Newcastle

New South Wales · Newcastle and Lake Macquarie · 170,214 people · 53 suburbs · 24 postcodes

Newcastle at a glance

170,214

Population

#18 of 130 in NSW

218

km² area

782/km² density

37.9

Median age

-1.8 vs NSW

$1,781

Median HH income/wk

#35 of 130 in NSW

1012

SEIFA IRSAD

#32 of 130 in NSW

Schools

47 gov, 15 Cath, 10 indep

14.8%

Born overseas

37.4%

Renting

Map shows the Newcastle LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.

Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).

Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.

Newcastle is a metropolitan Local Government Area in New South Wales, in the Sydney region. It covers 53 suburbs across 24 postcodes and an area of 218 km². Newcastle has a population of 170,214 , ranking #18 most populous in NSW. The most populous suburb is Wallsend (13,244 residents), and the highest median household income is in Lenaghan at $3,062/week. The LGA-wide median household income is $1,781/week and median age is 37.9. About 14.8% of residents were born overseas and 10.5% speak a language other than English at home.

Who lives here

Age structure

16.3%

14.3%

28.8%

23.6%

17.0%

0–14 (16.3%) 15–24 (14.3%) 25–44 (28.8%) 45–64 (23.6%) 65+ (17.0%)

Show counts

0–14 years	27,686 (16.3%)
15–24 years	24,254 (14.3%)
25–44 years	49,086 (28.8%)
45–64 years	40,242 (23.6%)
65+ years	28,935 (17.0%)

14.8%

Born overseas

10.5%

Speak a language other than English at home

4.4%

First Nations

2.4

Avg household size

How they live

Housing tenure

30.2%

32.4%

37.4%

Owned outright (30.2%) Mortgaged (32.4%) Renting (37.4%)

Dwelling type mix

76.8%

13.4%

9.8%

Separate house (76.8%) Semi/townhouse (13.4%) Flat/apartment (9.8%)

$400

Median weekly rent

$1,994

Median monthly mortgage

46.6%

Households with 0-1 cars

53.4%

Households with 2+ cars

Work and learning

4.9%

Unemployment rate

48,783

In full-time work

31,719

In part-time work

Schools in Newcastle

72 schools across Newcastle: 65.3% Government, 20.8% Catholic, 13.9% Independent. The NSW average is 69.6% / 16.9% / 13.5%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 1034 (range 776 to 1206). NSW median is 1005; national mean is 1000.

Sector mix

65.3%

20.8%

13.9%

NSW average for comparison

69.6%

16.9%

13.5%

Government Catholic Independent

Type breakdown

61.1%

16.7%

9.7%

12.5%

Primary (61.1%) Secondary (16.7%) Combined (9.7%) Special (12.5%)

ICSEA range

700 National mean 1000 1300

LGA median 1034 NSW median 1005LGA range 776 to 1206

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.

All 72 schools in Newcastle, sorted by enrolment:

