Cooks Hill vs Hamilton South

Cooks Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 44 in Hamilton South. In both, about half of households are people living alone. In Cooks Hill, most households rent. In Hamilton South, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Cooks Hill: a median of $1.82 million, against $1.65 million in Hamilton South, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cooks Hill tends to suit renters, young adults, and share households.

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

Hamilton South

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (60% vs 17%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 31%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • Cooks Hill leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 39%)
  • Hamilton South has cheaper houses ($1,650,000 vs $1,816,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hamilton South

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($162/wk vs $430/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 23%)
  • But Cooks Hill has a bigger rental market to choose from (57% vs 45%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (95/100 vs 76/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooks Hill

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (83% vs 40%)
  • is more walkable (95/100 vs 76/100)

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

Investors

Hamilton South

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.6% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
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.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Walkability 95 / 76
Cooks Hill — Walkability: 95/100 Hamilton South — Walkability: 76/100
Safety 8 / 5
Cooks Hill — Safety: 8/100 Hamilton South — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cooks Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hamilton South — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cooks Hill rents higher ($430/wk vs $162/wk); Cooks Hill has higher household incomes ($97,812 vs $74,152).

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Population 3,774 4,057
+7% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.2% +4.7%
Median age 35 44
Median household income $97,812/yr
+24% vs other
 $74,152/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+62% vs other
 $162/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
0-4 4.0% / 4.6%
Cooks Hill — 0-4: 4.0% Hamilton South — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 7.3% / 12.3%
Cooks Hill — 5-14: 7.3% Hamilton South — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 4.0% / 5.5%
Cooks Hill — 15-19: 4.0% Hamilton South — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 12.2% / 6.0%
Cooks Hill — 20-24: 12.2% Hamilton South — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 21.6% / 10.6%
Cooks Hill — 25-34: 21.6% Hamilton South — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 12.2% / 11.7%
Cooks Hill — 35-44: 12.2% Hamilton South — 35-44: 11.7%
45-54 12.2% / 15.4%
Cooks Hill — 45-54: 12.2% Hamilton South — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 11.5% / 14.1%
Cooks Hill — 55-64: 11.5% Hamilton South — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 9.8% / 11.1%
Cooks Hill — 65-74: 9.8% Hamilton South — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 4.1% / 6.1%
Cooks Hill — 75-84: 4.1% Hamilton South — 75-84: 6.1%
85+ 1.2% / 2.7%
Cooks Hill — 85+: 1.2% Hamilton South — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill 49.6% lone person
Cooks Hill — Lone Person: 49.6% Cooks Hill — Couple Families: 19.4% Cooks Hill — Group Household: 18.2% Cooks Hill — One Parent Families: 11.4% Cooks Hill — Other Families: 1.4%
Hamilton South 47.7% lone person
Hamilton South — Lone Person: 47.7% Hamilton South — Couple Families: 34.5% Hamilton South — Group Household: 5.6% Hamilton South — One Parent Families: 11.2% Hamilton South — Other Families: 1.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill 56.6% renting
Cooks Hill — Owned Outright: 22.9% Cooks Hill — Mortgage: 20.5% Cooks Hill — Renting: 56.6%
Hamilton South 44.6% renting
Hamilton South — Owned Outright: 32.6% Hamilton South — Mortgage: 22.8% Hamilton South — Renting: 44.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Bachelor Degree 24.1% / 16.9%
Cooks Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.1% Hamilton South — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Certificate III & IV 10.5% / 10.0%
Cooks Hill — Certificate III & IV: 10.5% Hamilton South — Certificate III & IV: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 9.4% / 5.8%
Cooks Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 9.4% Hamilton South — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 6.2%
Cooks Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Hamilton South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 2.6%
Cooks Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Hamilton South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

