Wickham vs Newcastle West

Wickham is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 42 in Newcastle West. In both, most households rent and most households are people living alone. In Wickham, about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Newcastle West, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. Units cost more in Newcastle West: a median of $870,000, against $790,000 in Wickham. On these figures, Wickham tends to suit young adults and share households, while Newcastle West suits people living alone and older residents.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Wickham has more separate houses rather than flats (21% vs 2%)
  • Newcastle West has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Wickham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($790,000 vs $870,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Newcastle West

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 2)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 11%)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (98% vs 79%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Wickham returns a higher gross yield on units (5.4% vs 4.3%)
  • Newcastle West is growing faster (135.1% vs 51.7%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wickham Newcastle West
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.

Wickham Newcastle West
Walkability 96 / 99
Wickham — Walkability: 96/100 Newcastle West — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 2 / 1
Wickham — Safety: 2/100 Newcastle West — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Wickham — Low fire risk: 100/100 Newcastle West — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Newcastle West skews older (42 vs 32); Wickham has higher household incomes ($98,904 vs $85,228).

Wickham Newcastle West
Population 1,637
+11% vs other
 1,453
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +51.7% +135.1%
Median age 32 42
Median household income $98,904/yr
+14% vs other
 $85,228/yr
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+2% vs other
 $460/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wickham Newcastle West
0-4 3.7% / 2.4%
Wickham — 0-4: 3.7% Newcastle West — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 4.1% / 3.0%
Wickham — 5-14: 4.1% Newcastle West — 5-14: 3.0%
15-19 2.2% / 2.1%
Wickham — 15-19: 2.2% Newcastle West — 15-19: 2.1%
20-24 14.0% / 8.9%
Wickham — 20-24: 14.0% Newcastle West — 20-24: 8.9%
25-34 30.1% / 25.5%
Wickham — 25-34: 30.1% Newcastle West — 25-34: 25.5%
35-44 12.0% / 10.3%
Wickham — 35-44: 12.0% Newcastle West — 35-44: 10.3%
45-54 10.1% / 8.5%
Wickham — 45-54: 10.1% Newcastle West — 45-54: 8.5%
55-64 11.3% / 12.9%
Wickham — 55-64: 11.3% Newcastle West — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 7.9% / 11.6%
Wickham — 65-74: 7.9% Newcastle West — 65-74: 11.6%
75-84 2.7% / 9.4%
Wickham — 75-84: 2.7% Newcastle West — 75-84: 9.4%
85+ 0.7% / 5.0%
Wickham — 85+: 0.7% Newcastle West — 85+: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wickham 55.7% lone person
Wickham — Lone Person: 55.7% Wickham — Group Household: 18.3% Wickham — Couple Families: 14.1% Wickham — One Parent Families: 9.9% Wickham — Other Families: 1.9%
Newcastle West 70.3% lone person
Newcastle West — Lone Person: 70.3% Newcastle West — Group Household: 10.9% Newcastle West — Couple Families: 12.4% Newcastle West — One Parent Families: 5.8% Newcastle West — Other Families: 0.5%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wickham 56.9% renting
Wickham — Owned Outright: 18.2% Wickham — Mortgage: 24.9% Wickham — Renting: 56.9%
Newcastle West 56.1% renting
Newcastle West — Owned Outright: 25.3% Newcastle West — Mortgage: 18.6% Newcastle West — Renting: 56.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Wickham Newcastle West
Bachelor Degree 23.2% / 24.0%
Wickham — Bachelor Degree: 23.2% Newcastle West — Bachelor Degree: 24.0%
Certificate III & IV 15.5% / 13.7%
Wickham — Certificate III & IV: 15.5% Newcastle West — Certificate III & IV: 13.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.1% / 10.0%
Wickham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1% Newcastle West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.0%
Postgraduate Degree 8.2% / 8.1%
Wickham — Postgraduate Degree: 8.2% Newcastle West — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 3.0%
Wickham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Newcastle West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).

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.

