Considering Cooks Hill? This page brings together 17 data cards on what it’s like to live there, what the catchments and amenities are, and where the suburb is heading. The analysis covers safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle.
Is Cooks Hill a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Cooks Hill (2300) scores a Stickybeak Grade across safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle. Scroll down for the full 17-card analysis, or use the section navigation to jump to what matters most.
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281 min
274 min
293 min
270 min
302 min
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The verdict
Who it is for
Cooks Hill suits buyers in their mid-thirties who want a walkable, cafe-dense inner-Newcastle lifestyle without committing to Sydney prices. The SEIFA decile of 9 out of 10 signals a genuinely affluent, educated neighbourhood, and the median household income of $1,881 per week reflects that. With 101 cafes and 130 parks within 1.6 kilometres, plus a walkability score in the 84th percentile, this suits people who want to run most errands on foot.
Who would not love it
Only 17 per cent of dwellings are separate houses, so if you need a backyard, the stock simply is not there. The owner-occupier rate sits at just 42 per cent, meaning you will likely be surrounded by renters, which affects street stability and body corporate dynamics in the dominant flat and apartment stock. The Stickybeak financial and safety grades both returned insufficient data, so you are bidding with meaningful blind spots on affordability and personal safety benchmarks.
What to verify before you bid
- The financial grade returned insufficient data. Request recent comparable sales and confirm median prices independently before setting your ceiling. - The safe grade also returned insufficient data. Check NSW Police local area command crime statistics for Newcastle Inner before you commit. - With 31 per cent of stock being flats and apartments, pull the strata records and sinking fund forecasts for any specific building. Older Newcastle stock can carry deferred maintenance costs. - Confirm the one local primary school's ICSEA of 1112 meets your needs, as there is no public secondary school in the postcode.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Cooks Hill?
BOCSAR · COOKS HILL 2300
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K14,89112 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+86%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Newcastle
Within LGA: Newcastle
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT71%284 reports
ASSAULT17%67 reports
AGAINST JUSTICE PROCEDURES13%51 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED47%
NON-DOMESTIC53%
Across 62 assault reports in this window.
DV-flagged assault has risen statewide as reporting has improved. Compare with caution to suburbs whose population has changed materially.
BOCSAR Recorded Criminal Incidents · Updated March 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Based on 81 new bond lodgements this quarter.
Rents here are at the higher end for Sydney. Higher holding costs for investors; higher savings pressure for renters.
Median weekly rent · Unit · 2 bed
$700per week
Sep 2025 · 81 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Newcastle West2302
$745▲$45
2.0 km away
Hamilton2303
$470▼$230
3.2 km away
Merewether2291
$600▼$100
4.1 km away
Mayfield2304
$525▼$175
5.8 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board↗ · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.
DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2300
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2300. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare Cooks Hill with another suburb
Also in Newcastle
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Newcastle postcodes, or explore the full Newcastle suburb index.
Cooks Hill is the primary suburb with postcode 2300 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Cooks Hill is the main locality.
Which local government area is Cooks Hill in?
Cooks Hill (2300) is located in the Newcastle local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Cooks Hill?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Cooks Hill (2300) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Cooks Hill flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Cooks Hill. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Cooks Hill?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Cooks Hill (2300), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Cooks Hill (2300) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Cooks Hill (2300). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Cooks Hill changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Cooks Hill (2300) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
