Cessnock vs Lovedale

Cessnock is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 50 in Lovedale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lovedale, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lovedale: a median of $2.17 million, against $700,000 in Cessnock, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cessnock tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Lovedale 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

Cessnock

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Lovedale is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 55%)

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

First-home buyers

Cessnock

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($700,000 vs $2,175,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Cessnock has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 14%)
  • Lovedale leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cessnock

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 8/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (152.3 km vs 176.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (117 min vs 127 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cessnock

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (11 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 8/100)

Weighs 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

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

Cessnock Lovedale
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.

Cessnock Lovedale
Walkability 88 / 8
Cessnock — Walkability: 88/100 Lovedale — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 11 / 17
Cessnock — Safety: 11/100 Lovedale — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 42 / 56
Cessnock — Low fire risk: 42/100 Lovedale — Low fire risk: 56/100

Demographics

Cessnock has more residents (16,300 vs 502); Lovedale has higher household incomes ($112,424 vs $61,984).

Cessnock Lovedale
Population 16,300
+97% vs other
 502
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% +3.5%
Median age 40 50
Median household income $61,984/yr $112,424/yr
+81% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $340/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cessnock Lovedale
0-4 5.7% / 5.8%
Cessnock — 0-4: 5.7% Lovedale — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 11.4% / 11.6%
Cessnock — 5-14: 11.4% Lovedale — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.4% / 4.0%
Cessnock — 15-19: 5.4% Lovedale — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 6.3% / 5.4%
Cessnock — 20-24: 6.3% Lovedale — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 14.3% / 9.4%
Cessnock — 25-34: 14.3% Lovedale — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 12.7% / 9.8%
Cessnock — 35-44: 12.7% Lovedale — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 11.7% / 14.3%
Cessnock — 45-54: 11.7% Lovedale — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 11.3% / 17.3%
Cessnock — 55-64: 11.3% Lovedale — 55-64: 17.3%
65-74 11.0% / 17.5%
Cessnock — 65-74: 11.0% Lovedale — 65-74: 17.5%
75-84 6.6% / 5.6%
Cessnock — 75-84: 6.6% Lovedale — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 3.5% / 2.0%
Cessnock — 85+: 3.5% Lovedale — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cessnock 29.0% couple families
Cessnock — Couple Families: 29.0% Cessnock — Lone Person: 39.9% Cessnock — One Parent Families: 26.0% Cessnock — Group Household: 3.6% Cessnock — Other Families: 1.6%
Lovedale 56.7% couple families
Lovedale — Couple Families: 56.7% Lovedale — Lone Person: 26.9% Lovedale — One Parent Families: 13.5% Lovedale — Group Household: 2.9% Lovedale — 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.

Cessnock 39.1% renting
Cessnock — Owned Outright: 32.1% Cessnock — Mortgage: 28.8% Cessnock — Renting: 39.1%
Lovedale 14.4% renting
Lovedale — Owned Outright: 49.1% Lovedale — Mortgage: 36.5% Lovedale — Renting: 14.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cessnock Lovedale
Certificate III & IV 17.4% / 14.9%
Cessnock — Certificate III & IV: 17.4% Lovedale — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 13.3%
Cessnock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Lovedale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.3%
Bachelor Degree 4.2% / 12.5%
Cessnock — Bachelor Degree: 4.2% Lovedale — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 5.6%
Cessnock — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Lovedale — Postgraduate Degree: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Cessnock — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Lovedale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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.

