Sandgate vs Hexham

Hexham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 69 in Sandgate. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Sandgate, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. In Hexham, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Sandgate: a median of $4.3 million, against $430,000 in Hexham, though rent is higher in Hexham. On these figures, Sandgate tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Hexham suits young adults 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

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (103% vs 65%)

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

First-home buyers

Hexham

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($430,000 vs $4,300,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (32% vs 57%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (33% vs 42%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandgate

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 4/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (117 min vs 135 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (157.3 km vs 159.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sandgate

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 4/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (54% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.8% vs -9.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandgate Hexham
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.

Sandgate Hexham
Walkability 42 / 4
Sandgate — Walkability: 42/100 Hexham — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 1 / 1
Sandgate — Safety: 1/100 Hexham — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 37 / 47
Sandgate — Low fire risk: 37/100 Hexham — Low fire risk: 47/100

Demographics

Sandgate skews older (69 vs 35); Sandgate has more residents (276 vs 157).

Sandgate Hexham
Population 276
+43% vs other
 157
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -9.5% +20.8%
Median age 69 35
Median household income $35,724/yr $48,256/yr
+35% vs other
Median weekly rent $288/wk $305/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandgate Hexham
0-4 5.4% / 3.2%
Sandgate — 0-4: 5.4% Hexham — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 4.3% / 14.0%
Sandgate — 5-14: 4.3% Hexham — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 1.4% / 5.7%
Sandgate — 15-19: 1.4% Hexham — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 1.8% / 8.9%
Sandgate — 20-24: 1.8% Hexham — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 9.8% / 16.6%
Sandgate — 25-34: 9.8% Hexham — 25-34: 16.6%
35-44 8.3% / 13.4%
Sandgate — 35-44: 8.3% Hexham — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 7.2% / 7.0%
Sandgate — 45-54: 7.2% Hexham — 45-54: 7.0%
55-64 6.9% / 12.1%
Sandgate — 55-64: 6.9% Hexham — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 11.2% / 11.5%
Sandgate — 65-74: 11.2% Hexham — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 14.1% / 5.7%
Sandgate — 75-84: 14.1% Hexham — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 28.3% / 3.2%
Sandgate — 85+: 28.3% Hexham — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandgate 61.7% lone person
Sandgate — Lone Person: 61.7% Sandgate — One Parent Families: 15.0% Sandgate — Couple Families: 16.7% Sandgate — Group Household: 6.7% Sandgate — Other Families: 0.0%
Hexham 48.2% lone person
Hexham — Lone Person: 48.2% Hexham — One Parent Families: 23.2% Hexham — Couple Families: 8.9% Hexham — Group Household: 12.5% Hexham — Other Families: 7.1%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandgate 46.7% renting
Sandgate — Owned Outright: 26.7% Sandgate — Mortgage: 26.7% Sandgate — Renting: 46.7%
Hexham 38.2% renting
Hexham — Owned Outright: 32.7% Hexham — Mortgage: 29.1% Hexham — Renting: 38.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandgate 65.3% houses
Sandgate — Houses: 65.3% Sandgate — Townhouses: 21.3% Sandgate — Flats / Apartments: 13.3%
Hexham 103.4% houses
Hexham — Houses: 103.4% Hexham — Townhouses: 0.0% Hexham — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Sandgate Hexham
Certificate III & IV 7.2% / 10.2%
Sandgate — Certificate III & IV: 7.2% Hexham — Certificate III & IV: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.0% / 5.7%
Sandgate — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0% Hexham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Bachelor Degree 3.6% / 1.9%
Sandgate — Bachelor Degree: 3.6% Hexham — Bachelor Degree: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
Sandgate — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Hexham — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / —
Sandgate — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Hexham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.2%).

Property market

Sandgate Hexham
Median house price $4,300,000 $430,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,280,000

Zoning mix

Hexham has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 23%); Sandgate has more industrially zoned land (42% vs 10%).

Sandgate Hexham
Environmental 23% 88%
Industrial 42% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 33% 3%
Parks and recreation 2% 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Sandgate Hexham
House price Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 2% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 1% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 65% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW

Liveability

Sandgate is more walkable (42 vs 4).

Sandgate Hexham
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Sandgate carries more bushfire risk (63 vs 53).

Sandgate Hexham
Bushfire Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
53/100
Crime High
99/100
same for both
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
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Sandgate Hexham
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
 1
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 5.4 km

Amenities in the suburb

Sandgate Hexham
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 2 0
Fuel stations 1 3
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Hexham sits further from the CBD (159.9 km vs 157.3 km).

Sandgate Hexham
Walkability score 42/100 4/100
Distance to Sydney 157.3 km 159.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 117 min 135 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 33.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 32.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2304
 0.7%
postcode 2322
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2304
 64
postcode 2322

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.

Sandgate Hexham
Car (driver) 100.0% / 80.0%
Sandgate — Car (driver): 100.0% Hexham — Car (driver): 80.0%
Car (passenger) — / 10.0%
Sandgate — Car (passenger): not among its largest Hexham — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Worked from Home — / 10.0%
Sandgate — Worked from Home: not among its largest Hexham — Worked from Home: 10.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Sandgate Hexham
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.6 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Sandgate Hexham
Connectivity score 82/100 47/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 74%
283 premises
 12%
154 premises

Climate

Sandgate Hexham
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 Hexham
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 21.1 µg/m³ 16.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.75 pphm 0.53 pphm

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Sandgate Hexham
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Sandgate

Luxury Multicultural Retirees Townhouses

Hexham

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandgate

Sandgate vs Shortland Sandgate vs Mayfield West Sandgate vs Warabrook Sandgate vs Callaghan

Other comparisons with Hexham

Hexham vs Fletcher Hexham vs Maryland Hexham vs Shortland Hexham vs Tarro Hexham vs Black Hill Hexham vs Lenaghan
Full data on Sandgate Full data on Hexham
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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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