Stockton is a coastal town in New South Wales, in Newcastle Council. It is close to the Hunter River.
Public transport is an exceptional strength, with public transport 112% above the peer median. Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked coastal towns. The clearer weaknesses are higher rents and thinner dining and café options, with median rents 15% above the peer median.
Stockton is a better fit for people who value public transport more than lower rents.
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
Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in New South Wales (162)
Strengths
Population growth is a relative strength
Public transport is a relative strength
Weaknesses
Rents run above those in comparable places
Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places
What stands out
Stockton Beach
Little Park Beach
Hunter River
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 Stockton compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.19M
-4.8% change
Median rent
$750/wk
Population (ERP)
4,381
+1.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
8.7%
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
#106
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Crime rate
35th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
80th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
31%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
47th
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
40.4/100 — Average
National rank
4308th in Australia
State rank
1472nd in NSW
Peer rank
#106 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#174 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
94%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (January to March 2026)
$780
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
44
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,190,000
Median price change
-4.8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+1.6% annual · +13.2% over 5 years · 80th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.6%
5-year growth
+13.2%
Change in 1 year
+68
Change in 5 years
+510
Growth rank in NSW
80th 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 (~5,100), extrapolated at +3.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
4,046
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,535
Dwelling vacancy
8.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
152 of 1,751
Median monthly mortgage
$2,000
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$370
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.1% / 31.2% / 30.7%
Employment rate
52.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
20.9% / 1.8% / 53.6%
Walked or cycled to work
3.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,311 / 111 / 162 (+ 6 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.
19.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 21.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified19.7% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified9.8% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational21.5% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below49% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies22.3%
Management and commerce17.3%
Health15.4%
Society and culture11.5%
Education9.7%
Architecture and building8.5%
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)
$63,946
74th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$72,420
77th percentile in NSW · +11% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
15.0%
57th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$114,786
87th percentile in NSW · +81% vs Australia
Residents with business income
7.0%
4th percentile in NSW · -33% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2295 — 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
4,504
Taxpayers reporting net rent
696
Median net rent
-$1,150
Taxpayers reporting business income
302
Taxable income vs state median
+14%
Salary / wages vs state median
+15%
Rental investment vs state median
+7%
Super vs state median
+63%
Business income vs state median
-30%
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
3.7% speak a language other than English at home; 9.4% born overseas
Language at home
3,684 English only · 142 other
Non-English at home
3.7%
Born overseas
363 (9.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
192 (4.7%)
Australian citizens
3,739
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
6
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
French5 · 21.7%
German5 · 21.7%
Spanish4 · 17.4%
Greek3 · 13%
Italian3 · 13%
Khmer3 · 13%
Religion
49.9%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 49.9%, while 42% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
42%
32.8%
Christianity
49.9%
47.6%
Other / not stated
8.1%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
21.1%
22.4%
Anglican
17.3%
11.9%
Uniting Church
3.8%
2.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.6%
1.9%
Christian (not further defined)
2.2%
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 2295, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
241
Against the person
72
Against property
109
Rate per 1,000 residents
55
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 56 residents
State crime-rate percentile
35th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+18.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
24
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
5.48
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order18
Domestic Violence Related Assault19
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment21
Malicious Damage To Property22
Steal From Motor Vehicle23
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
1,000
Median ICSEA percentile
47th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
Stockton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1000 · 47th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 254 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Fern Bay PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Newcastle HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Stockton 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 — 6 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 70 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
1.48
Sport & outdoors(17)
Beach (2)
Little Park BeachBeach
Stockton North Boat RampBoat ramp
Bike S1 Throsby Foreshore to Merewether BathsCycling route
S2 Scenic Route StocktonCycling route
Drinking water
Breen ParkPark
Park (2)
Playground (3)
Public toilets
Sports field
Swimming pool (2)
Camping & holiday parks(1)
Stockton Beach Tourist ParkCaravan park
Places to stay(1)
Boatrowers HotelHotel
130A Fullerton Street
Transport(17)
17 bus stops
Other(10)
Bench (3)
Bicycle Parking
Stockton Fire StationFire station
Fishing
Garden (6)
Parking (4)
Parking Space (29)
Picnic Table (2)
Post Box
Telephone
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
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
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
Lingard Private Hospital (5.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
130
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Priority Health PharmacyPharmacy
Aged-care services
Moran StocktonSTOCKTONResidential
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
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%)
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
120 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
September 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
60 DOUGLAS STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Semi-detached dwelling
7 PUNT ROAD STOCKTON 2295Additional Information Requested
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
22 ROXBURGH STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
8 HUNTER STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
Demolition; Subdivision
1 NEWCASTLE STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure
134 FULLERTON STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
31 NEWCASTLE STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure
8 KING STREET STOCKTON 2295Additional Information Requested
Shed; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
116 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
August 2026
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
45 CROWN STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
170 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
42 HEREFORD STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
139 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Fences; Swimming pool
Signage; Commercial development; Subdivision; Advertising and signage; Office Premise; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Business identification sign; Recreation facility (indoor); Hours of operation and trading
15 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
78A ROXBURGH STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
36 EAMES AVENUE STOCKTON 2295Determined
Subdivision
23 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Garage, carport or carparking space
279 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Under Assessment
June 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
25 CLYDE STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
25 PEMBROKE STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Advertising and signage; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Registered club
29 DOUGLAS STREET STOCKTON 2295Additional Information Requested
Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
29 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
168 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
May 2026
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
66 MAITLAND STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development
18 FORFAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
198 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
83 ROXBURGH STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
191 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Additional Information Requested
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development
138 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
146 FULLERTON STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
April 2026
Erection of a new structure; Carport
5 GRIFFITH AVENUE STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
223 MITCHELL STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
98 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
198 DUNBAR STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
144 FULLERTON STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
5 BOOTH STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
2025· 3 proposals
December 2025
Shed; Erection of a new structure
19 CLYDE STREET STOCKTON 2295Determined
Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new 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 4.4 km away).
Coalition 26.6%Labor 73.4%
2.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
StocktonLabor 68.3% · Coalition 31.7% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
CarringtonLabor 78.8% · Coalition 21.2% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
Mayfield EastLabor 79.1% · Coalition 20.9% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
Newcastle CityLabor 72.4% · Coalition 27.6% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
WickhamLabor 77.1% · Coalition 22.9% TPP (2025)3.8 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%)