Hexham vs Lenaghan

Hexham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 43 in Lenaghan. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hexham, about half of households are people living alone. In Lenaghan, most households are couple families. On these figures, Lenaghan tends to suit families with children and couples.

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

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 99/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 32%)

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

First-home buyers

Lenaghan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Hexham

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $400/wk)
  • But Lenaghan leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 33%)

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

Commuting to the city

Lenaghan

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 4/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (109 min vs 135 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (149.2 km vs 159.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lenaghan

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 99/100)
  • is more walkable (14/100 vs 4/100)
  • But Hexham has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 14%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hexham Lenaghan
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.

Hexham Lenaghan
Walkability 4 / 14
Hexham — Walkability: 4/100 Lenaghan — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 1 / 84
Hexham — Safety: 1/100 Lenaghan — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 47 / 100
Hexham — Low fire risk: 47/100 Lenaghan — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Lenaghan has higher household incomes ($159,224 vs $48,256); Hexham has more residents (157 vs 70).

Hexham Lenaghan
Population 157
+55% vs other
 70
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.8% +18.6%
Median age 35 43
Median household income $48,256/yr $159,224/yr
+230% vs other
Median weekly rent $305/wk $400/wk
+31% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hexham Lenaghan
0-4 3.2% / 7.1%
Hexham — 0-4: 3.2% Lenaghan — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 14.0% / 14.3%
Hexham — 5-14: 14.0% Lenaghan — 5-14: 14.3%
15-19 5.7% / 10.0%
Hexham — 15-19: 5.7% Lenaghan — 15-19: 10.0%
20-24 8.9% / 10.0%
Hexham — 20-24: 8.9% Lenaghan — 20-24: 10.0%
25-34 16.6% / 8.6%
Hexham — 25-34: 16.6% Lenaghan — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 13.4% / —
Hexham — 35-44: 13.4% Lenaghan — 35-44: not among its largest
45-54 7.0% / 28.6%
Hexham — 45-54: 7.0% Lenaghan — 45-54: 28.6%
55-64 12.1% / 12.9%
Hexham — 55-64: 12.1% Lenaghan — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 11.5% / —
Hexham — 65-74: 11.5% Lenaghan — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 5.7% / 5.7%
Hexham — 75-84: 5.7% Lenaghan — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 3.2% / 8.6%
Hexham — 85+: 3.2% Lenaghan — 85+: 8.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hexham 8.9% couple families
Hexham — Couple Families: 8.9% Hexham — One Parent Families: 23.2% Hexham — Lone Person: 48.2% Hexham — Group Household: 12.5% Hexham — Other Families: 7.1%
Lenaghan 62.5% couple families
Lenaghan — Couple Families: 62.5% Lenaghan — One Parent Families: 37.5% Lenaghan — Lone Person: 0.0% Lenaghan — Group Household: 0.0% Lenaghan — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hexham 38.2% renting
Hexham — Owned Outright: 32.7% Hexham — Mortgage: 29.1% Hexham — Renting: 38.2%
Lenaghan 16.7% renting
Lenaghan — Owned Outright: 29.2% Lenaghan — Mortgage: 54.2% Lenaghan — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hexham 103.4% houses
Hexham — Houses: 103.4%
Lenaghan 100.0% houses
Lenaghan — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Hexham Lenaghan
Certificate III & IV 10.2% / 30.0%
Hexham — Certificate III & IV: 10.2% Lenaghan — Certificate III & IV: 30.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.7% / 10.0%
Hexham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7% Lenaghan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Bachelor Degree 1.9% / 11.4%
Hexham — Bachelor Degree: 1.9% Lenaghan — Bachelor Degree: 11.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.0%).

Property market

Hexham Lenaghan
Median house price $430,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,280,000 —

Zoning mix

Hexham Lenaghan
Environmental 88% 95%
Industrial 10% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 5%
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

Hexham Lenaghan
New dwellings approved 912
across Newcastle
same for both
Approvals change year on year +77%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Hexham Lenaghan
House price Higher than 12% of NSW —
Income Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 73% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW

Liveability

Lenaghan is more walkable (14 vs 4).

Hexham Lenaghan
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Hexham carries more bushfire risk (53 vs 0); Hexham carries more crime risk (99 vs 16).

Hexham Lenaghan
Bushfire Moderate
53/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
99/100
 Low
16/100
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 5
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Hexham Lenaghan
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
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 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 5.4 km
 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 8.3 km

Amenities in the suburb

Hexham Lenaghan
Parks & reserves 2 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 4 0

Mobility

Hexham sits further from the CBD (159.9 km vs 149.2 km).

Hexham Lenaghan
Walkability score 4/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 159.9 km
+7% vs other
 149.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 135 min 109 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2322
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 2322
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.

Hexham Lenaghan
Car (driver) 80.0% / 62.5%
Hexham — Car (driver): 80.0% Lenaghan — Car (driver): 62.5%
Worked from Home 10.0% / 37.5%
Hexham — Worked from Home: 10.0% Lenaghan — Worked from Home: 37.5%
Car (passenger) 10.0% / —
Hexham — Car (passenger): 10.0% Lenaghan — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.0%).

Setting

Hexham Lenaghan
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 -1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.1 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

Hexham Lenaghan
Connectivity score 47/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 12%
154 premises
 0%
22 premises

Climate

Hexham Lenaghan
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)

Hexham Lenaghan
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Hexham Lenaghan
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Hexham Lenaghan
Division Newcastle Paterson
Member Sharon Claydon Meryl Swanson
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hexham Lenaghan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hexham

Affordable Rural

Lenaghan

Rural Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hexham

Hexham vs Fletcher Hexham vs Maryland Hexham vs Shortland Hexham vs Tarro Hexham vs Black Hill Hexham vs Sandgate

Other comparisons with Lenaghan

Lenaghan vs Fletcher Lenaghan vs Minmi Lenaghan vs Black Hill Lenaghan vs Stockrington
Full data on Hexham Full data on Lenaghan
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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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