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.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
England 3.2% / 2.3%
Cooks Hill — England: 3.2% Hamilton South — England: 2.3%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.1%
Cooks Hill — New Zealand: 1.3% Hamilton South — New Zealand: 1.1%
Greece — / 1.1%
Cooks Hill — Greece: not among its largest Hamilton South — Greece: 1.1%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.6%
Cooks Hill — Scotland: 0.5% Hamilton South — Scotland: 0.6%
Italy — / 1.0%
Cooks Hill — Italy: not among its largest Hamilton South — Italy: 1.0%
Germany 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Germany: 0.7% Hamilton South — Germany: not among its largest
Philippines 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Philippines: 0.7% Hamilton South — Philippines: not among its largest
Canada 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Canada: 0.7% Hamilton South — Canada: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill 17.4% houses
Cooks Hill — Houses: 17.4% Cooks Hill — Townhouses: 51.2% Cooks Hill — Flats / Apartments: 31.4%
Hamilton South 60.2% houses
Hamilton South — Houses: 60.2% Hamilton South — Townhouses: 11.9% Hamilton South — Flats / Apartments: 27.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Median house price $1,816,000 $1,650,000
Median unit price $810,000 $887,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 16 sales
 54 days
from 23 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
2 bed $1.25M / $1.14M
Cooks Hill — 2 bed: $1.25M (12 sales) Hamilton South — 2 bed: $1.14M (14 sales)

12 vs 14 sales

3 bed $1.82M / $1.52M
Cooks Hill — 3 bed: $1.82M (21 sales) Hamilton South — 3 bed: $1.52M (29 sales)

21 vs 29 sales

4 bed $2.16M / $1.89M
Cooks Hill — 4 bed: $2.16M (12 sales) Hamilton South — 4 bed: $1.89M (32 sales)

12 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Residential 89% 86%
Parks and recreation 7% 11%
Commercial 4% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +77%
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.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Houses 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.39M
 3.6%
$1,000/wk on $1.45M
Units 4.3%
$630/wk on $768K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
House price Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 35% of NSW —

Liveability

Cooks Hill scores higher overall (64 vs 49); Cooks Hill is more walkable (95 vs 76).

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 49/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 High
95/100
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 11
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.3 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 3.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.8% 2.8%

Schools in Cooks Hill

  • Newcastle Grammar Park School Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in Hamilton South

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 25 0
Parks & reserves 1 4
Childcare 3 1
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 2 1

Mobility

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Walkability score 95/100 76/100
Distance to Sydney 160 km 159.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 124 min 123 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 59.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2300
 1.5%
postcode 2303
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2300
 30
postcode 2303

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.

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Car (driver) 49.8% / 53.6%
Cooks Hill — Car (driver): 49.8% Hamilton South — Car (driver): 53.6%
Worked from Home 34.7% / 36.1%
Cooks Hill — Worked from Home: 34.7% Hamilton South — Worked from Home: 36.1%
Walked Only 9.4% / 2.8%
Cooks Hill — Walked Only: 9.4% Hamilton South — Walked Only: 2.8%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 3.7%
Cooks Hill — Car (passenger): 2.1% Hamilton South — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Bicycle 2.3% / 2.2%
Cooks Hill — Bicycle: 2.3% Hamilton South — Bicycle: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.6%).

Setting

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 737 m
998 m to a named beach
 1.8 km
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Connectivity score 57/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
2,333 premises
 22%
2,148 premises

Climate

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
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)

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 21.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.64 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cooks Hill Hamilton South
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cooks Hill

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Urban

Hamilton South

Coastal Parks Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cooks Hill

Cooks Hill vs Newcastle Cooks Hill vs The Hill Cooks Hill vs Newcastle West Cooks Hill vs Bar Beach Cooks Hill vs The Junction

Other comparisons with Hamilton South

Hamilton South vs Merewether Hamilton South vs Adamstown Hamilton South vs Hamilton Hamilton South vs Broadmeadow Hamilton South vs Newcastle West Hamilton South vs Hamilton East
Full data on Cooks Hill Full data on Hamilton South
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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