Beresfield vs Black Hill

Beresfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Black Hill. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Black Hill, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Black Hill: a median of $1.73 million, against $785,000 in Beresfield, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Beresfield tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Black Hill suits 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

Beresfield

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • But Black Hill is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 54%)

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

  • Beresfield has cheaper houses ($785,000 vs $1,730,000)
  • Black Hill leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Beresfield

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $586/wk)
  • But Black Hill leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Beresfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (41/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Beresfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (41/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Beresfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.7% vs -7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Beresfield and Black 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.

Beresfield Black 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.

Beresfield Black Hill
Walkability 41 / 0
Beresfield — Walkability: 41/100 Black Hill — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 10 / 8
Beresfield — Safety: 10/100 Black Hill — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 100 / 59
Beresfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Black Hill — Low fire risk: 59/100

Demographics

Beresfield has more residents (3,267 vs 516); Black Hill has higher household incomes ($154,960 vs $65,364).

Beresfield Black Hill
Population 3,267
+84% vs other
 516
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% -7.9%
Median age 39 47
Median household income $65,364/yr $154,960/yr
+137% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $586/wk
+67% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Beresfield Black Hill
0-4 5.5% / 2.7%
Beresfield — 0-4: 5.5% Black Hill — 0-4: 2.7%
5-14 11.5% / 13.8%
Beresfield — 5-14: 11.5% Black Hill — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 4.7% / 7.9%
Beresfield — 15-19: 4.7% Black Hill — 15-19: 7.9%
20-24 6.0% / 7.6%
Beresfield — 20-24: 6.0% Black Hill — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 16.4% / 6.2%
Beresfield — 25-34: 16.4% Black Hill — 25-34: 6.2%
35-44 11.7% / 9.3%
Beresfield — 35-44: 11.7% Black Hill — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 11.0% / 17.8%
Beresfield — 45-54: 11.0% Black Hill — 45-54: 17.8%
55-64 11.2% / 14.3%
Beresfield — 55-64: 11.2% Black Hill — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 10.7% / 14.1%
Beresfield — 65-74: 10.7% Black Hill — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 8.9% / 4.5%
Beresfield — 75-84: 8.9% Black Hill — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 2.3% / 0.6%
Beresfield — 85+: 2.3% Black Hill — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Beresfield 30.8% couple families
Beresfield — Couple Families: 30.8% Beresfield — Lone Person: 39.2% Beresfield — One Parent Families: 22.9% Beresfield — Group Household: 4.7% Beresfield — Other Families: 2.4%
Black Hill 71.6% couple families
Black Hill — Couple Families: 71.6% Black Hill — Lone Person: 12.8% Black Hill — One Parent Families: 15.6% Black Hill — Group Household: 0.0% Black Hill — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Beresfield 32.1% renting
Beresfield — Owned Outright: 36.7% Beresfield — Mortgage: 31.2% Beresfield — Renting: 32.1%
Black Hill 6.9% renting
Black Hill — Owned Outright: 46.5% Black Hill — Mortgage: 46.5% Black Hill — Renting: 6.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Beresfield Black Hill
Certificate III & IV 20.1% / 14.0%
Beresfield — Certificate III & IV: 20.1% Black Hill — Certificate III & IV: 14.0%
Bachelor Degree 5.9% / 13.4%
Beresfield — Bachelor Degree: 5.9% Black Hill — Bachelor Degree: 13.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 11.8%
Beresfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Black Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 3.7%
Beresfield — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Black Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 2.5%
Beresfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Black Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Beresfield Black Hill
England 1.6% / 3.1%
Beresfield — England: 1.6% Black Hill — England: 3.1%
China 1.8% / —
Beresfield — China: 1.8% Black Hill — China: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.6% / 0.6%
Beresfield — New Zealand: 0.6% Black Hill — New Zealand: 0.6%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Beresfield — Philippines: 0.7% Black Hill — Philippines: not among its largest
Malaysia 0.6% / —
Beresfield — Malaysia: 0.6% Black Hill — Malaysia: not among its largest
Egypt — / 0.6%
Beresfield — Egypt: not among its largest Black Hill — Egypt: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Beresfield 90.2% houses
Beresfield — Houses: 90.2% Beresfield — Townhouses: 7.7% Beresfield — Flats / Apartments: 2.2%
Black Hill 100.0% houses
Black Hill — Houses: 100.0% Black Hill — Townhouses: 0.0% Black Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Beresfield Black Hill
Median house price $785,000 $1,730,000
Median unit price $602,000 —
Median land price $855,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 23 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Black Hill has more rural and farming land (59% vs 0%); Beresfield has more industrially zoned land (46% vs 8%).

Beresfield Black Hill
Rural and farming 0% 59%
Industrial 46% 8%
Environmental 13% 32%
Residential 18% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 1%
Parks and recreation 8% 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

Beresfield Black Hill
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
 719
across Cessnock
Approvals change year on year +77% -31%

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.

Beresfield Black Hill
Houses 3.9%
$635/wk on $844K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Beresfield Black Hill
House price Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Income Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of NSW —

Liveability

Beresfield is more walkable (41 vs 0).

Beresfield Black Hill
Grade C
same for both
Score 32/100 36/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Black Hill carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0).

Beresfield Black Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime High
90/100
 High
92/100
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
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Beresfield Black Hill
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Beresfield

  • Beresfield Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Black Hill

  • Black Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Beresfield Black Hill
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 4 1
Childcare 6 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 7 22

Mobility

Beresfield Black Hill
Walkability score 41/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 158.3 km 160.1 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 113 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 31/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 59.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 12.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2322
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2322
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.

Beresfield Black Hill
Car (driver) 76.6% / 63.6%
Beresfield — Car (driver): 76.6% Black Hill — Car (driver): 63.6%
Worked from Home 12.9% / 29.9%
Beresfield — Worked from Home: 12.9% Black Hill — Worked from Home: 29.9%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 2.8%
Beresfield — Car (passenger): 5.6% Black Hill — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 3.0% / 3.7%
Beresfield — Walked Only: 3.0% Black Hill — Walked Only: 3.7%
Bicycle 0.8% / —
Beresfield — Bicycle: 0.8% Black Hill — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Beresfield Black Hill
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.4 km 16.0 km

NBN connectivity

Beresfield Black Hill
Connectivity score 66/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
2,175 premises
 0%
173 premises

Climate

Beresfield Black Hill
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm 1,025 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C 25.4°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C 10.2°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Beresfield Black Hill
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.72 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Beresfield Black Hill
Average residential rate $1,783/yr $1,405/yr
Council Newcastle Cessnock

Federal electorate

Beresfield Black Hill
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Beresfield Black Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Beresfield

Large Blocks River

Black Hill

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Beresfield

Beresfield vs Thornton Beresfield vs Woodberry Beresfield vs Tarro

Other comparisons with Black Hill

Black Hill vs East Maitland Black Hill vs Thornton Black Hill vs Ashtonfield Black Hill vs Tarro Black Hill vs Buchanan Black Hill vs Hexham
Full data on Beresfield Full data on Black 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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