Cessnock Lovedale
England 1.8% / 4.4%
Cessnock — England: 1.8% Lovedale — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.6%
Cessnock — New Zealand: 1.1% Lovedale — New Zealand: 1.6%
India 0.2% / 1.2%
Cessnock — India: 0.2% Lovedale — India: 1.2%
Canada — / 1.0%
Cessnock — Canada: not among its largest Lovedale — Canada: 1.0%
Malaysia — / 0.8%
Cessnock — Malaysia: not among its largest Lovedale — Malaysia: 0.8%
Philippines 0.5% / —
Cessnock — Philippines: 0.5% Lovedale — Philippines: not among its largest
Scotland 0.4% / —
Cessnock — Scotland: 0.4% Lovedale — Scotland: not among its largest
Thailand 0.3% / —
Cessnock — Thailand: 0.3% Lovedale — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cessnock 84.1% houses
Cessnock — Houses: 84.1% Cessnock — Townhouses: 13.0% Cessnock — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Lovedale 100.0% houses
Lovedale — Houses: 100.0% Lovedale — Townhouses: 0.0% Lovedale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cessnock Lovedale
Median house price $700,000 $2,175,000
Median unit price $525,000 —
Median land price $500,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 214 sales
 58 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Lovedale has more rural and farming land (80% vs 53%).

Cessnock Lovedale
Rural and farming 53% 80%
Residential 24% 2%
Environmental 8% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 5%
Parks and recreation 6% 0%
Industrial 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

Cessnock Lovedale
New dwellings approved 719
across Cessnock
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Cessnock Lovedale
Houses 4.1%
$600/wk on $755K
 —
Units 4.5%
$455/wk on $522K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Cessnock Lovedale
House price Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Income Higher than 24% of NSW —
Schools Higher than 9% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 58% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 34% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 79% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 44% of NSW —

Liveability

Cessnock is more walkable (88 vs 8); Lovedale scores higher overall (35 vs 24).

Cessnock Lovedale
Grade D C
Score 24/100 35/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Cessnock carries more bushfire risk (58 vs 44).

Cessnock Lovedale
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
44/100
Crime High
89/100
 High
83/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 Moderate
50/100
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Cessnock Lovedale
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cessnock

  • Cessnock East Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cessnock West Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mount View High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Patrick's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Lovedale

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cessnock Lovedale
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 1
Parks & reserves 22 0
Childcare 7 0
GPs 11 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 11 6

Mobility

Lovedale sits further from the CBD (176.4 km vs 152.3 km).

Cessnock Lovedale
Walkability score 88/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 152.3 km 176.4 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 127 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
 29/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 149.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2325
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2325
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.

Cessnock Lovedale
Car (driver) 78.6% / 56.1%
Cessnock — Car (driver): 78.6% Lovedale — Car (driver): 56.1%
Worked from Home 12.7% / 36.3%
Cessnock — Worked from Home: 12.7% Lovedale — Worked from Home: 36.3%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 2.8%
Cessnock — Car (passenger): 5.1% Lovedale — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 2.7% / 4.7%
Cessnock — Walked Only: 2.7% Lovedale — Walked Only: 4.7%
Bus 0.4% / —
Cessnock — Bus: 0.4% Lovedale — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.6%).

Setting

Cessnock Lovedale
Elevation 94 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.4 km 39.8 km

NBN connectivity

Cessnock Lovedale
Connectivity score 65/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 37%
7,577 premises
 1%
264 premises

Climate

Cessnock Lovedale
Annual rainfall 804 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cessnock Lovedale
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³ —
PM10 17.5 µg/m³ 19.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.72 pphm —

Council rates

Cessnock Lovedale
Average residential rate $1,405/yr
same for both
Council Cessnock
same for both

Federal electorate

Cessnock Lovedale
Division Hunter
same for both
Member Dan Repacholi
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cessnock Lovedale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cessnock

Parks Regional Centre

Lovedale

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cessnock

Cessnock vs Abermain Cessnock vs Aberdare Cessnock vs Bellbird Cessnock vs Pokolbin Cessnock vs Kearsley Cessnock vs Bellbird Heights

Other comparisons with Lovedale

Lovedale vs Greta Lovedale vs North Rothbury Lovedale vs Pokolbin Lovedale vs Nulkaba Lovedale vs Sawyers Gully Lovedale vs Keinbah
Full data on Cessnock Full data on Lovedale
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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