Sandgate vs Callaghan
Callaghan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 20 against 69 in Sandgate. In Sandgate, about half of households rent, most homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Callaghan tends to suit young adults.
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
Callaghan
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 99/100)
Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Callaghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $288/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Callaghan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (63/100 vs 42/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (154.8 km vs 157.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Callaghan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 99/100)
- is more walkable (63/100 vs 42/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Callaghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.4% vs -9.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Sandgate and Callaghan drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Sandgate rents higher ($288/wk vs $0/wk); Callaghan has more residents (1,358 vs 276).
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 276 | 1,358 +392% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -9.5% | +2.4% |
| Median age | 69 | 20 |
| Median household income | $35,724/yr | — |
| Median weekly rent | $288/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).
Property market
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $4,300,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Sandgate has more industrially zoned land (42% vs 0%); Sandgate has more land zoned for conservation (23% vs 0%).
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure and transport | 33% | 96% |
| Industrial | 42% | 0% |
| Environmental | 23% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 2% | 4% |
| 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
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 912 across Newcastle same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +77% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 98% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 2% of NSW | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 79% of NSW | Higher than 86% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 1% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 65% of NSW | Higher than 100% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 90% of NSW | Higher than 76% of NSW |
Liveability
Callaghan is more walkable (63 vs 42).
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | B |
| Score | — | 60/100 |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 | — |
Risk profile
Sandgate carries more bushfire risk (63 vs 0); Sandgate carries more crime risk (99 vs 64).
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 63/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 99/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| 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 | 7 within 5 km | 10 within 5 km |
Schools
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 2.8 km | 2 The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 0.0 km |
| Full-time students aged 15–24 | 1.1% | 69.4% |
Amenities in the suburb
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 9 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 9 |
| Childcare | 2 same for both | |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 4 |
Mobility
Sandgate sits further from the CBD (157.3 km vs 154.8 km).
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 42/100 | 63/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 157.3 km +2% vs other | 154.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 117 min | 118 min |
| Public transport score | 79/100 Rail · Bus | 79/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 33.8 7-9am + 5-7pm | 87.0 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 0 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2304 | 5.8% postcode 2308 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 31 postcode 2304 | — |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).
Setting
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 8 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 36 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.6 km | 5.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 82/100 | 68/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fibre to the building |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 74% 283 premises | 14% 22 premises |
Climate
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 21.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.75 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,783/yr same for both | |
| Council | Newcastle same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Newcastle same for both | |
| Member | Sharon Claydon same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Sandgate | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Sandgate
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Sandgate
Other comparisons with Callaghan
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.