Black Hill vs East Maitland

East Maitland is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Black Hill. In both, most households own their home and most 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 $825,000 in East Maitland, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Black Hill tends to suit couples, while East Maitland suits people living alone 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

East Maitland

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (12 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)
  • But Black Hill is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 51%)

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

  • Black Hill leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)
  • East Maitland has cheaper houses ($825,000 vs $1,730,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

East Maitland

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $586/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Black Hill has a shorter drive in (113 min vs 118 min)
  • East Maitland is more walkable (89/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

East Maitland

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)

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

Investors

East Maitland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (0.7% vs -7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Black Hill East Maitland
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.

Black Hill East Maitland
Walkability 0 / 89
Black Hill — Walkability: 0/100 East Maitland — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 8 / 8
Black Hill — Safety: 8/100 East Maitland — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 59 / 66
Black Hill — Low fire risk: 59/100 East Maitland — Low fire risk: 66/100

Demographics

East Maitland has more residents (11,860 vs 516); Black Hill has higher household incomes ($154,960 vs $73,944).

Black Hill East Maitland
Population 516 11,860
+2198% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.9% +0.7%
Median age 47 40
Median household income $154,960/yr
+52% vs other
 $73,944/yr
Median weekly rent $586/wk
+44% vs other
 $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black Hill East Maitland
0-4 2.7% / 5.5%
Black Hill — 0-4: 2.7% East Maitland — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 13.8% / 11.7%
Black Hill — 5-14: 13.8% East Maitland — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 7.9% / 6.0%
Black Hill — 15-19: 7.9% East Maitland — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 7.6% / 6.1%
Black Hill — 20-24: 7.6% East Maitland — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 6.2% / 13.1%
Black Hill — 25-34: 6.2% East Maitland — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 9.3% / 12.5%
Black Hill — 35-44: 9.3% East Maitland — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 17.8% / 12.9%
Black Hill — 45-54: 17.8% East Maitland — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 14.3% / 11.7%
Black Hill — 55-64: 14.3% East Maitland — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 14.1% / 10.9%
Black Hill — 65-74: 14.1% East Maitland — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 4.5% / 6.6%
Black Hill — 75-84: 4.5% East Maitland — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 0.6% / 2.9%
Black Hill — 85+: 0.6% East Maitland — 85+: 2.9%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
East Maitland 33.2% couple families
East Maitland — Couple Families: 33.2% East Maitland — Lone Person: 43.8% East Maitland — One Parent Families: 18.0% East Maitland — Group Household: 3.3% East Maitland — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 6.9% renting
Black Hill — Owned Outright: 46.5% Black Hill — Mortgage: 46.5% Black Hill — Renting: 6.9%
East Maitland 37.6% renting
East Maitland — Owned Outright: 30.8% East Maitland — Mortgage: 31.6% East Maitland — Renting: 37.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Black Hill East Maitland
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 17.9%
Black Hill — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% East Maitland — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 10.4%
Black Hill — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% East Maitland — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.8% / 8.0%
Black Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8% East Maitland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / 2.5%
Black Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% East Maitland — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 1.6%
Black Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% East Maitland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

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.

Black Hill East Maitland
England 3.1% / 1.8%
Black Hill — England: 3.1% East Maitland — England: 1.8%
New Zealand 0.6% / 0.9%
Black Hill — New Zealand: 0.6% East Maitland — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines — / 0.8%
Black Hill — Philippines: not among its largest East Maitland — Philippines: 0.8%
Egypt 0.6% / —
Black Hill — Egypt: 0.6% East Maitland — Egypt: not among its largest
China — / 0.4%
Black Hill — China: not among its largest East Maitland — China: 0.4%
India — / 0.4%
Black Hill — India: not among its largest East Maitland — India: 0.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 100.0% houses
Black Hill — Houses: 100.0% Black Hill — Townhouses: 0.0% Black Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
East Maitland 74.5% houses
East Maitland — Houses: 74.5% East Maitland — Townhouses: 17.4% East Maitland — Flats / Apartments: 8.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Black Hill East Maitland
Median house price $1,730,000 $825,000
Median unit price — $557,500
Median land price — $825,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 28 days
from 190 sales

Zoning mix

Black Hill has more rural and farming land (59% vs 29%); Black Hill has more land zoned for conservation (32% vs 9%).

Black Hill East Maitland
Rural and farming 59% 29%
Residential 0% 35%
Environmental 32% 9%
Parks and recreation 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 12%
Industrial 8% 0%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Black Hill East Maitland
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 1,413
across Maitland
Approvals change year on year -31% +20%

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.

Black Hill East Maitland
Houses — 3.9%
$660/wk on $890K
Units — 4.1%
$498/wk on $631K

Ranking within NSW

Black Hill East Maitland
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 86% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 66% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 27% of NSW

Liveability

East Maitland is more walkable (89 vs 0); East Maitland scores higher overall (51 vs 36).

Black Hill East Maitland
Grade C B
Score 36/100 51/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Black Hill East Maitland
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Low
34/100
Crime High
92/100
same for both
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 5
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Black Hill East Maitland
Inside the suburb 1 6
Rated above peers 1 3
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Black Hill

  • Black Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in East Maitland

  • Maitland High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • OneSchool Global NSW - Maitland Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Linuwel School Ltd Independent · Combined at peers
  • Maitland Grossmann High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Maitland East Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Black Hill East Maitland
Supermarkets 0 6
Cafes & restaurants 0 18
Parks & reserves 1 22
Childcare 0 12
GPs 0 7
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 10
Fuel stations 0 6
Waterways 22 25

Mobility

Black Hill East Maitland
Walkability score 0/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 160.1 km 160.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min 118 min
Public transport score 31/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 12.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 326.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2322
 0.5%
postcode 2323
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2322
 44
postcode 2323

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.

Black Hill East Maitland
Car (driver) 63.6% / 69.5%
Black Hill — Car (driver): 63.6% East Maitland — Car (driver): 69.5%
Worked from Home 29.9% / 23.0%
Black Hill — Worked from Home: 29.9% East Maitland — Worked from Home: 23.0%
Car (passenger) 2.8% / 4.2%
Black Hill — Car (passenger): 2.8% East Maitland — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 3.7% / 1.5%
Black Hill — Walked Only: 3.7% East Maitland — Walked Only: 1.5%
Train — / 1.1%
Black Hill — Train: not among its largest East Maitland — Train: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.5%).

Setting

Black Hill East Maitland
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 32 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.0 km 19.6 km

NBN connectivity

Black Hill East Maitland
Connectivity score 30/100 98/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
173 premises
 95%
6,608 premises

Climate

Black Hill East Maitland
Annual rainfall 1,025 mm 996 mm
Summer max (Jan) 25.4°C 30.0°C
Winter min (Jul) 10.2°C 7.1°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Black Hill East Maitland
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

Black Hill East Maitland
Average residential rate $1,405/yr $1,908/yr
Council Cessnock Maitland

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Black Hill

Rural

East Maitland

Parks Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Black Hill

Black Hill vs Thornton Black Hill vs Ashtonfield Black Hill vs Beresfield Black Hill vs Tarro Black Hill vs Buchanan Black Hill vs Hexham

Other comparisons with East Maitland

East Maitland vs Thornton East Maitland vs Metford East Maitland vs Ashtonfield East Maitland vs Chisholm East Maitland vs Tenambit East Maitland vs Raworth
Full data on Black Hill Full data on East Maitland
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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