Gateshead vs Windale

In both, most homes are detached houses. In Gateshead, about half of households rent. In Windale, the large majority of households rent. On these figures, Windale tends to suit renters and people living alone.

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

Gateshead

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 2)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (91% vs 75%)

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

First-home buyers

Gateshead

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (32% vs 44%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Windale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (81% vs 45%)
  • has cheaper rent ($186/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Windale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (25% vs 9%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gateshead Windale
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.

Gateshead Windale
Walkability 61 / 61
Gateshead — Walkability: 61/100 Windale — Walkability: 61/100
Safety 9 / 5
Gateshead — Safety: 9/100 Windale — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 36 / 100
Gateshead — Low fire risk: 36/100 Windale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gateshead rents higher ($300/wk vs $186/wk); Gateshead has higher household incomes ($64,064 vs $40,300).

Gateshead Windale
Population 3,121 3,421
+10% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.8% +1.9%
Median age 35 37
Median household income $64,064/yr
+37% vs other
 $40,300/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+38% vs other
 $186/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gateshead Windale
0-4 5.7% / 6.7%
Gateshead — 0-4: 5.7% Windale — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 14.5% / 15.4%
Gateshead — 5-14: 14.5% Windale — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 6.4% / 6.2%
Gateshead — 15-19: 6.4% Windale — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 6.1% / 5.5%
Gateshead — 20-24: 6.1% Windale — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 16.9% / 13.4%
Gateshead — 25-34: 16.9% Windale — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 11.4% / 11.1%
Gateshead — 35-44: 11.4% Windale — 35-44: 11.1%
45-54 11.1% / 12.3%
Gateshead — 45-54: 11.1% Windale — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 12.7% / 12.5%
Gateshead — 55-64: 12.7% Windale — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 8.4% / 10.3%
Gateshead — 65-74: 8.4% Windale — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 5.3% / 5.4%
Gateshead — 75-84: 5.3% Windale — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.8% / 1.2%
Gateshead — 85+: 1.8% Windale — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gateshead 36.2% lone person
Gateshead — Lone Person: 36.2% Gateshead — One Parent Families: 26.6% Gateshead — Couple Families: 30.6% Gateshead — Group Household: 5.0% Gateshead — Other Families: 1.7%
Windale 44.7% lone person
Windale — Lone Person: 44.7% Windale — One Parent Families: 31.5% Windale — Couple Families: 17.0% Windale — Group Household: 4.3% Windale — Other Families: 2.5%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gateshead 45.3% renting
Gateshead — Owned Outright: 23.1% Gateshead — Mortgage: 31.6% Gateshead — Renting: 45.3%
Windale 80.8% renting
Windale — Owned Outright: 7.7% Windale — Mortgage: 11.4% Windale — Renting: 80.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gateshead Windale
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 12.3%
Gateshead — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Windale — Certificate III & IV: 12.3%
Bachelor Degree 5.5% / 2.3%
Gateshead — Bachelor Degree: 5.5% Windale — Bachelor Degree: 2.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 2.6%
Gateshead — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Windale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 0.4%
Gateshead — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Windale — Postgraduate Degree: 0.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 0.1%
Gateshead — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Windale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

Gateshead Windale
England 1.2% / 1.2%
Gateshead — England: 1.2% Windale — England: 1.2%
New Zealand 1.2% / 0.7%
Gateshead — New Zealand: 1.2% Windale — New Zealand: 0.7%
Philippines 0.6% / 0.4%
Gateshead — Philippines: 0.6% Windale — Philippines: 0.4%
India 0.4% / 0.3%
Gateshead — India: 0.4% Windale — India: 0.3%
Germany 0.2% / 0.3%
Gateshead — Germany: 0.2% Windale — Germany: 0.3%
Scotland 0.3% / —
Gateshead — Scotland: 0.3% Windale — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gateshead 91.0% houses
Gateshead — Houses: 91.0% Gateshead — Townhouses: 5.1% Gateshead — Flats / Apartments: 3.9%
Windale 74.7% houses
Windale — Houses: 74.7% Windale — Townhouses: 17.0% Windale — Flats / Apartments: 8.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gateshead Windale
Median house price $802,500 $772,778
Median unit price $607,500 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 13 sales
 27 days
from 9 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.

Gateshead Windale
2 bed $720K / $660K
Gateshead — 2 bed: $720K (9 sales) Windale — 2 bed: $660K (5 sales)

9 vs 5 sales

3 bed $824K / $787K
Gateshead — 3 bed: $824K (44 sales) Windale — 3 bed: $787K (20 sales)

44 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

Gateshead has more land zoned for conservation (49% vs 3%).

Gateshead Windale
Residential 23% 65%
Environmental 49% 3%
Parks and recreation 10% 16%
Industrial 11% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 8%
Rural and farming 3% 1%
Other and special use 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

Gateshead Windale
New dwellings approved 1,212
across Lake Macquarie
same for both
Approvals change year on year +2%
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.

Gateshead Windale
Houses 3.9%
$690/wk on $915K
 4.1%
$610/wk on $778K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Gateshead Windale
House price Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 26% of NSW
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Schools Higher than 43% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 85% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 77% of NSW —
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW

Liveability

Windale scores higher overall (32 vs 26).

Gateshead Windale
Grade D C
Score 26/100 32/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Gateshead carries more bushfire risk (64 vs 0).

Gateshead Windale
Bushfire Moderate
64/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
91/100
 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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Gateshead Windale
Inside the suburb 5 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Gateshead

  • Hunter Sports High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • St Mary's Catholic College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Paul's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Wiripaang Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Lakeside School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Windale

  • St Pius X Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Windale Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gateshead Windale
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 5 1
Childcare 3 2
GPs 0 1
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 2
Waterways 9 3

Mobility

Gateshead Windale
Walkability score 61/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 143.2 km 142.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 116 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 91.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 60.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2290
 0.0%
postcode 2306
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 2290
 15
postcode 2306

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.

Gateshead Windale
Car (driver) 76.1% / 74.6%
Gateshead — Car (driver): 76.1% Windale — Car (driver): 74.6%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 8.7%
Gateshead — Worked from Home: 12.8% Windale — Worked from Home: 8.7%
Car (passenger) 7.6% / 10.9%
Gateshead — Car (passenger): 7.6% Windale — Car (passenger): 10.9%
Bus 1.6% / 2.8%
Gateshead — Bus: 1.6% Windale — Bus: 2.8%
Walked Only 1.4% / 2.2%
Gateshead — Walked Only: 1.4% Windale — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.1%).

Setting

Gateshead Windale
Elevation 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.3 km
4.4 km to a named beach
 4.1 km
4.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Gateshead Windale
Connectivity score 68/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
1,730 premises
 36%
1,682 premises

Climate

Gateshead Windale
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)

Gateshead Windale
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

Gateshead Windale
Average residential rate $1,708/yr
same for both
Council Lake Macquarie
same for both

Federal electorate

Gateshead Windale
Division Shortland
same for both
Member Pat Conroy
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gateshead Windale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gateshead

Large Blocks Parks Quiet River

Windale

Family River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gateshead

Gateshead vs Charlestown Gateshead vs Redhead Gateshead vs Mount Hutton Gateshead vs Whitebridge Gateshead vs Dudley

Other comparisons with Windale

Windale vs Mount Hutton Windale vs Jewells Windale vs Tingira Heights
Full data on Gateshead Full data on Windale
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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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