Shortland vs Callaghan
Callaghan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 20 against 33 in Shortland. In Shortland, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. 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
Shortland
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
- has more parks and reserves (12 vs 9)
- But Callaghan carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 79/100)
Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Callaghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $377/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Callaghan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 79/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Shortland
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.2% vs 2.4%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Shortland 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
Shortland rents higher ($377/wk vs $0/wk); Shortland has more residents (4,537 vs 1,358).
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,537 +70% vs other | 1,358 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.2% | +2.4% |
| Median age | 33 | 20 |
| Median household income | $69,888/yr | — |
| Median weekly rent | $377/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 (19.1%).
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 (1.7%).
Property market
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $810,000 | — |
| Median unit price | $707,500 | — |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 17 days from 28 sales | — |
Zoning mix
Shortland has more land zoned for conservation (42% vs 0%).
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure and transport | 24% | 96% |
| Environmental | 42% | 0% |
| Residential | 21% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 13% | 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
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 912 across Newcastle same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +77% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4.3% $650/wk on $780K | — |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 30% of NSW | — |
| Income | Higher than 33% of NSW | — |
| Schools | Higher than 84% of NSW | — |
| Walkability | Higher than 86% of NSW same for both | |
| Affordability | Higher than 59% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 47% of NSW | Higher than 100% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 75% of NSW | Higher than 76% of NSW |
| Rental yield (houses) | Higher than 87% of NSW | — |
Liveability
Callaghan scores higher overall (60 vs 43).
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | B |
| Score | 43/100 | 60/100 |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | — |
Risk profile
Shortland carries more bushfire risk (56 vs 0); Shortland carries more crime risk (79 vs 64).
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 56/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 79/100 | 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 | 5 within 5 km | 10 within 5 km |
Schools
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 4 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 2 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
| Universities within 10 km | 2 The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 1.9 km | 2 The University of Newcastle (Callaghan), 0.0 km |
| Full-time students aged 15–24 | 5.3% | 69.4% |
Schools in Shortland
- Our Lady of Victories Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
- Margaret Jurd College Independent · Secondary · Special school above peers
- Shortland Public School Government · Primary at peers
- Awabakal Environmental Education Centre Government · Combined
Schools in Callaghan
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 9 |
| Parks & reserves | 12 | 9 |
| Childcare | 2 same for both | |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 same for both | |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 5 | 4 |
Mobility
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 63/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Sydney | 156.5 km +1% vs other | 154.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 118 min same for both | |
| Public transport score | 78/100 Bus | 79/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 73.2 7-9am + 5-7pm | 87.0 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 0 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 2307 | 5.8% postcode 2308 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 33 postcode 2307 | — |
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 (74.1%).
Setting
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 25 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 36 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 6.5 km | 5.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 67/100 | 68/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the node | Fibre to the building |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 40% 2,006 premises | 14% 22 premises |
Climate
| Shortland | 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)
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.1 µg/m³ | 6.6 µg/m³ |
| PM10 | 16.5 µg/m³ | 21.1 µg/m³ |
| NO₂ | 0.53 pphm | 0.75 pphm |
Council rates
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,783/yr same for both | |
| Council | Newcastle same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Newcastle same for both | |
| Member | Sharon Claydon same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Shortland | Callaghan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Shortland
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.