Adamstown vs Merewether Heights

Adamstown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Merewether Heights. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Merewether Heights, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Merewether Heights: a median of $1.66 million, against $1.2 million in Adamstown, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Adamstown tends to suit young adults, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Merewether Heights suits families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Adamstown has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • Merewether Heights carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 84/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Adamstown has cheaper houses ($1,200,000 vs $1,655,000)
  • Merewether Heights leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Adamstown

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 9%)
  • has cheaper rent ($395/wk vs $580/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Adamstown

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 57/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (122 min vs 127 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (158.8 km vs 161.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Adamstown

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 57/100)
  • But Merewether Heights carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 84/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Adamstown and Merewether Heights drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Walkability 85 / 57
Adamstown — Walkability: 85/100 Merewether Heights — Walkability: 57/100
Safety 16 / 72
Adamstown — Safety: 16/100 Merewether Heights — Safety: 72/100
Low fire risk 100 / 28
Adamstown — Low fire risk: 100/100 Merewether Heights — Low fire risk: 28/100

Demographics

Adamstown has more residents (6,335 vs 1,495); Merewether Heights has higher household incomes ($157,144 vs $97,500).

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Population 6,335
+76% vs other
 1,495
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.8% +6.8%
Median age 36 41
Median household income $97,500/yr $157,144/yr
+61% vs other
Median weekly rent $395/wk $580/wk
+47% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
0-4 5.5% / 5.6%
Adamstown — 0-4: 5.5% Merewether Heights — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 11.5% / 18.3%
Adamstown — 5-14: 11.5% Merewether Heights — 5-14: 18.3%
15-19 5.5% / 7.1%
Adamstown — 15-19: 5.5% Merewether Heights — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 9.0% / 4.2%
Adamstown — 20-24: 9.0% Merewether Heights — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 17.1% / 6.7%
Adamstown — 25-34: 17.1% Merewether Heights — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 13.6% / 13.8%
Adamstown — 35-44: 13.6% Merewether Heights — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 12.2% / 15.0%
Adamstown — 45-54: 12.2% Merewether Heights — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 11.5% / 9.2%
Adamstown — 55-64: 11.5% Merewether Heights — 55-64: 9.2%
65-74 7.6% / 6.8%
Adamstown — 65-74: 7.6% Merewether Heights — 65-74: 6.8%
75-84 4.7% / 7.5%
Adamstown — 75-84: 4.7% Merewether Heights — 75-84: 7.5%
85+ 1.7% / 5.0%
Adamstown — 85+: 1.7% Merewether Heights — 85+: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Adamstown 34.9% couple families
Adamstown — Couple Families: 34.9% Adamstown — Lone Person: 39.2% Adamstown — One Parent Families: 14.7% Adamstown — Group Household: 9.1% Adamstown — Other Families: 2.1%
Merewether Heights 63.6% couple families
Merewether Heights — Couple Families: 63.6% Merewether Heights — Lone Person: 21.9% Merewether Heights — One Parent Families: 10.0% Merewether Heights — Group Household: 3.3% Merewether Heights — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Adamstown 40.6% renting
Adamstown — Owned Outright: 27.8% Adamstown — Mortgage: 31.6% Adamstown — Renting: 40.6%
Merewether Heights 9.2% renting
Merewether Heights — Owned Outright: 43.8% Merewether Heights — Mortgage: 47.0% Merewether Heights — Renting: 9.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Bachelor Degree 17.5% / 21.3%
Adamstown — Bachelor Degree: 17.5% Merewether Heights — Bachelor Degree: 21.3%
Certificate III & IV 15.0% / 9.0%
Adamstown — Certificate III & IV: 15.0% Merewether Heights — Certificate III & IV: 9.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 8.1%
Adamstown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Merewether Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 7.2%
Adamstown — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Merewether Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 7.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.9%
Adamstown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Merewether Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
England 2.0% / 2.4%
Adamstown — England: 2.0% Merewether Heights — England: 2.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.7%
Adamstown — New Zealand: 1.1% Merewether Heights — New Zealand: 0.7%
China 0.6% / 0.4%
Adamstown — China: 0.6% Merewether Heights — China: 0.4%
India 0.5% / 0.5%
Adamstown — India: 0.5% Merewether Heights — India: 0.5%
South Africa 0.4% / 0.5%
Adamstown — South Africa: 0.4% Merewether Heights — South Africa: 0.5%
Scotland 0.4% / 0.3%
Adamstown — Scotland: 0.4% Merewether Heights — Scotland: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Adamstown 67.7% houses
Adamstown — Houses: 67.7% Adamstown — Townhouses: 17.4% Adamstown — Flats / Apartments: 14.9%
Merewether Heights 97.5% houses
Merewether Heights — Houses: 97.5% Merewether Heights — Townhouses: 2.7% Merewether Heights — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Median house price $1,200,000 $1,655,000
Median unit price $687,500 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 43 sales
 22 days
from 12 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
3 bed $1.19M / $1.54M
Adamstown — 3 bed: $1.19M (52 sales) Merewether Heights — 3 bed: $1.54M (11 sales)

