The Hill

Population growth drivers in The Hill are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The Hill's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 2,184 people. This reflects an increase of 108 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,076 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 2,147 following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and an additional two validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,970 persons per square kilometer, placing The Hill among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 5.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area's growth rate of 5.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56% 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 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, exceptional growth is predicted over the period, with The Hill expected to increase by 1,048 persons to reach a total of 3,232 people by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 53.6% over the 17 years.

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

The Hill has seen approximately 10 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling around 53 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 5.8 new residents arrive annually for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates that supply is lagging behind demand, potentially leading to increased buyer competition and pricing pressures.

Developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments, as shown by an average construction value of $678,000 per dwelling. In this financial year, commercial development approvals totalled $1.3 million, reflecting The Hill's residential nature. Compared to the rest of NSW, The Hill has 12.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 87th percentile nationally in terms of building activity, which has been accelerating recently. All new construction consists of townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers.

With around 96 people per dwelling approval, The Hill is considered a low-density area. By 2041, the population is expected to grow by approximately 1,170 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

The 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 has identified 14 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include East End Newcastle, Dairy Farmers Towers, Pottery Lane Residential Development - Newcastle, and Sovereign Park | The Hill. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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.

Employment performance in The Hill exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

The Hill's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 3.2% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.8%.

As of June 2025, there were 1,567 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.4% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation was notably higher at 75.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Residents' employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area has a particularly high concentration in health care & social assistance, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.2% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates above-average local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending in Sep-22, employment increased by 1.8%, while the labour force grew by 2.4%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to The Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.6% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows The Hill's median income among taxpayers is $59,574. The average income is $92,734. Nationally, this is extremely high compared to the Rest of NSW's median of $49,459 and average of $62,998. As of September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $67,086 for median income and $104,428 for average income. According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings rank at the 88th percentile nationally with a weekly income of $1,147, while household income ranks at the 55th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 30.6% of residents (668 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income bracket, reflecting patterns seen in the region where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 17.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 55th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

The Hill features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The Hill's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 13.5% houses and 86.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in The Hill stood at 24.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.3% and rented ones at 56.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent in the area was $390, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400 and the national average of $375. Nationally, The Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863.

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

Family households constitute 49.7% of all households, including 15.5% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 5.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 50.3%, with lone person households at 37.4% and group households making up 12.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational achievement in The Hill places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in The Hill is notably high, with 55.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 35.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 22.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.4% and certificates at 13.8%. Educational participation is high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 15.7% in tertiary education, 5.9% in primary education, and 4.4% pursuing secondary education. The Hill's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,293 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1148). It functions as an education hub with 59.2 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The Hill has nine active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that together offer 168 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 149 meters from their nearest stop.

On average, there are 24 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in The Hill is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

The Hill demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (1,386 people), compared to 55.6% across Rest of NSW, which aligns with the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 10.5 and 8.8% of residents respectively.

A total of 69.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.9% across Rest of NSW. The area has 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (329 people), lower than the 16.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, The Hill records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

The Hill's cultural diversity was found to be largely in line with the broader region, with 82.4% of its population born in Australia, 89.2% being citizens, and 88.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 35.9% of The Hill's population. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented, making up 0.7% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (30.1%), Australian (22.8%), and Irish (10.6%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Scottish at 9.7% in The Hill versus 8.4% regionally, Welsh at 0.8% both locally and regionally, and Hungarian at 0.4% compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

The Hill hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

The median age of The Hill is 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, individuals aged 25-34 are notably over-represented in The Hill at 25.4%, while those aged 5-14 are under-represented at 6.5%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of the population in the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 24.2% to 25.4%. Conversely, the proportion of individuals aged 45-54 has declined from 11.5% to 10.3%, and those aged 15-24 have decreased from 17.1% to 16.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, The Hill's age profile will evolve significantly. The number of individuals in the 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to grow by 392 people (71%), increasing from 554 to 947.