Cooks Hill vs Newcastle

Cooks Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Newcastle. In both, most households rent. In Cooks Hill, about half of households are people living alone. In Newcastle, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cooks Hill: a median of $1.82 million, against $1.49 million in Newcastle, though rent is higher in Newcastle. On these figures, Cooks Hill tends to suit share households, while Newcastle suits 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

Cooks Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (17% vs 2%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (31% vs 19%)
  • But Newcastle has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)

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 has cheaper units ($810,000 vs $962,500)
  • Newcastle has cheaper houses ($1,492,500 vs $1,816,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($430/wk vs $490/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Newcastle

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (98% vs 83%)

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

Investors

Newcastle

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (39.9% vs 4.2%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Cooks Hill and Newcastle 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 Newcastle
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 Newcastle
Walkability 95 / 96
Cooks Hill — Walkability: 95/100 Newcastle — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 8 / 2
Cooks Hill — Safety: 8/100 Newcastle — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cooks Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newcastle — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newcastle skews older (41 vs 35); Newcastle rents higher ($490/wk vs $430/wk).

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Population 3,774 3,852
+2% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.2% +39.9%
Median age 35 41
Median household income $97,812/yr $101,036/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk $490/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill Newcastle
0-4 4.0% / 2.5%
Cooks Hill — 0-4: 4.0% Newcastle — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 7.3% / 3.7%
Cooks Hill — 5-14: 7.3% Newcastle — 5-14: 3.7%
15-19 4.0% / 2.5%
Cooks Hill — 15-19: 4.0% Newcastle — 15-19: 2.5%
20-24 12.2% / 9.1%
Cooks Hill — 20-24: 12.2% Newcastle — 20-24: 9.1%
25-34 21.6% / 23.0%
Cooks Hill — 25-34: 21.6% Newcastle — 25-34: 23.0%
35-44 12.2% / 13.3%
Cooks Hill — 35-44: 12.2% Newcastle — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 12.2% / 12.4%
Cooks Hill — 45-54: 12.2% Newcastle — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 11.5% / 14.7%
Cooks Hill — 55-64: 11.5% Newcastle — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 9.8% / 12.1%
Cooks Hill — 65-74: 9.8% Newcastle — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 4.1% / 5.6%
Cooks Hill — 75-84: 4.1% Newcastle — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 1.2% / 1.3%
Cooks Hill — 85+: 1.2% Newcastle — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

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%
Newcastle 70.0% lone person
Newcastle — Lone Person: 70.0% Newcastle — Couple Families: 11.8% Newcastle — Group Household: 9.9% Newcastle — One Parent Families: 7.1% Newcastle — Other Families: 1.2%
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%
Newcastle 55.1% renting
Newcastle — Owned Outright: 25.8% Newcastle — Mortgage: 19.1% Newcastle — Renting: 55.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Bachelor Degree 24.1% / 24.9%
Cooks Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.1% Newcastle — Bachelor Degree: 24.9%
Certificate III & IV 10.5% / 13.2%
Cooks Hill — Certificate III & IV: 10.5% Newcastle — Certificate III & IV: 13.2%
Postgraduate Degree 9.4% / 11.5%
Cooks Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 9.4% Newcastle — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 10.2%
Cooks Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Newcastle — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 2.9%
Cooks Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% Newcastle — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

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 Newcastle
England 3.2% / 3.2%
Cooks Hill — England: 3.2% Newcastle — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.7%
Cooks Hill — New Zealand: 1.3% Newcastle — New Zealand: 1.7%
India 0.3% / 1.2%
Cooks Hill — India: 0.3% Newcastle — India: 1.2%
Philippines 0.7% / 0.7%
Cooks Hill — Philippines: 0.7% Newcastle — Philippines: 0.7%
Germany 0.7% / 0.5%
Cooks Hill — Germany: 0.7% Newcastle — Germany: 0.5%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.6%
Cooks Hill — South Africa: 0.5% Newcastle — South Africa: 0.6%
Canada 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Canada: 0.7% Newcastle — 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 31.4% flats / apartments
Cooks Hill — Flats / Apartments: 31.4% Cooks Hill — Townhouses: 51.2% Cooks Hill — Houses: 17.4%
Newcastle 94.0% flats / apartments
Newcastle — Flats / Apartments: 94.0% Newcastle — Townhouses: 3.8% Newcastle — Houses: 2.2%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Median house price $1,816,000 $1,492,500
Median unit price $810,000 $962,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 16 sales
 —

Unit 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 Newcastle
1 bed $655K / $704K
Cooks Hill — 1 bed: $655K (11 sales) Newcastle — 1 bed: $704K (96 sales)

11 vs 96 sales

2 bed $795K / $1.12M
Cooks Hill — 2 bed: $795K (25 sales) Newcastle — 2 bed: $1.12M (103 sales)

25 vs 103 sales

3 bed $1.25M / $2.05M
Cooks Hill — 3 bed: $1.25M (15 sales) Newcastle — 3 bed: $2.05M (56 sales)

15 vs 56 sales

Zoning mix

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Residential 89% 51%
Parks and recreation 7% 37%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 6%
Commercial 4% 6%
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 Newcastle
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 Newcastle
Houses 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.39M
 3.2%
$850/wk on $1.39M
Units 4.3%
$630/wk on $768K
 4.6%
$850/wk on $952K

Ranking within NSW

Cooks Hill Newcastle
House price Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 High
98/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
47/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.3 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 0.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.8% 3.5%

Schools in Cooks Hill

  • Newcastle Grammar Park School Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in Newcastle

  • Newcastle Grammar Bolton Street Campus Independent · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Supermarkets 2
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 25 87
Parks & reserves 1 9
Childcare 3 5
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 2 4
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 7
EV chargers 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Walkability score 95/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 160 km 160.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 124 min 126 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 80/100
Tram · Bus · Ferry
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 242.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2300
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2300
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.

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Car (driver) 49.8% / 43.6%
Cooks Hill — Car (driver): 49.8% Newcastle — Car (driver): 43.6%
Worked from Home 34.7% / 37.0%
Cooks Hill — Worked from Home: 34.7% Newcastle — Worked from Home: 37.0%
Walked Only 9.4% / 12.5%
Cooks Hill — Walked Only: 9.4% Newcastle — Walked Only: 12.5%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 2.1%
Cooks Hill — Car (passenger): 2.1% Newcastle — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Bus 1.5% / 2.4%
Cooks Hill — Bus: 1.5% Newcastle — Bus: 2.4%
Bicycle 2.3% / 1.4%
Cooks Hill — Bicycle: 2.3% Newcastle — Bicycle: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.8%).

Setting

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 737 m
998 m to a named beach
 110 m
814 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cooks Hill Newcastle
Connectivity score 57/100 64/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
2,333 premises
 34%
4,863 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Cooks Hill Newcastle
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

Newcastle

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cooks Hill

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

Other comparisons with Newcastle

Newcastle vs Stockton Newcastle vs The Hill Newcastle vs Carrington Newcastle vs Tighes Hill Newcastle vs Wickham Newcastle vs Newcastle West
Full data on Cooks Hill Full data on Newcastle
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