Median house price
$852k
+15% change
NSW · Maitland Council
Gillieston Heights, 2321
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,492
Growth (1 yr)
+2.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+18.9%
Median age
30
Median income
$1,986/wk
Employment rate
70%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$852,000
Languages at home
7.2%non-English
Most common: Punjabi, Hindi, Malayalam
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Café precinct
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Gillieston Heights is a hillside mid-sized suburb in Maitland Council, with elevated streets and a greener, quieter pace. Distance from the metro area around Sydney is part of the appeal, with regional hubs closer to hand than the city. A younger crowd gives the area energy, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Most routine trips are on foot, while buses cover longer journeys across the metro area.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. A busy pipeline of new development is gradually changing the look and feel of the streets.
Desirability lands around average here: softer safety, plus schools and education weighing on the result versus similar metro suburbs, even with growth momentum holding up better.
At a glance
Gillieston Heights snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$650/wk
Houses $680 · Units $520
Population (ERP)
5,492
+2.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
2.8%
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
#110
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Safety
27th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
93rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
16th
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
- 50.1/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 30% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2156th in Australia
- State rank
- 643rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #110 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #465 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 100%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $520
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $680
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $650
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 293
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $852,000
- Median price change
- +15.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
5,492(June 2025)
+2.6% annual · +18.9% over 5 years · 93th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +2.6%
- 5-year growth
- +18.9%
- Change in 1 year
- +142
- Change in 5 years
- +874
- Growth rank in NSW
- 93th 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 (~7,000), extrapolated at +5.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,796
- Median age
- 30
- Median household income / week
- $1,986
- Dwelling vacancy
- 2.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 49 of 1,736
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,950
- Employment rate
- 70%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,443 / 126 / 6 (+ 110 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 255
- Against the person
- 107
- Against property
- 92
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 46.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 45 residents
- State safety percentile
- 26.6th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +8.8%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order76
- Domestic Violence Related Assault132
- Fraud62
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment151
- Malicious Damage To Property99
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- 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
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 922
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 16th
School list
- Gillieston Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 922 · 16th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 404 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Saint Nicholas Early Educationkindergarten
- Tillys Play & Development Centrechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
47 public transport stops in this suburb
- Redwood Dr After Pine St
- Redwood Dr Opp Pine St
- Scenic Dr After Champion Cres
- Scenic Dr At Peak Way
- Scenic Dr Opp Evergreen Way
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
42 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 2 fast food · 3 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 4 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 47 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 78/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.21
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.83
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.83
Food & drink(4)
- SherwoodCafe
- Domino'sFast food
- McDonald'sFast food
- Pandaroo KitchenRestaurant
Shopping(2)
- IGASupermarket
Community(3)
- Tillys Play & Development CentreChildcare
- Gillieston Heights Community HubCommunity centre
- Saint Nicholas Early EducationKindergarten
Health & services(2)
- Gillieston Heights Medical CentreMedical clinic
- Discount Drug StoresPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(7)
- Judd Greedy ParkPark
- Roy Jordan Sports CentrePark
- Victor Warby ReservePark
- Playground (3)
- Sports field
Transport(17)
17 bus stops
Other(5)
- The Tumble ClubLaundry
- Newsagent
- Parking (4)
- Shelter
- Cigarettes Tobacco CigarsTobacco
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Joseph Maxwell VC ParkPark
- Judd Greedy ParkPark
- Roy Jordan Sports CentrePark
- Victor Warby ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 7
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 1
- Nearest hospital
- Maitland Private Hospital (7.5 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Gillieston Heights Medical CentreDoctor
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 275
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 50.1
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.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
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 (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 38 proposals
August 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure14 Albany Road GILLIESTON HEIGHTSAdditional Information Requested
July 2026
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)37 APEX STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Subdivision457 CESSNOCK ROAD GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Under Assessment
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure41 GOLDEN BELL CIRCUIT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Additional Information Requested
- Demolition3 FANNING STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)6 WILLIAM STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Additional Information Requested
- Shed; Erection of a new structure8 SADDLERS DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure9 OUTCROP AVENUE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Additional Information Requested
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)25 TANGERINE STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool43 PARADISE STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures)17 PRAIRIE WAY GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool1 JAMES LESLIE DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
May 2026
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Semi-detached dwelling5 SIGNIFERA COURT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support13 DARCYS CIRCUIT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Additional Information Requested
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah40 JAMES LESLIE DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool29 PEAR STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah5 SADDLERS DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Landscaping structures1 TANGERINE STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Semi-detached dwelling; Residential Accommodation39A CESSNOCK ROAD GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Rejected
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)9 Horsfield Close Gillieston Heights - DP1323440Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)35 Golden Bell circuit Gillieston HeightsDetermined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation27 FOOTWALL ROAD GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation39 ASSAY STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)29 Golden Bell Circ Gillieston Heights-DP1323440Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)11 Bittern Close Gillieston Heights NSW 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)14 Bittern Close Gillieston Heights - DP1323440Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure7 Horsfield Close Gillieston Heights NSW 2321Determined
March 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space28 HILLCREST DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)26 TANGERINE STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Home business; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 SORBUS WAY GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Subdivision26 REDWOOD DRIVE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers56 DARCYS CIRCUIT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)24 ASSAY STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure31 HORIZON STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure457 CESSNOCK ROAD GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space32 KIAH ROAD GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure24 SEMILLON RIDGE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Fences44 RIVER OAK AVENUE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
2025· 9 proposals
December 2025
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation206 15 APEX STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool6 PEAR STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
November 2025
- Subdivision6 GOLDEN BELL CIRCUIT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation38 ASSAY STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support36 CAMELIA STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Semi-detached dwelling8 SIGNIFERA COURT GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure11 ROCKET WAY GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)4 BRECCIA AVENUE GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
October 2025
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation23 APEX STREET GILLIESTON HEIGHTS 2321Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- Check signage. Exercise caution. Local residents will be allowed access.Hungerford Lane, Kiah Road04 Aug 2026 – 20 Aug 2026
- RoadworksCessnock Rd, Scenic Drive13 Apr 2026 – 19 Aug 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Paterson
- Member of Parliament
- Meryl SWANSON (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 127,926
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.3 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.1%Labor 56.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.7 km away).
Coalition 39.7%Labor 60.3%
3.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.5 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Gillieston HeightsLabor 58.5% · Coalition 41.5% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
- TelarahLabor 65.1% · Coalition 34.9% TPP (2025)4.1 km away
- RutherfordLabor 61.4% · Coalition 38.6% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
- Rutherford WestLabor 62.7% · Coalition 37.3% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
- MaitlandLabor 72.4% · Coalition 27.6% TPP (2025)4.8 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.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Maitland Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.