Cooks Hill, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Cooks Hill NSW is 3,774 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Cooks Hill is $1,025 per week ($53,300 per year). Median rent in Cooks Hill is $430 per week ($1,863 per month). Cooks Hill has a median age of 35 years, younger than the national median of 38. Cooks Hill has a population density of 5,234 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Cooks Hill is England. The most common religion is No religion (57.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is German. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cooks Hill is $2,297.

There were 124 recorded offences in Cooks Hill in 2025-26, a rate of 33 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (52 offences).

Population
3,774
Census 2021
Median income
$1,025/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$430/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
35years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Cooks Hill vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Cooks Hill is $1,025 a week, 34% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 320th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $430 a week, $45 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 22.9% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 35, 8 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureCooks HillTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,025/wk$765/wk +34%$766/wk
Household income$1,881/wk$1,704/wk +10%$1,637/wk
Rent$430/wk$385/wk +12%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,297/mo$1,965/mo +17%$1,733/mo
Median age3543 −8 yrs42
Rent share of household income22.9%22.6% +0.3 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Cooks Hill, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Cooks Hill Population

3,774 residents at the 2021 Census.

Cooks Hill Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,025/wk
$53,300 per year
Ranked 1,066 of 14,663
Median Rent
$430/wk
$1,863 per month
Ranked 1,360 of 14,663
Median Age
35years
3 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,297/mo
Avg household size: 2 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Cooks Hill Rent Prices & Affordability

23% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,881/wk
Median rent $430/wk
Rent to income 22.9%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Cooks Hill against your income

About $8,151 a month
Median rent $430/wk
Left after rent $1,451/wk
Rent share 22.9%

Cooks Hill Schools

19
schools nearby
10
government
1082
avg ICSEA score
6,322
total students
Newcastle Grammar School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,049 students
1181
ICSEA
St Joseph's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 387 students
1141
ICSEA
Hamilton South Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 362 students
1139
ICSEA
Holy Family Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 198 students
1132
ICSEA
The Junction Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 450 students
1115
ICSEA
Newcastle East Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 260 students
1112
ICSEA
Hamilton Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 306 students
1106
ICSEA
Tighes Hill Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 358 students
1104
ICSEA
St Francis Xavier's College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 959 students
1096
ICSEA
Islington Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 159 students
1090
ICSEA
Novoschool Independent
Secondary · 7-9 · 79 students
1077
ICSEA
St Peter's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 180 students
1053
ICSEA
Newcastle High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,072 students
1027
ICSEA
Stockton Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 254 students
1000
ICSEA
Carrington Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 110 students
996
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 19 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Cooks Hill, with a map

Cooks Hill Map

Cooks Hill, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Cooks Hill

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 46.7% (1,761) Female 53.3% (2,010)

Population Density

5,234
people per km²
3,774 people · 0.7 km²

Households

2
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$2,712
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
3.2%
New Zealand
1.3%
United States of America
1.3%
Germany
0.7%
Philippines
0.7%
Canada
0.7%
South Africa
0.5%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

German
0.8%
Spanish
0.6%
Italian
0.5%
French
0.4%
Tagalog
0.3%
Mandarin
0.3%
Arabic
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
45.5%
Australian
35.3%
Irish
16.9%
Scottish
13.9%
German
4.7%
Australian Aboriginal
3.5%
Italian
3.0%
Dutch
1.9%
Chinese
1.6%
Polish
1.4%
Welsh
1.2%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
57.0%
Catholic
15.7%
Anglican
10.0%
Not stated
6.8%
Uniting Church
1.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.6%
Christian (other)
1.3%
Buddhism
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

3.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
26.9% 902
Separated
2.7% 92
Divorced
10.8% 361
Widowed
3.9% 131
Never married
55.6% 1,862

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: no children
41.0%
Couple: children under 15
33.3%
Couple: no children under 15
9.9%
One parent: children under 15
8.2%
One parent: no children under 15
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
37.1%
2 persons
37.0%
3 persons
14.5%
4 persons
8.5%
5 persons
2.4%
6+ persons
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Cooks Hill

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,717 occupied private dwellings in Cooks Hill at the 2021 Census, 55.1% were rented, 22.2% owned outright and 20.0% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.0% 18 dwellings
Owned outright
22.2% 382 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
20.0% 343 dwellings
Rented
55.1% 946 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.1% 19 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)
55.5%
Separate house
25.5%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
19.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
12.8%
2 bedrooms
41.1%
3 bedrooms
36.9%
4 bedrooms
7.6%
5 bedrooms
1.2%
6+ bedrooms
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
7.6%
$300-$449/mo
1.4%
$450-$599/mo
2.4%
$600-$799/mo
2.1%
$800-$999/mo
4.9%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
8.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
13.2%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
22.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.4%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
20.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
14.1%
1 vehicle
45.5%
2 vehicles
30.3%
3 vehicles
7.5%
4+ vehicles
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Cooks Hill

