Newcastle, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Newcastle is New South Wales' second city, about 160 km north of Sydney where the Hunter River meets the sea. The area is the traditional country of the Awabakal and Worimi peoples, who knew it as Malubimba. Coal built the modern city — its harbour is one of the largest coal-export ports in the world — and for most of the twentieth century the BHP steelworks dominated the economy until they closed in 1999. Since then Newcastle has reinvented itself around its surf beaches, such as Nobbys and Merewether, a lively arts scene and its university. It takes its name from Newcastle upon Tyne in coal-mining England, and still remembers the 1989 earthquake that killed thirteen people.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Newcastle is more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1090, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Newcastle at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 3,852
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $1,943
- SEIFA score
- 1090
- Coordinates
- -32.9310, 151.7829
Newcastle demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Newcastle using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 36%, 54% of homes are rented, and 21% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 237 | 6% |
| Youth (15–24) | 448 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,398 | 36% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,043 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 730 | 19% |
Share of the 3,856 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 520 | 25% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 385 | 19% |
| Rented | 1,112 | 54% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 44 | 2% |
| Townhouses & semis | 78 | 4% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,898 | 93% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,050 occupied private dwellings in Newcastle.
- Median weekly rent
- $490
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Average household size
- 1.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,677
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,251
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 753 (21%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 443 (12%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 97 (3%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,422 (68%)
- Labour-force participation
- 68.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.7%
- Employed full-time
- 1,497
- Employed part-time
- 703
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Newcastle
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Newcastle is January (average daytime high around 27.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.3°C). The area receives roughly 898 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.1°C | 20.7°C | 75 mm |
| Feb | 26.2°C | 20.5°C | 92 mm |
| Mar | 25.1°C | 19.6°C | 149 mm |
| Apr | 22.7°C | 16.5°C | 76 mm |
| May | 20°C | 13.2°C | 44 mm |
| Jun | 17.3°C | 11.1°C | 79 mm |
| Jul | 17.3°C | 9.9°C | 56 mm |
| Aug | 18.2°C | 10.3°C | 48 mm |
| Sep | 20.7°C | 12.7°C | 59 mm |
| Oct | 22.7°C | 15.2°C | 79 mm |
| Nov | 24°C | 17°C | 71 mm |
| Dec | 25.9°C | 19°C | 70 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Newcastle
Where is Newcastle?
Newcastle is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Newcastle?
At the 2021 Census, Newcastle had a population of about 3,852.
Is Newcastle an advantaged area?
Newcastle has an ABS SEIFA score of 1090, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 94 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Newcastle?
Newcastle has average daytime highs of about 22.3°C and overnight lows of about 15.5°C, with roughly 898 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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