The Junction vs Cooks Hill

Cooks Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 43 in The Junction. In The Junction, most households own their home. In Cooks Hill, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in The Junction: a median of $2.08 million, against $1.82 million in Cooks Hill, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cooks Hill tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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 Junction

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (54% vs 17%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (47% vs 31%)

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

First-home buyers

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,816,000 vs $2,085,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cooks Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (57% vs 33%)
  • has cheaper rent ($430/wk vs $470/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for 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

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (83% vs 46%)

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

Investors

Cooks Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.0% vs 2.1%)

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

The Junction and Cooks 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.

The Junction Cooks 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.

The Junction Cooks Hill
Walkability 91 / 95
The Junction — Walkability: 91/100 Cooks Hill — Walkability: 95/100
Safety 5 / 8
The Junction — Safety: 5/100 Cooks Hill — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
The Junction — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cooks Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cooks Hill has more residents (3,774 vs 994); The Junction skews older (43 vs 35).

The Junction Cooks Hill
Population 994 3,774
+280% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +4.2%
Median age 43 35
Median household income $99,632/yr
+2% vs other
 $97,812/yr
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+9% vs other
 $430/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

The Junction Cooks Hill
0-4 3.8% / 4.0%
The Junction — 0-4: 3.8% Cooks Hill — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 9.9% / 7.3%
The Junction — 5-14: 9.9% Cooks Hill — 5-14: 7.3%
15-19 5.6% / 4.0%
The Junction — 15-19: 5.6% Cooks Hill — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 7.5% / 12.2%
The Junction — 20-24: 7.5% Cooks Hill — 20-24: 12.2%
25-34 15.4% / 21.6%
The Junction — 25-34: 15.4% Cooks Hill — 25-34: 21.6%
35-44 10.0% / 12.2%
The Junction — 35-44: 10.0% Cooks Hill — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 12.9% / 12.2%
The Junction — 45-54: 12.9% Cooks Hill — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 14.8% / 11.5%
The Junction — 55-64: 14.8% Cooks Hill — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 10.5% / 9.8%
The Junction — 65-74: 10.5% Cooks Hill — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 6.8% / 4.1%
The Junction — 75-84: 6.8% Cooks Hill — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 2.7% / 1.2%
The Junction — 85+: 2.7% Cooks Hill — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

The Junction 40.4% lone person
The Junction — Lone Person: 40.4% The Junction — Couple Families: 36.0% The Junction — Group Household: 11.6% The Junction — One Parent Families: 10.9% The Junction — Other Families: 1.1%
Cooks Hill 49.6% lone person
Cooks Hill — Lone Person: 49.6% Cooks Hill — Couple Families: 19.4% Cooks Hill — Group Household: 18.2% Cooks Hill — One Parent Families: 11.4% Cooks Hill — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

The Junction 32.6% renting
The Junction — Owned Outright: 44.8% The Junction — Mortgage: 22.6% The Junction — Renting: 32.6%
Cooks Hill 56.6% renting
Cooks Hill — Owned Outright: 22.9% Cooks Hill — Mortgage: 20.5% Cooks Hill — Renting: 56.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

The Junction Cooks Hill
Bachelor Degree 23.3% / 24.1%
The Junction — Bachelor Degree: 23.3% Cooks Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.1%
Certificate III & IV 10.1% / 10.5%
The Junction — Certificate III & IV: 10.1% Cooks Hill — Certificate III & IV: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 8.3%
The Junction — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Cooks Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 7.8% / 9.4%
The Junction — Postgraduate Degree: 7.8% Cooks Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 9.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 3.3%
The Junction — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Cooks Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

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.

