Cessnock
NSWCessnock is a growing suburb in NSW with 16,300 residents.
- SAL code
- 10877
- SA2
- 106011108
- Population
- 16,300
Cessnock, NSW had 16,300 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 4.7% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 40. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,499 a month. Around 60.9% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 39.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 85.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 25 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?16,300
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+4.7%
3yr: +3.6% · 10yr: +11.6%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,192/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
40
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?8.3%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
5
3 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?8
6 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?25
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?114
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Cessnock (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Cessnock suburb alone is ~16,300 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 19,520 to 24,745 over 24 years, averaging 1.0% per year.
Schools
5 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Cessnock EPS24.3%
- Cessnock PS 22.8%
- Nulkaba PS 20.0%
- Cessnock WPS 19.5%
- Kitchener PS 10.4%
- Kearsley PS 3.1%
- Abermain PS 0.0%
- Bellbird PS 0.0%
Secondary
Cessnock HS60.5%
- Mt View HS 39.5%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 5.3%Almost entirely detached houses (85.1%), mixed tenure (61% own or mortgage), built for families (49% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
16 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 52.7% | 18.92 km² |
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 12.9% | 4.64 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 10.0% | 3.57 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 7.0% | 2.52 km² |
| C1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 4.4% | 1.59 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 4.3% | 1.53 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.8% | 0.66 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 1.8% | 0.65 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.4% | 0.51 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 1.1% | 0.40 km² |
| E3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.7% | 0.24 km² |
| E2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.6% | 0.21 km² |
| R5 | ZoneResidential | 0.4% | 0.15 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.3% | 0.12 km² |
| E5 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.3% | 0.11 km² |
| RU4 | ZoneRural | 0.1% | 0.04 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.