Black Hill vs Hexham

Hexham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 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. In Hexham, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Black Hill: a median of $1.73 million, against $430,000 in Hexham, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Black Hill tends to suit couples, while Hexham suits young adults, 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

Black Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (87% vs 32%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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 32%)
  • Hexham has cheaper houses ($430,000 vs $1,730,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hexham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $586/wk)
  • But Black Hill leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 33%)

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

Commuting to the city

Black Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (113 min vs 135 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

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

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

Investors

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.8% vs -7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Black Hill and Hexham 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 Hexham
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 Hexham
Walkability 0 / 4
Black Hill — Walkability: 0/100 Hexham — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 8 / 1
Black Hill — Safety: 8/100 Hexham — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 59 / 47
Black Hill — Low fire risk: 59/100 Hexham — Low fire risk: 47/100

Demographics

Black Hill has more residents (516 vs 157); Black Hill has higher household incomes ($154,960 vs $48,256).

Black Hill Hexham
Population 516
+70% vs other
 157
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.9% +20.8%
Median age 47 35
Median household income $154,960/yr
+69% vs other
 $48,256/yr
Median weekly rent $586/wk
+48% vs other
 $305/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black Hill Hexham
0-4 2.7% / 3.2%
Black Hill — 0-4: 2.7% Hexham — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 13.8% / 14.0%
Black Hill — 5-14: 13.8% Hexham — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 7.9% / 5.7%
Black Hill — 15-19: 7.9% Hexham — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 7.6% / 8.9%
Black Hill — 20-24: 7.6% Hexham — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 6.2% / 16.6%
Black Hill — 25-34: 6.2% Hexham — 25-34: 16.6%
35-44 9.3% / 13.4%
Black Hill — 35-44: 9.3% Hexham — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 17.8% / 7.0%
Black Hill — 45-54: 17.8% Hexham — 45-54: 7.0%
55-64 14.3% / 12.1%
Black Hill — 55-64: 14.3% Hexham — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 14.1% / 11.5%
Black Hill — 65-74: 14.1% Hexham — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 4.5% / 5.7%
Black Hill — 75-84: 4.5% Hexham — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 0.6% / 3.2%
Black Hill — 85+: 0.6% Hexham — 85+: 3.2%

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%
Hexham 8.9% couple families
Hexham — Couple Families: 8.9% Hexham — Lone Person: 48.2% Hexham — One Parent Families: 23.2% Hexham — Group Household: 12.5% Hexham — Other Families: 7.1%
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%
Hexham 38.2% renting
Hexham — Owned Outright: 32.7% Hexham — Mortgage: 29.1% Hexham — Renting: 38.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 100.0% houses
Black Hill — Houses: 100.0%
Hexham 103.4% houses
Hexham — Houses: 103.4%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Black Hill Hexham
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 10.2%
Black Hill — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Hexham — Certificate III & IV: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.8% / 5.7%
Black Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8% Hexham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 1.9%
Black Hill — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% Hexham — Bachelor Degree: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / —
Black Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% Hexham — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / —
Black Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Hexham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.0%).

Property market

Black Hill Hexham
Median house price $1,730,000 $430,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,280,000

Zoning mix

Black Hill has more rural and farming land (59% vs 0%); Hexham has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 32%).

Black Hill Hexham
Environmental 32% 88%
Rural and farming 59% 0%
Industrial 8% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
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 Hexham
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 912
across Newcastle
Approvals change year on year -31% +77%

Ranking within NSW

Black Hill Hexham
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

Black Hill Hexham
Grade C —
Score 36/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Hexham carries more bushfire risk (53 vs 41).

Black Hill Hexham
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
53/100
Crime High
92/100
 High
99/100
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 5
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Black Hill Hexham
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 5.4 km

Schools in Black Hill

  • Black Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Hexham

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

Amenities in the suburb

Black Hill Hexham
Parks & reserves 1 2
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 22 4

Mobility

Black Hill Hexham
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Sydney 160.1 km 159.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min 135 min
Public transport score 31/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 12.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 32.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

Black Hill Hexham
Car (driver) 63.6% / 80.0%
Black Hill — Car (driver): 63.6% Hexham — Car (driver): 80.0%
Worked from Home 29.9% / 10.0%
Black Hill — Worked from Home: 29.9% Hexham — Worked from Home: 10.0%
Car (passenger) 2.8% / 10.0%
Black Hill — Car (passenger): 2.8% Hexham — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Walked Only 3.7% / —
Black Hill — Walked Only: 3.7% Hexham — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.0%).

Setting

Black Hill Hexham
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.0 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Black Hill Hexham
Connectivity score 30/100 47/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
173 premises
 12%
154 premises

Climate

Black Hill Hexham
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)

Black Hill Hexham
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 17.5 µg/m³ 16.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.72 pphm 0.53 pphm

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Black Hill Hexham
Division Paterson Newcastle
Member Meryl Swanson Sharon Claydon
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Black Hill

Rural

Hexham

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Black Hill

Black Hill vs East Maitland Black Hill vs Thornton Black Hill vs Ashtonfield Black Hill vs Beresfield Black Hill vs Tarro Black Hill vs Buchanan

Other comparisons with Hexham

Hexham vs Fletcher Hexham vs Maryland Hexham vs Shortland Hexham vs Tarro Hexham vs Sandgate Hexham vs Lenaghan
Full data on Black Hill Full data on Hexham
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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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