded by the New England Highway to the east, Duri Road and Gowrie Road to the west, Spains Lane to the south, and Burgmanns Lane to the north.
Tamworth Global Gateway Park
Tamworth Global Gateway Park is a 246-hectare, council-owned, master-planned enterprise and logistics park at Westdale, adjacent to Tamworth Regional Airport. The multi-stage project includes serviced industrial and commercial lots, internal access roads, trunk stormwater infrastructure, upgraded heavy vehicle access (including the Country Road and Oxley Highway roundabout), and a Qube-operated intermodal rail freight terminal. Early infrastructure works and stages 1-2 are substantially complete, most initial lots are sold or under contract, and further stages continue through the 2020s-2030s, driving regional economic growth and employment.
Goonoo Goonoo Road Upgrade
A $58.4 million upgrade of Goonoo Goonoo Road on the New England Highway to improve safety, traffic flow, and support regional growth. The priority northern section between Craigends Lane and Calala Lane will be upgraded first, including duplication to two lanes each direction, replacing the Calala Lane roundabout with traffic signals, adding turning lanes, and building new pedestrian infrastructure. The road serves over 20,000 motorists daily and is a critical freight link for the Tamworth region.
Hillvue Public Preschool
The NSW Government is investing in a new public preschool at Hillvue Public School as part of a $769 million program to deliver 100 new public preschools co-located with primary schools. The preschool will feature two rooms, an outdoor play area, administration area, amenities, staff kitchen, and storage, providing a safe and engaging environment for up to 40 children per day with a high-quality play-based educational program staffed by qualified educators.
Child Care Facility
Construction of a new centre-based child care facility with the erection of a new structure to provide early childhood education and care services in the Hillvue area.
Employment
Hillvue ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance
Hillvue has a balanced workforce that includes both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented within this workforce. The unemployment rate in Hillvue is 1.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.
As of December 2025, there are 3,926 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.0% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Hillvue stands at 71.6%, which is higher than the Regional NSW average of 60.5%. According to Census responses, 15.0% of residents work from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training sectors.
The area has a significant employment specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share that is 1.4 times higher than the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.9% of Hillvue's workforce compared to Regional NSW's 5.3%. Over the year ending December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.4%, and employment fell by 1.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Regional NSW saw employment fall by 1.2% and labour force contract by 0.8%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hillvue's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis
The suburb of Hillvue had a median income among taxpayers of $55,429 and an average income of $66,778 in the financial year 2023, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. These figures are slightly higher than those for Regional NSW, which were $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $61,149 and the average income $73,669 by March 2026. The 2021 Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Hillvue cluster around the 52nd percentile nationally. In terms of income distribution, the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is dominant, with 35.7% of residents (2,430 people) falling into this category, which is slightly higher than the regional level of 29.9%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.7% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Hillvue is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
The dwelling structure in Hillvue, as per the latest Census, consisted of 93.6% houses and 6.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hillvue was at 40.3%, similar to Regional NSW's figure. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (36.0%) or rented (23.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,517, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Hillvue was recorded at $350, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Hillvue's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Hillvue has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 75.1% of all households, including 28.2% that are couples with children, 33.4% that are couples without children, and 12.4% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 24.9%, with lone person households at 22.4% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Hillvue faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally
The area's university qualification rate is 16.9%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 40.1% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (9.9%) and certificates (30.2%).
Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.1%), secondary education (9.4%), and tertiary education (2.1%).
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
Hillvue has 122 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 59 different routes, offering a total of 1,072 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents living an average of 119 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards, with cars being the dominant mode at 97%. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 15% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.
Service frequency averages 153 trips daily across all routes, resulting in about 8 weekly trips per stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Hillvue is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
Hillvue faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment.
Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover was approximately 53% of the total population (~3,631 people), leading that of the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions in the area were asthma and arthritis, impacting 9.7% and 9.5% of residents respectively. 62.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 23.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,572 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Hillvue is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics
Hillvue was found to have below average cultural diversity, with 92.1% citizens, 92.7% born in Australia, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion is Christianity, accounting for 67.6%, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. Top ancestry groups are Australian (32.7%), English (30.6%), and Irish (9.0%).
Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation is higher in Hillvue at 8.5% compared to 4.6% regionally, while Samoan and Korean representations remain similar at 0.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Hillvue's median age exceeds the national pattern
Hillvue's median age is 42 years, comparable to Regional NSW's average of 43 but higher than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are notably prominent at 12.6%, while the 45-54 group is smaller at 10.7% compared to Regional NSW. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group grew from 11.2% to 12.6%, and the 35-44 cohort increased from 10.4% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.3% to 10.7%, and the 5-14 group decreased from 13.7% to 12.3%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Hillvue. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 22%, adding 187 residents to reach 1,045. Conversely, population declines are forecasted for the 55-64 and 15-24 cohorts.