Cooks Hill vs The Hill

In both, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In The Hill, most homes are flats or apartments.

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

The Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (69/100 vs 92/100)

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

First-home buyers

The Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($722,000 vs $810,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

The Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($390/wk vs $430/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

The Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (69/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Cooks Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.0% vs 2.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.3% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Cooks Hill and The Hill 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 The Hill
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 The Hill
Walkability 95 / 98
Cooks Hill — Walkability: 95/100 The Hill — Walkability: 98/100
Safety 8 / 31
Cooks Hill — Safety: 8/100 The Hill — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cooks Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 The Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cooks Hill has more residents (3,774 vs 2,076); Cooks Hill rents higher ($430/wk vs $390/wk).

Cooks Hill The Hill
Population 3,774
+45% vs other
 2,076
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.2% +6.8%
Median age 35 34
Median household income $97,812/yr
+2% vs other
 $96,148/yr
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+9% vs other
 $390/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill The Hill
0-4 4.0% / 2.8%
Cooks Hill — 0-4: 4.0% The Hill — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 7.3% / 7.6%
Cooks Hill — 5-14: 7.3% The Hill — 5-14: 7.6%
15-19 4.0% / 4.2%
Cooks Hill — 15-19: 4.0% The Hill — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 12.2% / 12.9%
Cooks Hill — 20-24: 12.2% The Hill — 20-24: 12.9%
25-34 21.6% / 24.2%
Cooks Hill — 25-34: 21.6% The Hill — 25-34: 24.2%
35-44 12.2% / 13.0%
Cooks Hill — 35-44: 12.2% The Hill — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.2% / 11.5%
Cooks Hill — 45-54: 12.2% The Hill — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 11.5% / 10.1%
Cooks Hill — 55-64: 11.5% The Hill — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 9.8% / 8.9%
Cooks Hill — 65-74: 9.8% The Hill — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 4.1% / 3.8%
Cooks Hill — 75-84: 4.1% The Hill — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 1.2% / 1.2%
Cooks Hill — 85+: 1.2% The Hill — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).

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%
The Hill 52.5% lone person
The Hill — Lone Person: 52.5% The Hill — Couple Families: 21.0% The Hill — Group Household: 17.9% The Hill — One Parent Families: 7.9% The Hill — Other Families: 0.7%
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%
The Hill 55.4% renting
The Hill — Owned Outright: 24.8% The Hill — Mortgage: 19.8% The Hill — Renting: 55.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cooks Hill The Hill
Bachelor Degree 24.1% / 29.5%
Cooks Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.1% The Hill — Bachelor Degree: 29.5%
Postgraduate Degree 9.4% / 12.7%
Cooks Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 9.4% The Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7%
Certificate III & IV 10.5% / 9.2%
Cooks Hill — Certificate III & IV: 10.5% The Hill — Certificate III & IV: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 7.0%
Cooks Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% The Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 3.8%
Cooks Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% The Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.5%).

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 The Hill
England 3.2% / 2.2%
Cooks Hill — England: 3.2% The Hill — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.8%
Cooks Hill — New Zealand: 1.3% The Hill — New Zealand: 1.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.7%
Cooks Hill — Germany: 0.7% The Hill — Germany: 0.7%
India 0.3% / 0.9%
Cooks Hill — India: 0.3% The Hill — India: 0.9%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Philippines: 0.7% The Hill — Philippines: not among its largest
Canada 0.7% / —
Cooks Hill — Canada: 0.7% The Hill — Canada: not among its largest
China — / 0.5%
Cooks Hill — China: not among its largest The Hill — China: 0.5%

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%
The Hill 62.2% flats / apartments
The Hill — Flats / Apartments: 62.2% The Hill — Townhouses: 24.4% The Hill — Houses: 13.4%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Cooks Hill The Hill
Median house price $1,816,000 $1,887,500
Median unit price $810,000 $722,000
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 The Hill
1 bed $655K / $535K
Cooks Hill — 1 bed: $655K (11 sales) The Hill — 1 bed: $535K (11 sales)

11 vs 11 sales

2 bed $795K / $764K
Cooks Hill — 2 bed: $795K (25 sales) The Hill — 2 bed: $764K (26 sales)

25 vs 26 sales

3 bed $1.25M / $1.44M
Cooks Hill — 3 bed: $1.25M (15 sales) The Hill — 3 bed: $1.44M (6 sales)

15 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Cooks Hill The Hill
Residential 89% 73%
Parks and recreation 7% 27%
Commercial 4% 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

Cooks Hill The Hill
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 The Hill
Houses 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.39M
 2.2%
$800/wk on $1.85M
Units 4.3%
$630/wk on $768K
 3.8%
$610/wk on $832K

Ranking within NSW

Cooks Hill The Hill
House price Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Income Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 14% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW

Liveability

Cooks Hill scores higher overall (64 vs 59).

Cooks Hill The Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 59/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cooks Hill carries more crime risk (92 vs 69).

Cooks Hill The Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 Moderate
69/100
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
 10
within 5 km

Schools

Cooks Hill The Hill
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
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), 0.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.8%
same for both

Schools in Cooks Hill

  • Newcastle Grammar Park School Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in The Hill

  • Newcastle East Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Newcastle Grammar School Independent · Combined
  • Indie School Newcastle Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Cooks Hill The Hill
Walkability score 95/100 98/100
Distance to Sydney 160 km 161 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 124 min 127 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 52/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 16.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 The Hill
Car (driver) 49.8% / 49.7%
Cooks Hill — Car (driver): 49.8% The Hill — Car (driver): 49.7%
Worked from Home 34.7% / 36.5%
Cooks Hill — Worked from Home: 34.7% The Hill — Worked from Home: 36.5%
Walked Only 9.4% / 8.8%
Cooks Hill — Walked Only: 9.4% The Hill — Walked Only: 8.8%
Bicycle 2.3% / 1.8%
Cooks Hill — Bicycle: 2.3% The Hill — Bicycle: 1.8%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 1.5%
Cooks Hill — Car (passenger): 2.1% The Hill — Car (passenger): 1.5%

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

Setting

Cooks Hill The Hill
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 737 m
998 m to a named beach
 449 m
971 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cooks Hill The Hill
Connectivity score 57/100 51/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
2,333 premises
 12%
1,265 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Cooks Hill The Hill
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

The Hill

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cooks Hill

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

Other comparisons with The Hill

The Hill vs Newcastle The Hill vs Bar Beach
Full data on Cooks Hill Full data on The Hill
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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