Wickham Newcastle West
England 2.9% / 3.6%
Wickham — England: 2.9% Newcastle West — England: 3.6%
New Zealand 2.1% / 1.5%
Wickham — New Zealand: 2.1% Newcastle West — New Zealand: 1.5%
China 1.0% / 1.6%
Wickham — China: 1.0% Newcastle West — China: 1.6%
India 0.5% / 1.6%
Wickham — India: 0.5% Newcastle West — India: 1.6%
Brazil 0.8% / 0.6%
Wickham — Brazil: 0.8% Newcastle West — Brazil: 0.6%
Philippines 0.8% / —
Wickham — Philippines: 0.8% Newcastle West — Philippines: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.8%
Wickham — Vietnam: not among its largest Newcastle West — Vietnam: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wickham 48.0% flats / apartments
Wickham — Flats / Apartments: 48.0% Wickham — Townhouses: 31.4% Wickham — Houses: 20.6%
Newcastle West 96.9% flats / apartments
Newcastle West — Flats / Apartments: 96.9% Newcastle West — Townhouses: 1.4% Newcastle West — Houses: 1.7%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Wickham Newcastle West
Median house price $912,000 $847,500
Median unit price $790,000 $870,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 5 sales
 —

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Wickham Newcastle West
1 bed $668K / $635K
Wickham — 1 bed: $668K (10 sales) Newcastle West — 1 bed: $635K (31 sales)

10 vs 31 sales

2 bed $860K / $800K
Wickham — 2 bed: $860K (27 sales) Newcastle West — 2 bed: $800K (83 sales)

27 vs 83 sales

Zoning mix

Newcastle West has more commercially zoned land (18% vs 3%); Wickham has more industrially zoned land (15% vs 0%).

Wickham Newcastle West
Residential 53% 41%
Parks and recreation 20% 30%
Commercial 3% 18%
Industrial 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 10%
Planning zones cover 100% of Wickham and 99% of Newcastle West. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Wickham Newcastle West
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.

Wickham Newcastle West
Houses —
same for both
Units 5.4%
$750/wk on $724K
 4.3%
$778/wk on $938K

Ranking within NSW

Wickham Newcastle West
House price Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income — Higher than 55% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW

Liveability

Wickham Newcastle West
Grade B
same for both
Score 63/100 61/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Wickham Newcastle West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
98/100
 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 22
within 5 km
 15
within 5 km

Schools

Wickham Newcastle West
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 2.2 km
 2
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle City), 1.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.9% 4.6%

Schools in Wickham

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

Schools in Newcastle West

  • Novoschool Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Newcastle High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Wickham Newcastle West
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 3 15
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 2 3
GPs 2 5
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 5
EV chargers 0 1

Mobility

Wickham Newcastle West
Walkability score 96/100 99/100
Distance to Sydney 158.7 km 159.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 123 min 122 min
Public transport score 75/100
Rail · Bus
 82/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 25.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 253.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2293
 0.8%
postcode 2302
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 20
postcode 2293
 3
postcode 2302

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.

Wickham Newcastle West
Car (driver) 52.0% / 47.6%
Wickham — Car (driver): 52.0% Newcastle West — Car (driver): 47.6%
Worked from Home 30.8% / 35.1%
Wickham — Worked from Home: 30.8% Newcastle West — Worked from Home: 35.1%
Walked Only 6.5% / 9.0%
Wickham — Walked Only: 6.5% Newcastle West — Walked Only: 9.0%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 2.0%
Wickham — Car (passenger): 3.3% Newcastle West — Car (passenger): 2.0%
Bus 1.7% / 3.2%
Wickham — Bus: 1.7% Newcastle West — Bus: 3.2%
Bicycle 2.3% / 1.1%
Wickham — Bicycle: 2.3% Newcastle West — Bicycle: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.0%).

Setting

Wickham Newcastle West
Elevation 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.5 km
2.7 km to a named beach
 1.4 km
1.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Wickham Newcastle West
Connectivity score 75/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
1,492 premises
 44%
1,880 premises

Climate

Wickham Newcastle West
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)

Wickham Newcastle West
PM2.5 6.8 µg/m³ 6.5 µg/m³
PM10 22.6 µg/m³ 21.7 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.89 pphm 0.64 pphm

Council rates

Wickham Newcastle West
Average residential rate $1,783/yr
same for both
Council Newcastle
same for both

Federal electorate

Wickham Newcastle West
Division Newcastle
same for both
Member Sharon Claydon
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wickham Newcastle West
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wickham

Apartments Coastal Gentrifying Nightlife Parks Professionals Townhouses Trains

Newcastle West

Apartments Coastal Parks Professionals Retirees River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wickham

Wickham vs Hamilton Wickham vs Newcastle Wickham vs Carrington Wickham vs Islington Wickham vs Maryville

Other comparisons with Newcastle West

Newcastle West vs Hamilton Newcastle West vs Hamilton South Newcastle West vs Newcastle Newcastle West vs Cooks Hill Newcastle West vs Hamilton East
Full data on Wickham Full data on Newcastle West
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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