Gillieston Heights is a semi-rural locality near Sydney, in Maitland Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.
Employment is stronger than in comparable places, with employment 21% above the peer median. Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places. Median house prices have risen 15% year on year. Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked semi-rural and lifestyle localities, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 62% below the peer median. Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising employment and daily services over school quality.
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
Employment is a relative strength
Population growth is a relative strength
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places
Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of 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 Gillieston Heights compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$852k
+15% change
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
#139
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Crime rate
27th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
93rd
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
39%
2021 Census tenure
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
39.3/100 — Below average
National rank
4589th in Australia
State rank
1565th in NSW
Peer rank
#139 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#726 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)
$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.
+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
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$430
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
18.9% / 42.4% / 38.7%
Employment rate
70%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
15.7% / 0.6% / 66%
Walked or cycled to work
0.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,443 / 126 / 6 (+ 110 other)
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.
15.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 28.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified15.2% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified10.3% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational28.2% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below46.3% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce21.8%
Engineering and related technologies19.9%
Health13.6%
Society and culture13.6%
Education8%
Food, hospitality and personal services7.7%
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)
$63,948
74th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$69,482
71st percentile in NSW · +7% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
10.0%
13th percentile in NSW · -27% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$79,701
64th percentile in NSW · +26% vs Australia
Residents with business income
8.0%
14th percentile in NSW · -23% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2321 — 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
13,778
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,374
Median net rent
-$1,239
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,091
Taxable income vs state median
+14%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-29%
Super vs state median
+13%
Business income vs state median
-20%
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
7.2% speak a language other than English at home; 9.8% born overseas
Language at home
4,319 English only · 335 other
Non-English at home
7.2%
Born overseas
459 (9.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
380 (7.9%)
Australian citizens
4,449
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
15
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Punjabi21 · 19.8%
Hindi18 · 17%
Malayalam13 · 12.3%
Korean9 · 8.5%
Filipino8 · 7.5%
Arabic6 · 5.7%
Cantonese5 · 4.7%
Tagalog5 · 4.7%
Religion
46%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 46%, while 45.6% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
45.6%
32.8%
Christianity
46%
47.6%
Other / not stated
8.4%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
20%
22.4%
Anglican
16.2%
11.9%
Uniting Church
2.3%
2.1%
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 2321, which is shared with other suburbs.
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 crime-rate percentile
26.6th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+8.8%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
21
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
3.82
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order18
Domestic Violence Related Assault32
Fraud15
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment37
Malicious Damage To Property24
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
1
Median school ICSEA
922
Median ICSEA percentile
16th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
5
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
3
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 →
School catchments
Gillieston PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Kurri Kurri HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Maitland EPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Maitland Grossmann HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Maitland PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
RutherfordHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Telarah PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Weston PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_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
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
Everyday services(1)
The Tumble ClubLaundry
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(8)
6 CessnockCycling route
Judd Greedy ParkPark
Roy Jordan Sports CentrePark
Victor Warby ReservePark
Playground (3)
Sports field
Transport(17)
17 bus stops
Other(4)
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. 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
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
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Gillieston Heights Medical CentreGP
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%)
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
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.
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%)