The Hill

Population growth drivers in The Hill are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

The Hill's population is estimated at around 2,151 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 75 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,076 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 2,117 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of two new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,910 persons per square kilometer, placing The Hill (SA2) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, The Hill statistical area (Lv2) demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.4%, outpacing its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2-level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Considering projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth is predicted over the period 2025 to 2041, with The Hill (SA2) expected to increase by 1,033 persons, reflecting a total increase of 55.2% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates The Hill has received around 16 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 80 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. Over these five years, an average of 3.9 new residents arrived per dwelling constructed. This supply lagging demand suggests heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, with developers focusing on the premium market as new dwellings are developed at an average cost of $678,000.

In FY-26, commercial development approvals have reached $974,000, reflecting The Hill's residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, The Hill has recorded construction levels 33.0% above the regional average per person over this period, balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. Recent development has been entirely comprised of townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The location has approximately 57 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

By 2041, The Hill is expected to grow by 1,188 residents according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

The Hill has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects likely to affect the region. Notable ones include East End Newcastle, Dairy Farmers Towers, Pottery Lane Residential Development - Newcastle, and Sovereign Park | The Hill, with the following list highlighting 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 strong representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 3.4%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.8%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.1% based on AreaSearch data aggregation. As of September 2025, 1,615 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 0.4% below the regional average and workforce participation at 75.2%, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. 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 a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.1% while labour force increased by 3.9%, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs) with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate 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 this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows The Hill's median income among taxpayers is $59,574, with an average of $92,734. Nationally, this is high compared to Rest of NSW's median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for The Hill would be approximately $64,852 (median) and $100,950 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings in The Hill stand at the 88th percentile nationally ($1,147 weekly), while household income ranks at the 55th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 30.6% of residents (658 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, reflecting regional patterns where 29.9% 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 structures, as per the latest Census, 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 was at 24.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.3% and rented ones at 56.1%. Mortgage repayments in the area averaged $2,167 monthly, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $1,962 and Australia's $1,863. Weekly rent was recorded at $390, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400 and Australia's $375.

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 account for the remaining 50.3%, with lone person households at 37.4% and group households comprising 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

In The Hill, 55.5% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 26.1% in its 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.

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 offering bus services. Six different routes operate through these stops, collectively facilitating 169 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 149 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 24 trips per day across all routes, translating 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 seeing low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 64% of the total population (1,365 people) has private health cover, which is higher than the Rest of NSW's 56.7%, and also higher than the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues are the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 10.5% of residents, followed by asthma at 8.8%.

A total of 69.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.9% across Rest of NSW. As of 31 December 20XX, the area has 15.2% of residents aged 65 and over (326 people), which is lower than the Rest of NSW's 16.7%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in the area 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 comparable to the broader area, with 82.4% born in Australia, 89.2% being citizens, and 88.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated religiously, at 35.9%. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 0.7%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

For ancestry, the top groups were English (30.1%), Australian (22.8%), and Irish (10.6%). Some ethnicities showed notable variations: Scottish at 9.7% vs regional 8.4%, Welsh at 0.8% vs 0.8%, and Hungarian at 0.4% vs 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 also lower than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in The Hill at 25.4%, while the 5-14 year-olds 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 25 to 34 age group has grown from 24.2% to 25.4% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.5% to 10.3%, and the 15 to 24 age group has dropped from 17.1% to 16.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that The Hill's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25 to 34 age cohort projected to grow significantly, expanding by 399 people (73%) from 546 to 946.