Newcastle vs The Hill

The Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 41 in Newcastle. In both, most households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. In Newcastle, most households are people living alone. In The Hill, about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in Newcastle: a median of $962,000, against $722,000 in The Hill, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Newcastle tends to suit people living alone, while The Hill suits share households 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

The Hill

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (13% vs 2%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (29% vs 19%)
  • But Newcastle has more childcare (5 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

  • Newcastle has cheaper houses ($1,492,500 vs $1,887,500)
  • The Hill has cheaper units ($722,000 vs $962,500)

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 $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 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 14%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (98% vs 87%)
  • But The Hill carries lower crime risk (69/100 vs 98/100)

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

Investors

Newcastle

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (39.9% vs 6.8%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.6% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Newcastle 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.

Newcastle 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.

Newcastle The Hill
Walkability 96 / 98
Newcastle — Walkability: 96/100 The Hill — Walkability: 98/100
Safety 2 / 31
Newcastle — Safety: 2/100 The Hill — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Newcastle — Low fire risk: 100/100 The Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newcastle has more residents (3,852 vs 2,076); Newcastle rents higher ($490/wk vs $390/wk).

Newcastle The Hill
Population 3,852
+46% vs other
 2,076
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +39.9% +6.8%
Median age 41 34
Median household income $101,036/yr
+5% vs other
 $96,148/yr
Median weekly rent $490/wk
+20% vs other
 $390/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Newcastle The Hill
0-4 2.5% / 2.8%
Newcastle — 0-4: 2.5% The Hill — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 3.7% / 7.6%
Newcastle — 5-14: 3.7% The Hill — 5-14: 7.6%
15-19 2.5% / 4.2%
Newcastle — 15-19: 2.5% The Hill — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 9.1% / 12.9%
Newcastle — 20-24: 9.1% The Hill — 20-24: 12.9%
25-34 23.0% / 24.2%
Newcastle — 25-34: 23.0% The Hill — 25-34: 24.2%
35-44 13.3% / 13.0%
Newcastle — 35-44: 13.3% The Hill — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.4% / 11.5%
Newcastle — 45-54: 12.4% The Hill — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 14.7% / 10.1%
Newcastle — 55-64: 14.7% The Hill — 55-64: 10.1%
65-74 12.1% / 8.9%
Newcastle — 65-74: 12.1% The Hill — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 5.6% / 3.8%
Newcastle — 75-84: 5.6% The Hill — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 1.3% / 1.2%
Newcastle — 85+: 1.3% The Hill — 85+: 1.2%

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

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%
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.

Newcastle 55.1% renting
Newcastle — Owned Outright: 25.8% Newcastle — Mortgage: 19.1% Newcastle — Renting: 55.1%
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.

Newcastle The Hill
Bachelor Degree 24.9% / 29.5%
Newcastle — Bachelor Degree: 24.9% The Hill — Bachelor Degree: 29.5%
Postgraduate Degree 11.5% / 12.7%
Newcastle — Postgraduate Degree: 11.5% The Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7%
Certificate III & IV 13.2% / 9.2%
Newcastle — Certificate III & IV: 13.2% The Hill — Certificate III & IV: 9.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.2% / 7.0%
Newcastle — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2% The Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 3.8%
Newcastle — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% 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.

Newcastle The Hill
England 3.2% / 2.2%
Newcastle — England: 3.2% The Hill — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.8%
Newcastle — New Zealand: 1.7% The Hill — New Zealand: 1.8%
India 1.2% / 0.9%
Newcastle — India: 1.2% The Hill — India: 0.9%
Germany 0.5% / 0.7%
Newcastle — Germany: 0.5% The Hill — Germany: 0.7%
China 0.6% / 0.5%
Newcastle — China: 0.6% The Hill — China: 0.5%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Newcastle — Philippines: 0.7% The Hill — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.6% / —
Newcastle — South Africa: 0.6% The Hill — South Africa: 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.

Newcastle 94.0% flats / apartments
Newcastle — Flats / Apartments: 94.0% Newcastle — Townhouses: 3.8% Newcastle — Houses: 2.2%
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

Newcastle The Hill
Median house price $1,492,500 $1,887,500
Median unit price $962,500 $722,000
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 The Hill
1 bed $704K / $535K
Newcastle — 1 bed: $704K (96 sales) The Hill — 1 bed: $535K (11 sales)

96 vs 11 sales

2 bed $1.12M / $764K
Newcastle — 2 bed: $1.12M (103 sales) The Hill — 2 bed: $764K (26 sales)

103 vs 26 sales

3 bed $2.05M / $1.44M
Newcastle — 3 bed: $2.05M (56 sales) The Hill — 3 bed: $1.44M (6 sales)

56 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Newcastle The Hill
Residential 51% 73%
Parks and recreation 37% 27%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 0%
Commercial 6% 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

Newcastle 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.

Newcastle The Hill
Houses 3.2%
$850/wk on $1.39M
 2.2%
$800/wk on $1.85M
Units 4.6%
$850/wk on $952K
 3.8%
$610/wk on $832K

Ranking within NSW

Newcastle The Hill
House price Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Income Higher than 69% 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 39% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW

Liveability

Newcastle scores higher overall (64 vs 59).

Newcastle 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

Newcastle carries more crime risk (98 vs 69).

Newcastle The Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 Moderate
69/100
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
 10
within 5 km

Schools

Newcastle The Hill
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 0.0 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 0.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.5% 5.8%

Schools in Newcastle

  • Newcastle Grammar Bolton Street Campus Independent · Secondary below peers

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

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

Mobility

Newcastle The Hill
Walkability score 96/100 98/100
Distance to Sydney 160.8 km 161 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 126 min 127 min
Public transport score 80/100
Tram · Bus · Ferry
 52/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 242.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 16.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 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.

Newcastle The Hill
Car (driver) 43.6% / 49.7%
Newcastle — Car (driver): 43.6% The Hill — Car (driver): 49.7%
Worked from Home 37.0% / 36.5%
Newcastle — Worked from Home: 37.0% The Hill — Worked from Home: 36.5%
Walked Only 12.5% / 8.8%
Newcastle — Walked Only: 12.5% The Hill — Walked Only: 8.8%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 1.5%
Newcastle — Car (passenger): 2.1% The Hill — Car (passenger): 1.5%
Bus 2.4% / 1.1%
Newcastle — Bus: 2.4% The Hill — Bus: 1.1%
Bicycle 1.4% / 1.8%
Newcastle — Bicycle: 1.4% The Hill — Bicycle: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.7%).

Setting

Newcastle The Hill
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 110 m
814 m to a named beach
 449 m
971 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Newcastle The Hill
Connectivity score 64/100 51/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
4,863 premises
 12%
1,265 premises

Climate

Newcastle 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)

Newcastle 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Newcastle The Hill
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

The Hill

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Newcastle

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

Other comparisons with The Hill

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