Cessnock vs Pelton

Pelton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 40 in Cessnock. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Cessnock tends to suit people living alone, while Pelton suits 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

Cessnock

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Pelton has more separate houses rather than flats (107% vs 84%)

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

First-home buyers

Pelton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 29%)

Weighs 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 28%)
  • Pelton leaves renters under less rental stress (20% 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 22/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (117 min vs 125 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (152.3 km vs 159.5 km)

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 22/100)

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

Investors

Cessnock

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.4% vs -4.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Cessnock and Pelton 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 Pelton
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 Pelton
Walkability 88 / 22
Cessnock — Walkability: 88/100 Pelton — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 11 / 16
Cessnock — Safety: 11/100 Pelton — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 42 / 51
Cessnock — Low fire risk: 42/100 Pelton — Low fire risk: 51/100

Demographics

Cessnock has more residents (16,300 vs 82); Pelton has higher household incomes ($81,224 vs $61,984).

Cessnock Pelton
Population 16,300
+99% vs other
 82
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% -4.7%
Median age 40 34
Median household income $61,984/yr $81,224/yr
+31% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk
+3% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cessnock Pelton
0-4 5.7% / 9.8%
Cessnock — 0-4: 5.7% Pelton — 0-4: 9.8%
5-14 11.4% / 14.6%
Cessnock — 5-14: 11.4% Pelton — 5-14: 14.6%
15-19 5.4% / 8.5%
Cessnock — 15-19: 5.4% Pelton — 15-19: 8.5%
20-24 6.3% / 9.8%
Cessnock — 20-24: 6.3% Pelton — 20-24: 9.8%
25-34 14.3% / 15.9%
Cessnock — 25-34: 14.3% Pelton — 25-34: 15.9%
35-44 12.7% / 9.8%
Cessnock — 35-44: 12.7% Pelton — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 11.7% / 7.3%
Cessnock — 45-54: 11.7% Pelton — 45-54: 7.3%
55-64 11.3% / 8.5%
Cessnock — 55-64: 11.3% Pelton — 55-64: 8.5%
65-74 11.0% / 14.6%
Cessnock — 65-74: 11.0% Pelton — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 6.6% / 7.3%
Cessnock — 75-84: 6.6% Pelton — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ 3.5% / —
Cessnock — 85+: 3.5% Pelton — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cessnock 39.9% lone person
Cessnock — Lone Person: 39.9% Cessnock — Couple Families: 29.0% Cessnock — One Parent Families: 26.0% Cessnock — Group Household: 3.6% Cessnock — Other Families: 1.6%
Pelton 30.4% lone person
Pelton — Lone Person: 30.4% Pelton — Couple Families: 34.8% Pelton — One Parent Families: 34.8% Pelton — Group Household: 0.0% Pelton — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
Pelton 28.1% renting
Pelton — Owned Outright: 37.5% Pelton — Mortgage: 34.4% Pelton — Renting: 28.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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%
Pelton 106.7% houses
Pelton — Houses: 106.7% Pelton — Townhouses: 0.0% Pelton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Cessnock Pelton
Certificate III & IV 17.4% / 28.0%
Cessnock — Certificate III & IV: 17.4% Pelton — Certificate III & IV: 28.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 7.3%
Cessnock — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Pelton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Bachelor Degree 4.2% / 3.7%
Cessnock — Bachelor Degree: 4.2% Pelton — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / —
Cessnock — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Pelton — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Cessnock — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Pelton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.0%).

Property market

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

Zoning mix

Pelton has more land zoned for conservation (40% vs 8%).

Cessnock Pelton
Rural and farming 53% 57%
Environmental 8% 40%
Residential 24% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 3%
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 Pelton
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 Pelton
Houses 4.1%
$600/wk on $755K
 —
Units 4.5%
$455/wk on $522K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Cessnock Pelton
House price Higher than 24% of NSW —
Income Higher than 24% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Schools Higher than 9% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 71% 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 66% 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 22).

Cessnock Pelton
Grade D —
Score 24/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Cessnock Pelton
Bushfire Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime High
89/100
 High
84/100
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 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Cessnock Pelton
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 Pelton

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cessnock Pelton
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 22 1
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 3

Mobility

Pelton sits further from the CBD (159.5 km vs 152.3 km).

Cessnock Pelton
Walkability score 88/100 22/100
Distance to Sydney 152.3 km 159.5 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 125 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 149.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 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 Pelton
Car (driver) 78.6% / 74.1%
Cessnock — Car (driver): 78.6% Pelton — Car (driver): 74.1%
Worked from Home 12.7% / 25.9%
Cessnock — Worked from Home: 12.7% Pelton — Worked from Home: 25.9%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / —
Cessnock — Car (passenger): 5.1% Pelton — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.7% / —
Cessnock — Walked Only: 2.7% Pelton — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.4% / —
Cessnock — Bus: 0.4% Pelton — Bus: not among its largest

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

Setting

Cessnock Pelton
Elevation 94 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 149 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.4 km 38.1 km

NBN connectivity

Cessnock Pelton
Connectivity score 65/100 46/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 37%
7,577 premises
 5%
40 premises

Climate

Cessnock Pelton
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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Cessnock Pelton
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

Pelton

Family Rural Young Families

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 Pelton

Pelton vs Bellbird Pelton vs Ellalong Pelton vs Millfield Pelton vs Paxton Pelton vs Kitchener Pelton vs Mount View
Full data on Cessnock Full data on Pelton
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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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