Newcastle vs Newcastle West

In both, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Newcastle: a median of $962,000, against $870,000 in Newcastle West, and rent is higher there too.

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

Newcastle

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Newcastle West

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($847,500 vs $1,492,500)
  • has cheaper units ($870,000 vs $962,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

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

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 West

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 2)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Newcastle West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (135.1% vs 39.9%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Newcastle Newcastle West
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.

Newcastle Newcastle West
Walkability 96 / 99
Newcastle — Walkability: 96/100 Newcastle West — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 2 / 1
Newcastle — Safety: 2/100 Newcastle West — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Newcastle — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newcastle West — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newcastle has more residents (3,852 vs 1,453); Newcastle has higher household incomes ($101,036 vs $85,228).

Newcastle Newcastle West
Population 3,852
+62% vs other
 1,453
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +39.9% +135.1%
Median age 41 42
Median household income $101,036/yr
+16% vs other
 $85,228/yr
Median weekly rent $490/wk
+6% vs other
 $460/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Newcastle Newcastle West
0-4 2.5% / 2.4%
Newcastle — 0-4: 2.5% Newcastle West — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 3.7% / 3.0%
Newcastle — 5-14: 3.7% Newcastle West — 5-14: 3.0%
15-19 2.5% / 2.1%
Newcastle — 15-19: 2.5% Newcastle West — 15-19: 2.1%
20-24 9.1% / 8.9%
Newcastle — 20-24: 9.1% Newcastle West — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 23.0% / 25.5%
Newcastle — 25-34: 23.0% Newcastle West — 25-34: 25.5%
35-44 13.3% / 10.3%
Newcastle — 35-44: 13.3% Newcastle West — 35-44: 10.3%
45-54 12.4% / 8.5%
Newcastle — 45-54: 12.4% Newcastle West — 45-54: 8.5%
55-64 14.7% / 12.9%
Newcastle — 55-64: 14.7% Newcastle West — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 12.1% / 11.6%
Newcastle — 65-74: 12.1% Newcastle West — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 5.6% / 9.4%
Newcastle — 75-84: 5.6% Newcastle West — 75-84: 9.4%
85+ 1.3% / 5.0%
Newcastle — 85+: 1.3% Newcastle West — 85+: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Newcastle West 70.3% lone person
Newcastle West — Lone Person: 70.3% Newcastle West — Couple Families: 12.4% Newcastle West — Group Household: 10.9% Newcastle West — One Parent Families: 5.8% Newcastle West — Other Families: 0.5%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Newcastle 55.1% renting
Newcastle — Owned Outright: 25.8% Newcastle — Mortgage: 19.1% Newcastle — Renting: 55.1%
Newcastle West 56.1% renting
Newcastle West — Owned Outright: 25.3% Newcastle West — Mortgage: 18.6% Newcastle West — Renting: 56.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Newcastle Newcastle West
Bachelor Degree 24.9% / 24.0%
Newcastle — Bachelor Degree: 24.9% Newcastle West — Bachelor Degree: 24.0%
Certificate III & IV 13.2% / 13.7%
Newcastle — Certificate III & IV: 13.2% Newcastle West — Certificate III & IV: 13.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.2% / 10.0%
Newcastle — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2% Newcastle West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 11.5% / 8.1%
Newcastle — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5% Newcastle West — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 3.0%
Newcastle — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Newcastle West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

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.

Newcastle Newcastle West
England 3.2% / 3.6%
Newcastle — England: 3.2% Newcastle West — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.5%
Newcastle — New Zealand: 1.7% Newcastle West — New Zealand: 1.5%
India 1.2% / 1.6%
Newcastle — India: 1.2% Newcastle West — India: 1.6%
China 0.6% / 1.6%
Newcastle — China: 0.6% Newcastle West — China: 1.6%
Vietnam — / 0.8%
Newcastle — Vietnam: not among its largest Newcastle West — Vietnam: 0.8%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Newcastle — Philippines: 0.7% Newcastle West — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.6% / —
Newcastle — South Africa: 0.6% Newcastle West — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Newcastle 94.0% flats / apartments
Newcastle — Flats / Apartments: 94.0% Newcastle — Townhouses: 3.8% Newcastle — Houses: 2.2%
Newcastle West 96.9% flats / apartments
Newcastle West — Flats / Apartments: 96.9% Newcastle West — Townhouses: 1.4% Newcastle West — Houses: 1.7%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Newcastle Newcastle West
Median house price $1,492,500 $847,500
Median unit price $962,500 $870,000
Median land price —
same for both

