Bar Beach vs Cooks Hill

Cooks Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Bar Beach. In Bar Beach, most households own their home. In Cooks Hill, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bar Beach: a median of $3.61 million, against $1.82 million in Cooks Hill, though rent is higher in Cooks Hill. On these figures, Cooks Hill tends to suit renters, young adults, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Bar Beach

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (40% vs 17%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (40% vs 31%)
  • But Cooks Hill has more childcare (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,816,000 vs $3,610,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bar Beach

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 23%)
  • has cheaper rent ($393/wk vs $430/wk)
  • But Cooks Hill has a bigger rental market to choose from (57% vs 42%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (83% vs 60%)

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

Bar Beach and Cooks Hill drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
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.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Walkability 89 / 95
Bar Beach — Walkability: 89/100 Cooks Hill — Walkability: 95/100
Safety 8 / 8
Bar Beach — Safety: 8/100 Cooks Hill — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bar Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cooks Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cooks Hill has more residents (3,774 vs 1,292); Bar Beach has higher household incomes ($119,600 vs $97,812).

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Population 1,292 3,774
+192% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% +4.2%
Median age 41 35
Median household income $119,600/yr
+18% vs other
 $97,812/yr
Median weekly rent $393/wk $430/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
0-4 3.4% / 4.0%
Bar Beach — 0-4: 3.4% Cooks Hill — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 9.0% / 7.3%
Bar Beach — 5-14: 9.0% Cooks Hill — 5-14: 7.3%
15-19 6.3% / 4.0%
Bar Beach — 15-19: 6.3% Cooks Hill — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 9.6% / 12.2%
Bar Beach — 20-24: 9.6% Cooks Hill — 20-24: 12.2%
25-34 14.6% / 21.6%
Bar Beach — 25-34: 14.6% Cooks Hill — 25-34: 21.6%
35-44 10.9% / 12.2%
Bar Beach — 35-44: 10.9% Cooks Hill — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 15.9% / 12.2%
Bar Beach — 45-54: 15.9% Cooks Hill — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 15.1% / 11.5%
Bar Beach — 55-64: 15.1% Cooks Hill — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 9.4% / 9.8%
Bar Beach — 65-74: 9.4% Cooks Hill — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 4.8% / 4.1%
Bar Beach — 75-84: 4.8% Cooks Hill — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 1.2% / 1.2%
Bar Beach — 85+: 1.2% Cooks Hill — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bar Beach 44.5% lone person
Bar Beach — Lone Person: 44.5% Bar Beach — Couple Families: 32.6% Bar Beach — Group Household: 13.0% Bar Beach — One Parent Families: 7.3% Bar Beach — Other Families: 2.6%
Cooks Hill 49.6% lone person
Cooks Hill — Lone Person: 49.6% Cooks Hill — Couple Families: 19.4% Cooks Hill — Group Household: 18.2% Cooks Hill — One Parent Families: 11.4% Cooks Hill — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bar Beach 42.2% renting
Bar Beach — Owned Outright: 33.3% Bar Beach — Mortgage: 24.5% Bar Beach — Renting: 42.2%
Cooks Hill 56.6% renting
Cooks Hill — Owned Outright: 22.9% Cooks Hill — Mortgage: 20.5% Cooks Hill — Renting: 56.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Bachelor Degree 25.6% / 24.1%
Bar Beach — Bachelor Degree: 25.6% Cooks Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.1%
Certificate III & IV 10.1% / 10.5%
Bar Beach — Certificate III & IV: 10.1% Cooks Hill — Certificate III & IV: 10.5%
Postgraduate Degree 10.0% / 9.4%
Bar Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0% Cooks Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 9.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 8.3%
Bar Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% Cooks Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 3.3%
Bar Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Cooks Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).

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.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
England 3.7% / 3.2%
Bar Beach — England: 3.7% Cooks Hill — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.3%
Bar Beach — New Zealand: 1.7% Cooks Hill — New Zealand: 1.3%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.5%
Bar Beach — South Africa: 0.9% Cooks Hill — South Africa: 0.5%
India 0.7% / 0.3%
Bar Beach — India: 0.7% Cooks Hill — India: 0.3%
Germany — / 0.7%
Bar Beach — Germany: not among its largest Cooks Hill — Germany: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Bar Beach — Philippines: not among its largest Cooks Hill — Philippines: 0.7%
Canada — / 0.7%
Bar Beach — Canada: not among its largest Cooks Hill — Canada: 0.7%
Italy 0.5% / —
Bar Beach — Italy: 0.5% Cooks Hill — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bar Beach 20.7% townhouses
Bar Beach — Townhouses: 20.7% Bar Beach — Flats / Apartments: 39.2% Bar Beach — Houses: 40.2%
Cooks Hill 51.2% townhouses
Cooks Hill — Townhouses: 51.2% Cooks Hill — Flats / Apartments: 31.4% Cooks Hill — Houses: 17.4%
Townhouses Flats / Apartments Houses

Property market

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Median house price $3,610,000 $1,816,000
Median unit price $757,500 $810,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 82 days
from 4 sales
 25 days
from 16 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.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
3 bed $2.31M / $1.82M
Bar Beach — 3 bed: $2.31M (5 sales) Cooks Hill — 3 bed: $1.82M (21 sales)

5 vs 21 sales

4 bed $3.83M / $2.16M
Bar Beach — 4 bed: $3.83M (8 sales) Cooks Hill — 4 bed: $2.16M (12 sales)

8 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Residential 58% 89%
Parks and recreation 41% 7%
Commercial 0% 4%
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

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
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.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Houses — 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.39M
Units — 4.3%
$630/wk on $768K

Ranking within NSW

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
House price Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Income Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 23% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 35% of NSW

Liveability

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 62/100 64/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
49/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.7 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.7% 5.8%

Schools in Bar Beach

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Cooks Hill

  • Newcastle Grammar Park School Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 2 25
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 2

Mobility

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Walkability score 89/100 95/100
Distance to Sydney 161 km 160 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 127 min 124 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 29.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2300
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2300
same for both

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.

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Car (driver) 57.1% / 49.8%
Bar Beach — Car (driver): 57.1% Cooks Hill — Car (driver): 49.8%
Worked from Home 31.2% / 34.7%
Bar Beach — Worked from Home: 31.2% Cooks Hill — Worked from Home: 34.7%
Walked Only 4.5% / 9.4%
Bar Beach — Walked Only: 4.5% Cooks Hill — Walked Only: 9.4%
Bicycle 3.0% / 2.3%
Bar Beach — Bicycle: 3.0% Cooks Hill — Bicycle: 2.3%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 2.1%
Bar Beach — Car (passenger): 2.9% Cooks Hill — Car (passenger): 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.1%).

Setting

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Elevation 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 207 m
344 m to a named beach
 737 m
998 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Connectivity score 56/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 20%
717 premises
 21%
2,333 premises

Climate

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
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)

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
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

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bar Beach Cooks Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bar Beach

Apartments Beach Beachfront Coastal Luxury Professionals Townhouses

Cooks Hill

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bar Beach

Bar Beach vs Merewether Bar Beach vs The Hill Bar Beach vs The Junction

Other comparisons with Cooks Hill

Cooks Hill vs Hamilton South Cooks Hill vs Newcastle Cooks Hill vs The Hill Cooks Hill vs Newcastle West Cooks Hill vs The Junction
Full data on Bar Beach Full data on Cooks Hill
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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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