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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
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.
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Sales Detail
Population
An assessment of population growth drivers in Rankin Park reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends
As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the Rankin Park statistical area (Lv2) is around 2,780. This reflects an increase of 233 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,547. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 2,740 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,891 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The Rankin Park (SA2) saw a growth of 9.1% since the 2021 census, exceeding the non-metro area's growth rate of 5.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 67.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.
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 the 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for the area, expected to expand by 404 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 13.0% in total over the 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Rankin Park according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Rankin Park has seen approximately nine new homes approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between financial years 2021 to 2025, around 46 homes were approved, with three more approved in the current financial year 2026 so far. On average, each dwelling adds about 2.5 new residents annually over the past five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.
New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $401,000, which is higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. This year has seen $2.6 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting limited focus on commercial development. New developments consist of 33.0% standalone homes and 67.0% attached dwellings, reflecting a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 99.0% houses. This change indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and addresses changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options.
Rankin Park has around 682 people per dwelling approval, indicating a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to grow by 362 residents by 2041. Development pace appears reasonable in line with projected growth, but increasing competition among buyers may arise as population expands.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Rankin Park 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 four projects likely impacting the region. Key projects are John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct, Vida at 2 Turrug Street Whitebridge, Infinite Early Learning Elermore Vale, and Elermore Fields Estate. The following details those most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct
The $835 million John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct is a major redevelopment of the John Hunter and John Hunter Children's Hospitals. The centerpiece is a new seven-storey Acute Services Building (ASB) providing an expanded Emergency Department, 22 operating theatres, and 60% increased ICU capacity. Key features include four link bridges to the existing hospital and research centers, a rooftop helipad, 2,600 square meters of elevated gardens, and over 900 additional parking spaces. As of early 2026, the building facade is complete, with works focusing on internal fit-out and landscaping ahead of its anticipated completion later this year.
High Speed Rail - Newcastle to Sydney (Stage 1)
The first stage of Australia's High Speed Rail network involves a 194km dedicated rail line connecting Newcastle to Sydney. The project features trains reaching speeds of 320 km/h on surface sections and 200 km/h in tunnels, aiming to reduce travel time to approximately one hour. Following the 2025 business case evaluation, the project has moved into a two-year Development Phase focusing on design refinement (to 40% maturity), securing planning approvals, and corridor preservation. The route includes approximately 115km of tunneling and six planned stations: Broadmeadow, Lake Macquarie, Gosford, Sydney Central, Parramatta, and Western Sydney International Airport.
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 rezoning existing land to integrate high-density residential housing with the established retail hub. This initiative is part of Scentre Group's broader strategy to leverage its strategic land holdings for residential supply, with preliminary talks currently underway with the NSW Government. 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 under the NSW Government's TOD Program. Commencing on 13 May 2024, the planning controls apply to land within 400m of Kotara station to stimulate mid-rise housing. The controls allow for residential flat buildings and shop-top housing with a maximum building height of 22m (approx. 6-7 storeys) and a maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 2.5:1. The program includes a mandatory 2% affordable housing contribution for developments over 2,000sqm GFA and is complemented by a concurrent $15.5 million accessibility upgrade to Kotara Station.
Newcastle Inner City Bypass - Rankin Park to Jesmond
The 3.4 km Rankin Park to Jesmond section is the fifth and final stage of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass. It delivers a new four lane divided road with three interchanges (southern at Lookout Road, hospital, and northern at Newcastle Road), removes up to 30,000 vehicles per day from local roads, and provides off road links for pedestrians and cyclists including a new steel arch bridge at the northern interchange. Traffic switches at Jesmond (Dec 2024) and Lookout Rd/McCaffrey Dr (mid 2025) mark major milestones. Opening to traffic is targeted for late 2025, weather permitting.
Infinite Early Learning Elermore Vale
A 141-place state-of-the-art childcare centre with six indoor play areas, originally planned as a medical and childcare facility including pharmacy, cafe, and pathology services, now changed to childcare only and under construction, set to open in Q3 2025.
