New South Wales council

Newcastle

178,935 residents (ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025) across 187 km², 51 suburbs. Council website: newcastle.nsw.gov.au.

Council series run to July 2026.

Population

178,935

ABS estimated resident population, 30 June 2025 · +1.1% in a year

Density

958/km²

187 km² · ERP 2025 over the ABS 2024 boundary

Council-wide house median

$885k

Established-house transfers across the whole council, FY 2023-24 (ABS)

Federal grants per resident

$88

Financial Assistance Grant 2025-26 over ERP 2025

Dwelling approvals

5.2 per 1,000

Residents, 12 months to July 2026 (ABS Building Approvals)

Advantage decile

9 of 10

SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, national (10 = most advantaged)

Suburbs

51

Where it holds most residents (ABS mesh-block allocation)

Council-level series. Each chart names its source and period.

PopulationABS estimated resident population at 30 June, 2001–2025
Council-wide median sale pricesABS Data by Region: median transfer price across the whole council by financial year, 2018-19–2023-24. Not any one suburb's price.
Dwelling approvalsABS Building Approvals, monthly, 2021-07–2026-07
Federal Financial Assistance GrantsTotal grant by financial year, 2017-18–2025-26 (Dept of Infrastructure)

People and housing

Council-wide figures from the ABS Census of 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (national deciles, 10 = most advantaged).

Median age
37
Median household income
$1,760/week
Median rent
$400/week
Median mortgage repayment
$1,987/month
Households renting
36.6%
Average household
2.4 people
Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD)
decile 9 of 10
Disadvantage (IRSD)
decile 8 of 10

Suburbs

51 suburbs where Newcastle holds most residents, plus 1 it shares with a neighbouring council (share of residents shown). Population is Census 2021 for the whole suburb. A median here is the suburb’s own Valuer-General median — suburbs without one are blank, never filled with the council figure.

SuburbPopulationIn this councilMedian house (VG)Flood / bushfireIRSAD
Wallsend13,244All$825kDec 2025 / 49%3
Merewether11,788All$2.2MDec 2025 / 55%10
New Lambton10,651All$1.2MDec 2025 / 39%8
Mayfield (Newcastle - NSW)9,760All$991kDec 2025 / 0%5
Fletcher (NSW)8,014All$983kDec 2025 / 78%9
Maryland (Newcastle - NSW)7,714All$851kDec 2025 / 35%4
Adamstown6,335All$1.1MDec 2025 / 12%8
Elermore Vale6,05798%$950kDec 2025 / 55%5
Adamstown Heights5,62184%$1.2MDec 2025 / 50%10
Lambton5,214All$1.2MDec 2025 / 34%7
Waratah (NSW)4,927All$935kDec 2025 / 7%4
Hamilton (NSW)4,614All$1.1MDec 2025 / 0%8
Shortland4,537All$745kDec 2025 / 42%3
Hamilton South4,057All$1.8MDec 2025 / 0%6
Stockton (NSW)4,046All$1.3MDec 2025 / 25%5
Kotara3,980All$990kDec 2025 / 31%9
Newcastle3,852All$1.4MDec 20250% / 2%10
Cooks Hill3,774All$1.6MDec 2025 / 0%10
North Lambton3,454All$935kDec 2025 / 19%6
Beresfield3,267All$690kDec 2025 / 37%1
Jesmond3,210All$820kDec 2025 / <1%2
Waratah West3,142All$901kDec 2025 / 30%5
New Lambton Heights2,61039%$1.3MDec 2025 / 76%10
Birmingham Gardens2,598All$821kDec 2025 / 2%4
Rankin Park2,54753%$870kDec 2025 / 53%9
The Hill2,076All$2.0MDec 2025 / 0%10
Georgetown (NSW)2,072All$1.0MDec 2025 / 0%8
Carrington (Newcastle - NSW)2,061All$977kDec 2025 / 0%8
Islington2,026All$978kDec 2025 / 0%8
Mayfield West1,993All$865kDec 2025 / 0%5
Warabrook1,982All$984kDec 2025 / <1%5
Tighes Hill1,801All$1.2MDec 2025 / 0%8
Mayfield East1,794All$1.0MDec 2025 / 0%7
Tarro1,703All$711kDec 2025 / 62%1
Broadmeadow1,688All$1.1MDec 2025 / 0%6
Maryville1,671All$1.2MDec 2025 / 0%9
Wickham (NSW)1,637All$1.1MDec 20250% / 0%10
Merewether Heights1,495All$1.7MDec 2025 / 30%10
Newcastle West1,453All / 0%9
Callaghan1,358All / 50%
Bar Beach1,292All$3.3MDec 2025 / 0%9
Newcastle East1,061All$2.4MDec 20250% / 0%9
Hamilton East997All$2.0MDec 2025 / 0%10
The Junction994All$2.2MDec 2025 / 0%10
Hamilton North934All$950kDec 2025 / 0%7
Minmi700All$530kDec 2025 / 94%5
Black Hill (NSW)51666%$2.1MDec 2025 / 94%10
Sandgate (NSW)276All / 27%1
Hexham (NSW)157All$430kDec 2025 / 89%2
Lenaghan70All / 100%2
Kooragang4All / 3%
Mayfield NorthAll / 0%

Hazards

Share of each member suburb's land inside the mapped layer, averaged across the council weighted by the residents each suburb contributes. Only suburbs a source covers count; the rest are left out, not counted as zero.

Flood planning land

0%

Over 3 of 52 member suburbs (the rest are not mapped)

Show the layer on the map →

Bushfire-prone land

28%

Over 52 of 52 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Observed surface water (1986–present)

2%

Over 52 of 52 member suburbs

Show the layer on the map →

Suburb prices

Across the 45 member suburbs with their own Valuer-General median (unweighted; each suburb's latest figure, periods ending Dec 2025).

Lowest suburb median
$430k
Median of suburb medians
$1.0M
Highest suburb median
$3.3M

Recorded crime

Offences per 100,000 residents over the 29 member suburbs the source covers, financial year ending 2025. Small suburbs and unreliable rates are excluded.

Break and enter
1,313
per 100k · NSW 2025
Motor vehicle theft
392
per 100k · NSW 2025
property_damage
1,681
per 100k · NSW 2025
Violent crime
2,969
per 100k · NSW 2025

Representation

Federal electorates and state districts covering the council, by share of the residents its suburbs contribute (each suburb counts once, for the seat containing a representative interior point).

Federal electorates

  • Newcastle · Sharon CLAYDON (ALP)97%
  • Paterson · Meryl SWANSON (ALP)3%

State districts

  • Wallsend · Sonia Hornery (ALP)44%
  • Newcastle · Tim Crakanthorp (ALP)41%
  • Charlestown · Jodie Harrison (ALP)16%
  • Cessnock · Clayton Barr (ALP)1%

Neighbouring councils

Councils in the same state whose suburbs share a boundary with this one's, and councils it splits a suburb with.

Compare it with every New South Wales council on the council map or the New South Wales council list.

Boundaries: ABS ASGS Edition 3, LGA 2024 boundaries; suburbs allocated by 2021 mesh block, weighted by Census 2021 residents. Population: ABS estimated resident population 2025. Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021: ABS. Council-wide medians: ABS Data by Region. Approvals: ABS Building Approvals. Grants: Financial Assistance Grants, Dept of Infrastructure. Suburb prices: state Valuer-General. Flood and bushfire: state planning layers. Observed water: Geoscience Australia DEA Water Observations. Crime: state police statistics. Website and identity: Wikidata (CC0). ABS, Dept of Infrastructure and state government data CC BY 4.0. Council facts loaded 2026-09-24.