Black Hill vs Lenaghan

Lenaghan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Black Hill. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Lenaghan tends to suit families with children.

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

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 92/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 87%)
  • But Black Hill 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

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $586/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (149.2 km vs 160.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Lenaghan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.6% vs -7.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Black Hill and Lenaghan 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 Lenaghan
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 Lenaghan
Walkability 0 / 14
Black Hill — Walkability: 0/100 Lenaghan — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 8 / 84
Black Hill — Safety: 8/100 Lenaghan — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 59 / 100
Black Hill — Low fire risk: 59/100 Lenaghan — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Black Hill has more residents (516 vs 70); Black Hill rents higher ($586/wk vs $400/wk).

Black Hill Lenaghan
Population 516
+86% vs other
 70
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.9% +18.6%
Median age 47 43
Median household income $154,960/yr $159,224/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $586/wk
+32% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black Hill Lenaghan
0-4 2.7% / 7.1%
Black Hill — 0-4: 2.7% Lenaghan — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 13.8% / 14.3%
Black Hill — 5-14: 13.8% Lenaghan — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 7.9% / 10.0%
Black Hill — 15-19: 7.9% Lenaghan — 15-19: 10.0%
20-24 7.6% / 10.0%
Black Hill — 20-24: 7.6% Lenaghan — 20-24: 10.0%
25-34 6.2% / 8.6%
Black Hill — 25-34: 6.2% Lenaghan — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 9.3% / —
Black Hill — 35-44: 9.3% Lenaghan — 35-44: not among its largest
45-54 17.8% / 28.6%
Black Hill — 45-54: 17.8% Lenaghan — 45-54: 28.6%
55-64 14.3% / 12.9%
Black Hill — 55-64: 14.3% Lenaghan — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 14.1% / —
Black Hill — 65-74: 14.1% Lenaghan — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 4.5% / 5.7%
Black Hill — 75-84: 4.5% Lenaghan — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 0.6% / 8.6%
Black Hill — 85+: 0.6% Lenaghan — 85+: 8.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Black Hill 71.6% couple families
Black Hill — Couple Families: 71.6% Black Hill — One Parent Families: 15.6% Black Hill — Lone Person: 12.8%
Lenaghan 62.5% couple families
Lenaghan — Couple Families: 62.5% Lenaghan — One Parent Families: 37.5% Lenaghan — Lone Person: 0.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person

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%
Lenaghan 16.7% renting
Lenaghan — Owned Outright: 29.2% Lenaghan — Mortgage: 54.2% Lenaghan — Renting: 16.7%
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%
Lenaghan 100.0% houses
Lenaghan — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Black Hill Lenaghan
Certificate III & IV 14.0% / 30.0%
Black Hill — Certificate III & IV: 14.0% Lenaghan — Certificate III & IV: 30.0%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 11.4%
Black Hill — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% Lenaghan — Bachelor Degree: 11.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.8% / 10.0%
Black Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.8% Lenaghan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.7% / —
Black Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 3.7% Lenaghan — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / —
Black Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Lenaghan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.0%).

Property market

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

Zoning mix

Lenaghan has more land zoned for conservation (95% vs 32%); Black Hill has more rural and farming land (59% vs 0%).

Black Hill Lenaghan
Environmental 32% 95%
Rural and farming 59% 0%
Industrial 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 5%
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 Lenaghan
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
 912
across Newcastle
Approvals change year on year -31% +77%

Ranking within NSW

Black Hill Lenaghan
House price Higher than 87% of NSW —
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 37% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 61% of NSW
same for both

Liveability

Lenaghan is more walkable (14 vs 0).

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

Risk profile

Black Hill carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Black Hill carries more crime risk (92 vs 16).

Black Hill Lenaghan
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
92/100
 Low
16/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Black Hill Lenaghan
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), 8.3 km

Schools in Black Hill

  • Black Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Lenaghan

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

Amenities in the suburb

Black Hill Lenaghan
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 22 0

Mobility

Black Hill sits further from the CBD (160.1 km vs 149.2 km).

Black Hill Lenaghan
Walkability score 0/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 160.1 km
+7% vs other
 149.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min 109 min
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 Lenaghan
Car (driver) 63.6% / 62.5%
Black Hill — Car (driver): 63.6% Lenaghan — Car (driver): 62.5%
Worked from Home 29.9% / 37.5%
Black Hill — Worked from Home: 29.9% Lenaghan — Worked from Home: 37.5%
Walked Only 3.7% / —
Black Hill — Walked Only: 3.7% Lenaghan — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 2.8% / —
Black Hill — Car (passenger): 2.8% Lenaghan — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.6%).

Setting

Black Hill Lenaghan
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 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

Black Hill Lenaghan
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
173 premises
 0%
22 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Black Hill

Rural

Lenaghan

Rural Students

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 Lenaghan

Lenaghan vs Fletcher Lenaghan vs Minmi Lenaghan vs Hexham Lenaghan vs Stockrington
Full data on Black Hill Full data on Lenaghan
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or