The Junction Cooks Hill
England 2.3% / 3.2%
The Junction — England: 2.3% Cooks Hill — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.3%
The Junction — New Zealand: 0.9% Cooks Hill — New Zealand: 1.3%
India 1.2% / 0.3%
The Junction — India: 1.2% Cooks Hill — India: 0.3%
Germany 0.4% / 0.7%
The Junction — Germany: 0.4% Cooks Hill — Germany: 0.7%
Sri Lanka 1.0% / —
The Junction — Sri Lanka: 1.0% Cooks Hill — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.7%
The Junction — Philippines: not among its largest Cooks Hill — Philippines: 0.7%
Canada — / 0.7%
The Junction — Canada: not among its largest Cooks Hill — Canada: 0.7%
Bangladesh 0.6% / —
The Junction — Bangladesh: 0.6% Cooks Hill — Bangladesh: 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.

The Junction 32.3% townhouses
The Junction — Townhouses: 32.3% The Junction — Houses: 53.8% The Junction — Flats / Apartments: 13.9%
Cooks Hill 51.2% townhouses
Cooks Hill — Townhouses: 51.2% Cooks Hill — Houses: 17.4% Cooks Hill — Flats / Apartments: 31.4%
Townhouses Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

The Junction Cooks Hill
Median house price $2,085,000 $1,816,000
Median unit price $832,750 $810,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 3 sales
 25 days
from 16 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

The Junction Cooks Hill
3 bed $2.2M / $1.82M
The Junction — 3 bed: $2.2M (9 sales) Cooks Hill — 3 bed: $1.82M (21 sales)

9 vs 21 sales

4 bed $2.23M / $2.16M
The Junction — 4 bed: $2.23M (7 sales) Cooks Hill — 4 bed: $2.16M (12 sales)

7 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

The Junction Cooks Hill
Residential 80% 89%
Commercial 13% 4%
Parks and recreation 7%
same for both
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

The Junction Cooks 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.

The Junction Cooks Hill
Houses 2.1%
$835/wk on $2.05M
 3.0%
$810/wk on $1.39M
Units — 4.3%
$630/wk on $768K

Ranking within NSW

The Junction Cooks Hill
House price Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Income — Higher than 66% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 29% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 35% of NSW

Liveability

The Junction Cooks Hill
Grade B
same for both
Score 62/100 64/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

The Junction Cooks Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
92/100
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 9
within 5 km
 11
within 5 km

Schools

The Junction Cooks Hill
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 2.2 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.1% 5.8%

Schools in The Junction

  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • The Junction Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Cooks Hill

  • Newcastle Grammar Park School Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

The Junction Cooks Hill
Supermarkets 2
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 6 25
Parks & reserves 0 1
Childcare 4 3
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0

Mobility

The Junction Cooks Hill
Walkability score 91/100 95/100
Distance to Sydney 160.6 km 160 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 126 min 124 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 72.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2291
 1.7%
postcode 2300
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 2291
 12
postcode 2300

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.

The Junction Cooks Hill
Car (driver) 48.5% / 49.8%
The Junction — Car (driver): 48.5% Cooks Hill — Car (driver): 49.8%
Worked from Home 37.1% / 34.7%
The Junction — Worked from Home: 37.1% Cooks Hill — Worked from Home: 34.7%
Walked Only 8.4% / 9.4%
The Junction — Walked Only: 8.4% Cooks Hill — Walked Only: 9.4%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 2.1%
The Junction — Car (passenger): 3.0% Cooks Hill — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Bicycle 2.1% / 2.3%
The Junction — Bicycle: 2.1% Cooks Hill — Bicycle: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.8%).

Setting

The Junction Cooks Hill
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 743 m
794 m to a named beach
 737 m
998 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

The Junction Cooks Hill
Connectivity score 59/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 26%
758 premises
 21%
2,333 premises

Climate

The Junction Cooks 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)

The Junction Cooks 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

The Junction Cooks Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

The Junction

Beach Coastal Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses

Cooks Hill

Apartments Beach Cafe Culture Coastal Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with The Junction

The Junction vs Merewether The Junction vs Hamilton South The Junction vs Bar Beach

Other comparisons with Cooks Hill

Cooks Hill vs Hamilton South Cooks Hill vs Newcastle Cooks Hill vs The Hill Cooks Hill vs Newcastle West Cooks Hill vs Bar Beach
Full data on The Junction Full data on Cooks Hill
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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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