School	Sector	Type	Suburb	Students	ICSEA
St Philip's Christian College - Waratah	Independent	Combined	Waratah	1,466	1138
Lambton High School	Government	Secondary	Lambton	1,176	1057
Kotara High School	Government	Secondary	Adamstown	1,130	1066
Hunter School of Performing Arts	Government	Combined	Broadmeadow	1,094	1085
Merewether High School	Government	Secondary	Broadmeadow	1,080	1206
Newcastle High School	Government	Secondary	Hamilton	1,072	1027
Macquarie College	Independent	Combined	Wallsend	1,060	1110
Newcastle Grammar School	Independent	Combined	The Hill	1,049	1181
St Francis Xavier's College	Catholic	Secondary	Hamilton	959	1096
Callaghan College Wallsend Campus	Government	Secondary	Wallsend	890	952
Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College	Independent	Combined	Fletcher	860	1085
Trinity Catholic College	Catholic	Secondary	Adamstown	849	1090
Callaghan College Waratah Campus	Government	Secondary	Waratah	848	957
Francis Greenway High School	Government	Secondary	Beresfield	742	912
Alesco Secondary College	Independent	Special	Cooks Hill	664	949
Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus	Government	Secondary	Jesmond	659	980
Glendore Public School	Government	Primary	Maryland	609	1019
San Clemente Catholic College	Catholic	Secondary	Mayfield	605	1038
Wallsend South Public School	Government	Primary	Wallsend	583	1083
St Therese's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	New Lambton	543	1100
New Lambton Public School	Government	Primary	New Lambton	538	1108
New Lambton South Public School	Government	Primary	New Lambton	462	1095
The Junction Public School	Government	Primary	Merewether	450	1115
Adamstown Public School	Government	Primary	Adamstown	439	1078
Belair Public School	Government	Primary	Adamstown	409	1103
St Joseph's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Merewether	387	1141
Maryland Public School	Government	Primary	Maryland	368	996
Hamilton South Public School	Government	Primary	Merewether	362	1139
Tighes Hill Public School	Government	Primary	Tighes Hill	358	1104
Waratah Public School	Government	Primary	Waratah	351	1019
Mayfield East Public School	Government	Primary	Mayfield East	343	1044
Mayfield West Public School	Government	Primary	Mayfield	342	1033
Lambton Public School	Government	Primary	Lambton	339	1065
Hunter Christian School	Independent	Combined	Mayfield	337	1061
St Patrick's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Wallsend	323	1076
Kotara South Public School	Government	Primary	Kotara	309	1069
Hamilton Public School	Government	Primary	Hamilton	306	1106
Elermore Vale Public School	Government	Primary	Wallsend	290	996
Shortland Public School	Government	Primary	Shortland	271	926
Merewether Heights Public School	Government	Primary	Merewether Heights	269	1129
Beresfield Public School	Government	Primary	Beresfield	262	918
Newcastle East Public School	Government	Primary	Newcastle	260	1112
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Tarro	260	1013
Stockton Public School	Government	Primary	Stockton	254	1000
Wallsend Public School	Government	Primary	Wallsend	252	965
St Philip's Christian College Dynamic Learning	Independent	Special	Waratah	223	1022
Jesmond Public School	Government	Primary	Jesmond	216	923
St John's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Lambton	200	1083
Plattsburg Public School	Government	Primary	Wallsend	195	910
St Peter's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Stockton	180	1053
Corpus Christi Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Waratah	169	1085
St Columba's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Adamstown	168	1107
Heaton Public School	Government	Primary	Jesmond	162	955
St Columban's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Mayfield	162	1034
Islington Public School	Government	Primary	Islington	159	1090
Merewether Public School	Government	Primary	Merewether	139	950
Minmi Public School	Government	Primary	Minmi	133	1018
Our Lady of Victories Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Shortland	130	1025
Hamilton North Public School	Government	Primary	Broadmeadow	123	1030
Tarro Public School	Government	Primary	Tarro	115	892
Waratah West Public School	Government	Primary	Waratah West	113	963
Carrington Public School	Government	Primary	Carrington	110	996
Margaret Jurd College	Independent	Special	Shortland	103	889
Novoschool	Independent	Secondary	Newcastle West	79	1077
Black Hill Public School	Government	Primary	Black Hill	67	982
St Philip's Christian College Young Parents	Independent	Special	Waratah	52	776
St Laurence Flexible Learning Centre	Catholic	Special	Broadmeadow	47	869
Newcastle Middle School	Government	Special	Waratah	45	967
St Dominic's Catholic College	Catholic	Special	Mayfield	43	966
Newcastle Senior School	Government	Special	Waratah	37	960
Kotara School	Government	Special	Kotara	25	816
Awabakal Environmental Education Centre	Government	Combined	Shortland

Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.

SEIFA socio-economic indexes

SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Newcastle. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.

IRSAD

Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage

1012

Ranked #32 of 130 NSW LGAs

IRSD

Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)

1013

IER

Economic resources: income, wealth, housing

977

IEO

Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels

1023

Suburbs in Newcastle

Newcastle contains 53 suburbs and 24 postcodes. Sorted by population.