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Newcastle Newcastle West
1 bed $704K / $635K
Newcastle — 1 bed: $704K (96 sales) Newcastle West — 1 bed: $635K (31 sales)

96 vs 31 sales

2 bed $1.12M / $800K
Newcastle — 2 bed: $1.12M (103 sales) Newcastle West — 2 bed: $800K (83 sales)

103 vs 83 sales

3 bed $2.05M / $1.14M
Newcastle — 3 bed: $2.05M (56 sales) Newcastle West — 3 bed: $1.14M (24 sales)

56 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Newcastle West has more commercially zoned land (18% vs 6%).

Newcastle Newcastle West
Residential 51% 41%
Parks and recreation 37% 30%
Commercial 6% 18%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 10%
Planning zones cover 100% of Newcastle and 99% of Newcastle West. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Newcastle Newcastle West
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.

Newcastle Newcastle West
Houses 3.2%
$850/wk on $1.39M
 —
Units 4.6%
$850/wk on $952K
 4.3%
$778/wk on $938K

Ranking within NSW

Newcastle Newcastle West
House price Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW

Liveability

Newcastle Newcastle West
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 61/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Newcastle Newcastle West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 High
99/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
47/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 13
within 5 km
 15
within 5 km

Schools

Newcastle Newcastle West
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 0.0 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.5% 4.6%

Schools in Newcastle

  • Newcastle Grammar Bolton Street Campus Independent · Secondary below peers

Schools in Newcastle West

  • Novoschool Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Newcastle High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Newcastle Newcastle West
Supermarkets 2 3
Cafes & restaurants 87 15
Parks & reserves 9 3
Childcare 5 3
GPs 2 5
Pharmacies 4 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 5
EV chargers 1
same for both
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Newcastle Newcastle West
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 160.8 km
+1% vs other
 159.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 126 min 122 min
Public transport score 80/100
Tram · Bus · Ferry
 82/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 242.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 253.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2300
 0.8%
postcode 2302
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2300
 3
postcode 2302

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.

Newcastle Newcastle West
Car (driver) 43.6% / 47.6%
Newcastle — Car (driver): 43.6% Newcastle West — Car (driver): 47.6%
Worked from Home 37.0% / 35.1%
Newcastle — Worked from Home: 37.0% Newcastle West — Worked from Home: 35.1%
Walked Only 12.5% / 9.0%
Newcastle — Walked Only: 12.5% Newcastle West — Walked Only: 9.0%
Bus 2.4% / 3.2%
Newcastle — Bus: 2.4% Newcastle West — Bus: 3.2%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 2.0%
Newcastle — Car (passenger): 2.1% Newcastle West — Car (passenger): 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (47.6%).

Setting

Newcastle Newcastle West
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 110 m
814 m to a named beach
 1.4 km
1.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Newcastle Newcastle West
Connectivity score 64/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
4,863 premises
 44%
1,880 premises

Climate

Newcastle Newcastle West
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)

Newcastle Newcastle West
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

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

Federal electorate

Newcastle Newcastle West
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Newcastle Newcastle West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Newcastle

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

Newcastle West

Apartments Coastal Parks Professionals Retirees River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Newcastle

Newcastle vs Stockton Newcastle vs Cooks Hill Newcastle vs The Hill Newcastle vs Carrington Newcastle vs Tighes Hill Newcastle vs Wickham

Other comparisons with Newcastle West

Newcastle West vs Hamilton Newcastle West vs Hamilton South Newcastle West vs Cooks Hill Newcastle West vs Wickham Newcastle West vs Hamilton East
Full data on Newcastle Full data on Newcastle West
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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