Cooks Hill
NSW 2300 · Newcastle
3,774 (2021) → 4,298 est. (2025) · High Growth
Part of the Newcastle local government area (est. 179,758 residents)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Cooks Hill is a high growth suburb in Newcastle, NSW 2300, about 117km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.69M is more expensive than the NSW average. The suburb has 2 schools, a transport score of 76/100, and is right by the coast. Cooks Hill has an overall score of 85/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 5/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Top countries of birth: England (3.18%), New Zealand (1.27%), USA (1.27%), Germany (0.72%), Philippines (0.69%)
Top languages: German (0.77%), Spanish (0.64%), Italian (0.45%), French (0.37%), Tagalog (0.34%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Commercial & services hub. This suburb is a major employment and services centre, drawing a significant daily influx of workers and visitors from surrounding areas. Crime figures are recorded by incident location and include offences involving commuters and visitors, not just residents, so the per-resident crime rates below may overstate the risk for people who live here.
Nightlife hub. This suburb has a high concentration of licensed venues. Crime figures include incidents involving visitors to the nightlife area, not just residents.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
Totals include incidents involving commuters and visitors, not just residents.
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025
Schools
Reasonable school mix
Around the national average — a reasonable mix of schools, though the strongest options may require some travel.
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1035 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Alesco Senior CollegeSecondary · IndependentICSEA 950
- Newcastle Grammar Park School CampusPrimary · Independent
Nearby (within 10km)
- Newcastle East Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.9kmICSEA 1114
- Newcastle High SchoolSecondary · Government · 0.9kmICSEA 1032
- St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 0.9kmICSEA 1144
- The Junction Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.2kmICSEA 1117
- Newcastle Grammar SchoolCombined · Independent · 1.2kmICSEA 1172
- Hamilton South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.4kmICSEA 1130
- Newcastle Grammar Bolton Street CampusSecondary · Independent · 1.4km
- St Francis Xavier's CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 1.5kmICSEA 1074
- Holy Family Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.2kmICSEA 1145
- Carrington Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 986
- St Peter's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.4kmICSEA 1045
- Merewether Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.5kmICSEA 977
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Fitness
Fitness paradise
Top 20% nationally — gyms, leisure centres, pools and sports fields all close by. Easy to stay active without travelling far.
Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Outdoors
Outdoor paradise
Top 20% nationally — abundant parks and green space, plus trails, bike paths and places to enjoy the outdoors.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Culture
Cultural hotspot
Top 20% nationally — theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and landmarks all within reach. A genuinely vibrant cultural scene.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Entertainment Scene
Entertainment paradise
A seriously impressive licensed venue scene — top 20% nationally for density of pubs, bars, clubs and dining.
Nightlife hub. High licensed-venue density drives a significant evening economy here — incidents near the venues are recorded by location, so crime figures include visitors, not just residents.
View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →
Source: Liquor & Gaming NSW
Childcare
Some choices available
Around the national average — a reasonable mix of childcare options, though popular services may have waiting lists.
View childcare centres on the map →
Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register
Population & Growth
High GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Newcastle
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Frequently asked questions about Cooks Hill
Is Cooks Hill safe?
Cooks Hill has a residential safety score of 5/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 14,891 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Cooks Hill?
In Cooks Hill, the median house price is $1.69M and the median unit price is $790K. Median weekly house rent is $720.
How far is Cooks Hill from Sydney CBD?
Cooks Hill is about 116.8 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Cooks Hill?
Cooks Hill has 2 schools, with an average ICSEA of 950 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Cooks Hill?
Cooks Hill has a transport score of 76/100 and 15 bus stops.