Suburb	Postcode	Population	Median income	Median age
Wallsend	2287	13,244	$1,401/wk	39
Merewether	2291	11,788	$2,287/wk	39
New Lambton	2305	10,651	$1,853/wk	41
Mayfield	2304	9,760	$1,566/wk	36
Fletcher	2287	8,014	$2,545/wk	32
Maryland	2287	7,714	$1,793/wk	37
Adamstown	2289	6,335	$1,875/wk	36
Elermore Vale	2287	6,057	$1,567/wk	42
Adamstown Heights	2289	5,621	$2,325/wk	39
Lambton	2299	5,214	$1,628/wk	40
Waratah	2298	4,927	$1,511/wk	41
Hamilton	2303	4,614	$1,689/wk	39
Shortland	2307	4,537	$1,344/wk	33
Hamilton South	2303	4,057	$1,426/wk	44
Stockton	2295	4,046	$1,535/wk	47
Kotara	2289	3,980	$2,077/wk	39
Newcastle	2300	3,852	$1,943/wk	41
Cooks Hill	2300	3,774	$1,881/wk	35
North Lambton	2299	3,454	$1,678/wk	31
Beresfield	2322	3,267	$1,257/wk	39
Jesmond	2299	3,210	$1,180/wk	31
Waratah West	2298	3,142	$1,518/wk	31
Birmingham Gardens	2287	2,598	$1,468/wk	28
Rankin Park	2287	2,547	$2,214/wk	40
The Hill	2300	2,076	$1,849/wk	34
Georgetown	2298	2,072	$2,005/wk	36
Carrington	2294	2,061	$1,766/wk	36
Islington	2296	2,026	$1,828/wk	35
Mayfield West	2304	1,993	$1,592/wk	34
Warabrook	2304	1,982	$1,634/wk	45
Tighes Hill	2297	1,801	$2,084/wk	36
Mayfield East	2304	1,794	$1,809/wk	36
Tarro	2322	1,703	$1,167/wk	45
Broadmeadow	2292	1,688	$1,653/wk	34
Maryville	2293	1,671	$2,067/wk	39
Wickham	2293	1,637	$1,902/wk	32
Merewether Heights	2291	1,495	$3,022/wk	41
Newcastle West	2302	1,453	$1,639/wk	42
Callaghan	2308	1,358		20
Bar Beach	2300	1,292	$2,300/wk	41
Newcastle East	2300	1,061	$1,891/wk	47
Hamilton East	2303	997	$2,297/wk	43
The Junction	2291	994	$1,916/wk	43
Hamilton North	2292	934	$1,934/wk	36
Minmi	2287	700	$1,899/wk	35
Black Hill	2322	516	$2,980/wk	47
Sandgate	2304	276	$687/wk	69
Hexham	2322	157	$928/wk	35
Lenaghan	2322	70	$3,062/wk	43
Kooragang	2304	4	$2,250/wk	40
Glen Inneslambton	2299
Mayfield North	2304
Newcastle University	2308

Postcodes covered

2287, 2289, 2291, 2292, 2293, 2294, 2295, 2296, 2297, 2298, 2299, 2300, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2307, 2308, 2322, 2324, 2540, 2580, 2787, 4377

Compare Newcastle with neighbouring LGAs

Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Newcastle and its closest neighbouring LGAs.

LGA	Population	Median age	Median HH income	SEIFA IRSAD	% renting	% overseas-born
Newcastle (NSW)	170,214	37.9	$1,781/wk	1012	37.4%	14.8%
Lake Macquarie	212,380	42.7	$1,690/wk	981	24.1%	10.8%
Maitland	89,968	36.5	$1,830/wk	963	30.8%	9.2%
Cessnock	64,819	38.0	$1,581/wk	910	27.7%	7.2%
Cabonne	14,134	44.6	$1,610/wk	994	16.4%	5.9%

Services and amenities

NDIS Providers NDIS provider directory for Newcastle Climate & weather Climate data for Wallsend

Frequently asked questions about Newcastle

What is the population of Newcastle?

The 2021 Census recorded 170,214 people living in Newcastle, across 53 suburbs.

What suburbs are in Newcastle?

Newcastle contains 53 suburbs. The most populous are Wallsend, Merewether, New Lambton, Mayfield, Fletcher.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.

What postcodes are in Newcastle?

Newcastle covers 24 postcodes: 2287, 2289, 2291, 2292, 2293, 2294, 2295, 2296, 2297, 2298, 2299, 2300, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2307, 2308, 2322, 2324, 2540, 2580, 2787, 4377.

What is the median household income in Newcastle?

The population-weighted median household income across Newcastle is $1,781 per week (2021 Census), ranking #35 of 130 NSW LGAs.

How many schools are in Newcastle?

Newcastle has 72 schools, including 47 government, 15 Catholic, and 10 independent schools (ACARA 2025).

What is the SEIFA score for Newcastle?

Newcastle has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 1012, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.

Page last reviewed June 2026. Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.