Employment

Employed full-time
42.2% 1,282 people
Employed part-time
25.5% 773 people
Unemployed
3.0% 92 people
Not in labour force
29.3% 889 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
48.9%
Managers
14.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
10.0%
Clerical & Administrative
9.5%
Community & Personal Service
9.5%
Sales Workers
3.2%
Labourers
2.9%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.3%
$1-$149/wk
0.8%
$150-$299/wk
2.2%
$300-$399/wk
4.2%
$400-$499/wk
7.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
3.9%
$800-$999/wk
5.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.4%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.2%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.5%
$4,000+/wk
15.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
4.8%
$1-$149/wk
3.5%
$150-$299/wk
5.4%
$300-$399/wk
3.3%
$400-$499/wk
3.7%
$500-$649/wk
3.1%
$650-$799/wk
7.6%
$800-$999/wk
9.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
10.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.6%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
13.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.2%
$3,500+/wk
5.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
58.7%
Did not go to work
22.1%
Walked only
11.1%
Bicycle
2.7%
Car (passenger)
2.5%
Bus
1.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.8%
Truck
0.5%
Other
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
77.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
14.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
4.9%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.0%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
42.3%
Certificate III/IV
18.5%
Postgraduate Degree
16.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.9%
Certificate I/II
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Health
18.4%
Management & Commerce
17.8%
Society & Culture
15.7%
Engineering
12.5%
Creative Arts
9.0%
Education
8.4%
Architecture & Building
6.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.5%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.8%
Information Technology
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
27.0%
Vocational Education
21.0%
Secondary: Government
16.7%
Pre-school
9.5%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
8.7%
Primary: Catholic
7.2%
Secondary: Catholic
6.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
90.7%
Has need for assistance
4.4%
Need for assistance not stated
4.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
525
Asthma
142
Arthritis
114
Heart disease
72
Lung condition
66
Diabetes
56
Cancer
40
Stroke
27
Kidney disease
25
Dementia
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
10.5% 334
Did not provide
89.5% 2,834

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
18.4% 584
Not a volunteer
81.6% 2,588

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.9% 30
Current ADF: Reserves
0.2% 6
Previously served
2.3% 74
Never served
96.6% 3,079

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
53.2%
1 child
12.6%
2 children
20.3%
3 children
9.8%
4 children
2.9%
5+ children
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
11
1951: 1960
19
1961: 1970
31
1971: 1980
50
1981: 1990
55
1991: 2000
80
2001: 2010
115
2011: 2015
76
2016
6
2017
9
2018
19
2019
23
2020
30
2021
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

24.8%
moved in the last year
54.1%
moved in the last 5 years
4.0%
unemployment rate (Census)
68.6%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,683
Moved from NSW
617
Moved: same area (SA2)
142
Moved from overseas
46
Moved from VIC
20
Moved from ACT
16
Moved from WA
10
Moved from QLD
8
Moved from TAS
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
26.5%
5: 14 hours
36.4%
15: 29 hours
10.3%
30+ hours
5.7%
Did not do domestic work
21.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
85.8%
Step family: no other children
11.8%
Blended family: no other children
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cooks Hill Crime Statistics

124 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
52
Assault
17
Other Against Property
17
Property Damage
14
Other Against Person
11
Sexual Offences
6
Drug Offences
5
Weapons
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Cooks Hill

The closest suburb to Cooks Hill is Bar Beach, 0.6 km away.

Bar Beach
0.6 km away · income $1,196/wk · rent $393/wk
Newcastle
0.6 km away · income $1,251/wk · rent $490/wk
The Hill
0.7 km away · income $1,147/wk · rent $390/wk
Newcastle West
1.0 km away · income $1,022/wk · rent $460/wk
Hamilton South
1.9 km away · income $770/wk · rent $162/wk
Wickham (NSW)
1.9 km away · income $1,135/wk · rent $470/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Cooks Hill

What is the population of Cooks Hill NSW?

The population of Cooks Hill NSW is 3,774 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 5,234 people per km². Cooks Hill is ranked #2,016 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Cooks Hill?

The median personal income in Cooks Hill NSW is $1,025 per week, or $53,300 per year. The median household income is $1,881 per week. Family income is $2,712 per week. Cooks Hill is ranked #1,066 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Cooks Hill?

Median rent in Cooks Hill NSW is $430 per week ($1,863 per month). Rent represents 22.9% of household income, which is considered affordable. Cooks Hill ranks #1,360 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Cooks Hill?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cooks Hill NSW is $2,297. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Cooks Hill?

The median age in Cooks Hill NSW is 35 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Cooks Hill a good suburb to live in?

Cooks Hill is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 3,774. The median income is $1,025/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (22.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 11019. All dollar figures in AUD.