State Electorate · Area profile
Newcastle
96 km²
A high density of essential services and public transport defines the urban layout of Newcastle. It is a highly mobile community where nearly half of the residents moved here in the last five years. The area is a hub for professionals and students, marked by a very high number of university degrees and a typical personal income that sits above the national figure. This academic and professional lean is reflected in its distinct social profile, with a significant portion of the population identifying as having no religion.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The population grew by 13% since 2011 to 79,670 people. While the typical age of 39 is about the same as the state average, the area has far fewer children under 15 than most other regions, at just 14.6%.
The community is predominantly Australian born (81.6%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure. English is the most common ancestry at 42.5%.
English is the primary language for 87% of the community. Only 8.1% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.
A striking 48.7% of residents have no religion, a figure that is well above the national average. This represents a significant rise of 38 percentage points since 2011.
Newcastle is highly qualified, with 32.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, well above the national figure. This is consistent with the fact that 61% of residents have completed Year 12.
Typical personal weekly income is $937, which is a little above the national figure. The area also has a much higher proportion of high earners, with 15.8% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 32% of the population. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent, at 12.5%, which is among the highest for this level.
Volunteer rates are a little above the national average at 15.2%, though this has fallen since 2011. The area also has a higher proportion of former Defence Force members than most similar areas.
Many residents live alone—33.2% of households—which is well above the national figure. Consequently, homes are smaller, with just 2.2 people per home on average.
Rental properties are very common, with 39.8% of households renting, well above the state average. Detached houses are much less common than in most areas, making up only 58.1% of dwellings.
The area is well served by public transport, with 558 stops and a high number of departures. About 26.8% of the workforce now works from home, a rise of 18 percentage points since 2011.
Newcastle is a dynamic place to live, with 46.3% of residents moving in within the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 16.3% of the population.
A high proportion of adults are working or looking for work (64.2%), which is well above the national figure. The most common industries are health care, social assistance, and education.
Newcastle is a walker's paradise with a score of 8.0. Almost every home is within a 10-minute walk of public transport, and 86.3% are within 15 minutes of health services.