Planning Maps / Areas / Newcastle / The Hill

The Hill zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of The Hill (Newcastle, NSW) - 0.62 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to The Hill's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

The Hill at a glance

Parcels 543 Median lot 531 m² Mapped easements 2 Bus stops 19

How The Hill is zoned

Low Density Residential 35%
Medium Density Residential 34%
Public Recreation 30%
Mixed Use 1%
Unzoned Land 1%
Infrastructure 0%

Buying in The Hill? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 0.62 km², The Hill is relatively unconstrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 4% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 72 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 531 m² across 543 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in The Hill

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the The Hill suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
2,076
usual residents, 2021
Median age
34
years
Median household income
$1,849
per week, Newcastle suburb typical $1,818
Median rent
$390
per week, Newcastle suburb typical $400
Median mortgage
$2,167
per month
Household size
2.0
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1092, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of The Hill's 2,076 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.8%
5-14 7.6%
15-19 4.2%
20-24 12.9%
25-34 24.2%
35-44 13.0%
45-54 11.5%
55-64 10.1%
65-74 8.9%
75-84 3.8%
85+ 1.2%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Newcastle - Cooks Hill, the wider ABS statistical area containing The Hill. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than The Hill itself.

8,459 in 2001 to 14,632 in 2025, up 73%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

The Hill data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific The Hill address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

The Hill planning - frequently asked

Is The Hill flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering The Hill, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Newcastle is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is The Hill bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 4% of The Hill is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Newcastle average of 24%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in The Hill?

The dominant planning zone in The Hill is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Medium Density Residential and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does The Hill have heritage-listed places?

The Hill has 72 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in The Hill?

Across 543 surveyed parcels in The Hill, the median lot size is about 531 m². There are also 2 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does The Hill have a train station?

There is no train station inside The Hill itself. The suburb is served by 19 bus stops.

What is the population of The Hill?

At the 2021 Census The Hill had 2,076 usual residents, with a median age of 34 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Newcastle - Cooks Hill statistical area, which contains The Hill, went from 8,459 people in 2001 to 14,632 in 2025, up 73%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than The Hill alone.

Is The Hill an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), The Hill scores 1092 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in The Hill?

Median household income in The Hill was $1,849 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,818 for the typical suburb in Newcastle. Median rent was $390 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a The Hill property?

A The Hill planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Cooks Hill 0.7 km Not mapped 0%
Bar Beach 0.9 km Not mapped 0%
Newcastle West 1.2 km Not mapped 0%
The Junction 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Newcastle East 1.6 km Not mapped 0%
Hamilton East 2.0 km Not mapped 0%
Wickham 2.3 km Not mapped 0%
Newcastle 2.4 km Not mapped 0%
Carrington 2.4 km Not mapped 0%
Hamilton South 2.6 km Not mapped 0%

See all Newcastle suburb profiles →