52 vs 11 sales

4 bed $1.6M / $1.72M
Adamstown — 4 bed: $1.6M (19 sales) Merewether Heights — 4 bed: $1.72M (10 sales)

19 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Residential 55% 89%
Parks and recreation 29% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 10%
Environmental 9% 0%
Industrial 4% 0%
Commercial 1% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Adamstown Merewether Heights
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +77%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Houses 3.0%
$772/wk on $1.35M
 —
Units 5.1%
$660/wk on $670K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Adamstown Merewether Heights
House price Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Schools Higher than 28% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 21% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 70% of NSW —

Liveability

Adamstown is more walkable (85 vs 57); Merewether Heights scores higher overall (59 vs 49).

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Grade B
same for both
Score 49/100 59/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Merewether Heights carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 0); Adamstown carries more crime risk (84 vs 28).

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
72/100
Crime High
84/100
 Low
28/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 5.2 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 4.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.3% 2.3%

Schools in Adamstown

  • Trinity Catholic College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Adamstown Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Columba's Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Merewether Heights

  • Merewether Heights Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 11 0
Parks & reserves 5 0
Childcare 5 2
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Merewether Heights sits further from the CBD (161.1 km vs 158.8 km).

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Walkability score 85/100 57/100
Distance to Sydney 158.8 km 161.1 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 122 min 127 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 62/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 126.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 23.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 2289
 1.5%
postcode 2291
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2289
 35
postcode 2291

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Car (driver) 61.4% / 55.6%
Adamstown — Car (driver): 61.4% Merewether Heights — Car (driver): 55.6%
Worked from Home 30.3% / 38.9%
Adamstown — Worked from Home: 30.3% Merewether Heights — Worked from Home: 38.9%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 3.7%
Adamstown — Car (passenger): 3.3% Merewether Heights — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 2.5% / 0.8%
Adamstown — Walked Only: 2.5% Merewether Heights — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bicycle 0.7% / 1.0%
Adamstown — Bicycle: 0.7% Merewether Heights — Bicycle: 1.0%
Bus 1.4% / —
Adamstown — Bus: 1.4% Merewether Heights — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.4%).

Setting

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 71 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.8 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 1.6 km
2.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Connectivity score 64/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
3,226 premises
 43%
515 premises

Climate

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Adamstown Merewether Heights
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 21.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.64 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Adamstown Merewether Heights
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Adamstown

Coastal Parks Professionals

Merewether Heights

Coastal Family Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Adamstown

Adamstown vs Merewether Adamstown vs New Lambton Adamstown vs Adamstown Heights Adamstown vs Hamilton South Adamstown vs Kotara Adamstown vs Broadmeadow

Other comparisons with Merewether Heights

Merewether Heights vs Merewether
Full data on Adamstown Full data on Merewether Heights
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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