Hunter Sports Centre Kaiyu Nungkiliko Expansion
The $52 million Hunter Sports Centre, Kaiyu Nungkiliko expansion has delivered a world-class athletics centre and an Australian-first Trampoline Centre of Excellence. The expansion includes a three-level, 4500m2 sport and community centre with community and function rooms, a 24-hour health and fitness centre, offices, caf' with commercial kitchen, and conference spaces. The NSW Trampoline Centre of Excellence features a 1300m2 hall with ten trampolines, two tumbling strips, a foam pit, warm-up areas, and grandstand seating for 400. The facility also houses the Trevor Height Athlete Testing Facility in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, offering cutting-edge sports performance analysis with VO2 max testing equipment for athletes of all levels. The centre serves as the Hunter region's premier sporting venue with Olympic-standard facilities including nine-lane Olympic running tracks and gymnastics centre.
Newcastle 2040
City of Newcastle's Community Strategic Plan (CSP) setting the shared vision and priorities for the next 10+ years. Originally adopted in 2022 and revised in 2024/25, the updated CSP was endorsed by Council on 15 April 2025. It guides policies, strategies and actions across the LGA and is implemented through the Delivery Program and Operational Plan known as Delivering Newcastle 2040.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Rankin Park performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia
Rankin Park has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in the area is 1.3% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.0% over the past year.
This rate is 2.5% below Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is at 65.0%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area has a particular specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.0% versus the regional average of 5.3%.
Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.0%, and labour force increased by 4.0%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5%, labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Rankin Park. These projections suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Rankin Park's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.8% 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
The suburb of Rankin Park had a median taxpayer income of $66,614 and an average of $78,814 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This was higher than national averages, with Rest of NSW having a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth, current estimates suggest the median would be approximately $72,516 and the average $85,797 as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, incomes in Rankin Park were at the 74th percentile nationally. The income distribution showed that 34.6% (961 individuals) earned between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to broader trends with 29.9% in the same category. High weekly earnings, exceeding $3,000, were achieved by 30.8% of households, indicating strong consumer spending power. After housing costs, residents retained 88.2% of their income, reflecting high purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Rankin Park is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with strong rates of outright home ownership
Rankin Park's dwellings were 98.8% houses and 1.2% other types at the latest Census. Home ownership was 43.1%, with 45.3% of dwellings mortgaged and 11.7% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, and weekly rent was $450. Nationally, Rankin Park's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Rankin Park features high concentrations of family households, with a median household size of 2.7 people
Family households account for 81.9% of all households, including 36.2% couples with children, 31.7% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.1%, with lone person households at 15.9% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Rankin Park demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics
Rankin Park's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 35.3% 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 23.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.9%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 34.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them – advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 22.8%.
Educational participation is high, with 29.0% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 5.2% 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
Rankin Park has 25 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 31 distinct routes that together facilitate 460 weekly passenger trips. The park's transport accessibility is rated highly, with residents on average being located 151 meters from the nearest stop.
On average, there are 65 daily trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Rankin Park is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
Rankin Park faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent among both younger and older age cohorts.
Private health cover is high, with approximately 58% of the total population (~1,613 people) having it. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (9.7%) and asthma (9.1%), while 64.5% of residents report no medical ailments. This compares to 0% across Rest of NSW. The area has 20.0% of residents aged 65 and over (556 people).
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Rankin Park ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Rankin Park had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.6% of its population born in Australia, 94.8% being citizens, and 92.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 48.5%. This compares to None% across Rest of NSW.
For ancestry, the top three groups were English (30.9%), Australian (29.1%), and Irish (8.4%). Notably, Welsh, Polish, and Macedonian ethnicities had higher representation in Rankin Park compared to regional averages: Welsh at 1.0%, Polish at 1.0%, and Macedonian at 0.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Rankin Park's population is slightly older than the national pattern
The median age in Rankin Park is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Rankin Park has a higher percentage of residents aged 35-44 (15.8%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (8.7%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25-34 grew from 11.6% to 13.4%, while the population aged 55-64 decreased from 9.6% to 8.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Rankin Park's age structure. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 33%, increasing from 372 to 497 people. Conversely, the 55-64 and 65-74 age groups are projected to experience population declines.