Adamstown Heights is a semi-rural locality near Sydney, in Newcastle Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. School access is strong, well above typical levels for semi-rural and lifestyle localities. Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 64% above the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength. Housing costs a little more than in comparable places. Median house prices have risen 16% year on year.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising daily services and school access over lower housing costs.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in New South Wales (189)
Strengths
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
School access is strong
Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Housing costs a little more than in comparable places
What stands out
Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Adamstown Heights compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.22M
+16% change
Median rent
$750/wk
Houses $760 · Units $580
Population (ERP)
6,030
+1.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.6%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#87
among Metro Sydney · Emerging
Crime rate
63rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
73rd
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
15%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
79th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
51.0/100 — Average
State standing
Top 29% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1792nd in Australia
State rank
623rd in NSW
Peer rank
#87 among Metro Sydney · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#394 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data confidence
98%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$580
Houses (January to March 2026)
$760
All types (January to March 2026)
$750
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
151
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,215,000
Median price change
+15.7%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+1.2% annual · +5.9% over 5 years · 73th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.2%
5-year growth
+5.9%
Change in 1 year
+73
Change in 5 years
+336
Growth rank in NSW
73th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~6,250), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
5,621
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$2,325
Dwelling vacancy
4.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
96 of 2,084
Median monthly mortgage
$2,201
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$475
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
44% / 40.7% / 15.3%
Employment rate
65.2%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
28.8% / 0.3% / 51.3%
Walked or cycled to work
2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,889 / 52 / 49
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
34% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 16.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified34% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified10.9% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational16.3% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below38.9% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce22.3%
Engineering and related technologies16.7%
Health14.3%
Education12.3%
Society and culture11.9%
Architecture and building6.5%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$66,944
81st percentile in NSW · +14% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$72,584
77th percentile in NSW · +12% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
15.0%
57th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$104,325
82nd percentile in NSW · +65% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
23rd percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2289 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
13,110
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,993
Median net rent
-$689
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,120
Taxable income vs state median
+20%
Salary / wages vs state median
+16%
Rental investment vs state median
+7%
Super vs state median
+48%
Business income vs state median
-10%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
8.9% speak a language other than English at home; 13.8% born overseas
Language at home
5,023 English only · 490 other
Non-English at home
8.9%
Born overseas
762 (13.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
173 (3.1%)
Australian citizens
5,310
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
20
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Macedonian47 · 24.7%
Greek25 · 13.2%
Italian20 · 10.5%
Mandarin18 · 9.5%
Spanish11 · 5.8%
Indonesian9 · 4.7%
Japanese9 · 4.7%
Cantonese8 · 4.2%
Religion
48.1%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 48.1%, while 45.4% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
45.4%
32.8%
Christianity
48.1%
47.6%
Other / not stated
6.5%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
21.1%
22.4%
Anglican
11.9%
11.9%
Uniting Church
3.6%
2.1%
Eastern Orthodox
3.1%
2.5%
Christian (not further defined)
2.8%
2.4%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2289, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
523
Against the person
84
Against property
292
Rate per 1,000 residents
86.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 67 residents
State crime-rate percentile
62.8th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-8.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
31
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
5.14
Most common offence types
Fraud34
Malicious Damage To Property34
Steal From Motor Vehicle49
Steal From Retail Store97
Transport Regulatory Offences73
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
8
Median school ICSEA (8 schools)
1,083
Median ICSEA percentile
79th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Belair Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1103 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 409 students · Top SEA quarter 45% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
Kotara High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1066 · 74th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 1,130 students · Top SEA quarter 29% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
St James' Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1104 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 334 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Kotara SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 816 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 25 students · Top SEA quarter 0% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
Trinity Catholic CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1090 · 81th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 849 students · Top SEA quarter 37% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
Kotara South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1069 · 75th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 309 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Kahibah Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1076 · 77th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 291 students · Top SEA quarter 35% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
St Columba's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1107 · 86th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 168 students · Top SEA quarter 44% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Adamstown PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Belair PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Charlestown PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Kotara HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Kotara SPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Whitebridge HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
Decent local green space — 3 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 105 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.53
Everyday services(1)
ShellPetrol station
Community(3)
Childcare
Belair Public SchoolSchool
34 Carolyn Street, Adamstown Heights
Kotara High SchoolSchool
Lexington Parade, Adamstown Heights
Sport & outdoors(16)
Fernleigh TrackCycling route
New LambtonCycling route
R1-13 Highfields - Scenic Drive to Fernleigh TrackCycling route
R2 Fernleigh Track to Richmond Vale (via Charlestown)Cycling route
R2 Fernleigh Track to Richmond Vale (via Charlestown) (Alternative)Cycling route
R4 Warners Bay to MayfieldCycling route
R5 Newcastle City to Speers PointCycling route
R7 Fernleigh Tunnel to Newcastle City CentreCycling route
Drinking water
Banksia ReserveNature reserve
Nature reserve
Claremont Avenue ParkPark
Lookout Tower ParkPark
Pickering OvalPark
Playground
Sports field
Places to stay(1)
Mercure Charlestown HotelHotel
109 Madison Drive
Entertainment(1)
Centenary LookoutViewpoint
Transport(38)
38 bus stops
Other(5)
Bench
Bicycle Parking (2)
Parking (4)
Picnic Table (4)
Waste Basket
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Health access
Nearest hospital
Rankin Park Centre (3.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
27° / 18°
Rainfall
295 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 14°
Rainfall
366 mm · ~46 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
18° / 8°
Rainfall
272 mm · ~34 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
23° / 13°
Rainfall
230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
35 MADISON DRIVE ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS 2289Withdrawn
June 2026
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Pathways and paving; Swimming pool
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
436 BRUNKER ROAD ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS 2289Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
3 ELLERSLIE ROAD ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS 2289Determined
2025· 18 proposals
December 2025
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Fences
91 CAROLYN STREET ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS 2289Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
32 GARDEN GROVE PARADE ADAMSTOWN HEIGHTS 2289Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Newcastle
Member of Parliament
Sharon CLAYDON (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
126,226
Turnout (2025)
92.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+2.9 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 29.2%Labor 70.8%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 2.7 km away).
Coalition 27.7%Labor 72.3%
1.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Kotara South (Newcastle)Labor 69.7% · Coalition 30.3% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
Adamstown SouthLabor 71.3% · Coalition 28.7% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
New Lambton SouthLabor 73.0% · Coalition 27.0% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
New Lambton CentralLabor 70.1% · Coalition 29.9% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)