Shortland vs Hexham

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Hexham, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Shortland: a median of $810,000, against $430,000 in Hexham, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Hexham tends to suit 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

Shortland

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (45% vs 32%)
  • But Hexham has more separate houses rather than flats (103% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($430,000 vs $810,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hexham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($305/wk vs $377/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Shortland

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 4/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (118 min vs 135 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (156.5 km vs 159.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Shortland

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 4/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (79/100 vs 99/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Shortland 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.

Shortland 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.

Shortland Hexham
Walkability 63 / 4
Shortland — Walkability: 63/100 Hexham — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 21 / 1
Shortland — Safety: 21/100 Hexham — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 44 / 47
Shortland — Low fire risk: 44/100 Hexham — Low fire risk: 47/100

Demographics

Shortland has more residents (4,537 vs 157); Shortland has higher household incomes ($69,888 vs $48,256).

Shortland Hexham
Population 4,537
+97% vs other
 157
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.2% +20.8%
Median age 33 35
Median household income $69,888/yr
+31% vs other
 $48,256/yr
Median weekly rent $377/wk
+19% vs other
 $305/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Shortland Hexham
0-4 6.3% / 3.2%
Shortland — 0-4: 6.3% Hexham — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 9.3% / 14.0%
Shortland — 5-14: 9.3% Hexham — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 4.7% / 5.7%
Shortland — 15-19: 4.7% Hexham — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 11.4% / 8.9%
Shortland — 20-24: 11.4% Hexham — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 20.8% / 16.6%
Shortland — 25-34: 20.8% Hexham — 25-34: 16.6%
35-44 11.0% / 13.4%
Shortland — 35-44: 11.0% Hexham — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 8.0% / 7.0%
Shortland — 45-54: 8.0% Hexham — 45-54: 7.0%
55-64 8.7% / 12.1%
Shortland — 55-64: 8.7% Hexham — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 9.7% / 11.5%
Shortland — 65-74: 9.7% Hexham — 65-74: 11.5%
75-84 7.8% / 5.7%
Shortland — 75-84: 7.8% Hexham — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 2.6% / 3.2%
Shortland — 85+: 2.6% Hexham — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Shortland 40.5% lone person
Shortland — Lone Person: 40.5% Shortland — One Parent Families: 18.0% Shortland — Couple Families: 27.4% Shortland — Group Household: 11.4% Shortland — Other Families: 2.6%
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.

Shortland 39.3% renting
Shortland — Owned Outright: 27.0% Shortland — Mortgage: 33.8% Shortland — Renting: 39.3%
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.

Shortland 69.7% houses
Shortland — Houses: 69.7% Shortland — Townhouses: 28.2% Shortland — Flats / Apartments: 2.0%
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.

Shortland Hexham
Certificate III & IV 19.1% / 10.2%
Shortland — Certificate III & IV: 19.1% Hexham — Certificate III & IV: 10.2%
Bachelor Degree 10.6% / 1.9%
Shortland — Bachelor Degree: 10.6% Hexham — Bachelor Degree: 1.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 5.7%
Shortland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Hexham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / —
Shortland — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Hexham — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / —
Shortland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Hexham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Property market

Shortland Hexham
Median house price $810,000 $430,000
Median unit price $707,500 —
Median land price — $1,280,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 28 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Hexham has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 42%).

Shortland Hexham
Environmental 42% 88%
Infrastructure and transport 24% 3%
Residential 21% 0%
Parks and recreation 13% 0%
Industrial 0% 10%
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 Hexham
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.

Shortland Hexham
Houses 4.3%
$650/wk on $780K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Shortland Hexham
House price Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Income Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Schools Higher than 84% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 87% of NSW —

Liveability

Shortland is more walkable (63 vs 4).

Shortland Hexham
Grade C —
Score 43/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Hexham carries more crime risk (99 vs 79).

Shortland Hexham
Bushfire Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
53/100
Crime High
79/100
 High
99/100
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
same for both

Schools

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

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 Hexham

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Shortland Hexham
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 12 2
Childcare 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 3
Waterways 5 4

Mobility

Hexham sits further from the CBD (159.9 km vs 156.5 km).

Shortland Hexham
Walkability score 63/100 4/100
Distance to Sydney 156.5 km 159.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 118 min 135 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 73.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 32.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2307
 0.7%
postcode 2322
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 2307
 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.

Shortland Hexham
Car (driver) 74.1% / 80.0%
Shortland — Car (driver): 74.1% Hexham — Car (driver): 80.0%
Worked from Home 19.0% / 10.0%
Shortland — Worked from Home: 19.0% Hexham — Worked from Home: 10.0%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 10.0%
Shortland — Car (passenger): 4.1% Hexham — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Bus 1.6% / —
Shortland — Bus: 1.6% Hexham — Bus: not among its largest
Walked Only 0.8% / —
Shortland — Walked Only: 0.8% Hexham — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.0%).

Setting

Shortland Hexham
Elevation 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.5 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Shortland Hexham
Connectivity score 67/100 47/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
2,006 premises
 12%
154 premises

Climate

Shortland 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)

Shortland Hexham
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.53 pphm
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Shortland

Parks Quiet River Townhouses

Hexham

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Shortland

Shortland vs Wallsend Shortland vs Maryland Shortland vs Birmingham Gardens Shortland vs Warabrook Shortland vs Callaghan Shortland vs Sandgate

Other comparisons with Hexham

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