Ashtonfield
Household income in the 81.9th percentile nationally tells the first story about Ashtonfield, a 4,589-person suburb in the Hunter Valley where 94% of dwellings are separate houses and 68.7% have four or more bedrooms. The workforce skews toward healthcare and education, which together account for 32% of employed residents, and full-time employment runs at 66.1%, above what the national average would suggest for a suburb this size. Overseas-born residents at 12.7% sit 8.9 percentage points below the national figure, and ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic. The mortgage belt identity signal is real: 44% of households carry a mortgage against a $855,000 median, yet mortgage-to-income at 21% stays below the stress threshold.
Population
4,589
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,148/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
23
Median House
$855K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $855,000 puts Ashtonfield in mid-range Hunter Valley territory, and the price history shows a modest softening from $876,000 in 2024 to $845,000 in 2025, a movement of roughly 3.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21%, well below the 30% stress threshold compared to higher-cost Sydney markets. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached: 94% separate houses with just 5.8% semi-detached and 0.2% apartments. Buyers seeking large family homes will find depth in supply, with 68.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 28% having three bedrooms. The 34.2% of homes owned outright signals an established owner-occupier base rather than a speculative market.
For Buyers
The median house price of $855,000 puts Ashtonfield in mid-range Hunter Valley territory, and the price history shows a modest softening from $876,000 in 2024 to $845,000 in 2025, a movement of roughly 3.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21%, well below the 30% stress threshold compared to higher-cost Sydney markets. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached: 94% separate houses with just 5.8% semi-detached and 0.2% apartments. Buyers seeking large family homes will find depth in supply, with 68.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 28% having three bedrooms. The 34.2% of homes owned outright signals an established owner-occupier base rather than a speculative market.
For Investors
A 21.7% renter share and weekly rent of $440 provide a steady tenant pool in a suburb where detached houses dominate at 94% of stock. The vacancy rate of 3.2% is within the normal range, not signalling oversupply. Against the $855,000 median, $440 weekly rent implies a gross yield around 2.7%, modest but supported by stable demand from the healthcare and mining workforce in the Hunter region. Development activity registered 21 applications in the past 12 months, showing modest organic growth rather than large-scale subdivision pressure. Household income at the 81.9th percentile nationally means tenants can sustain rents, and rent-to-income at 20.5% sits comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, reducing default risk compared to higher-cost markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
139
Last 12 Months
23
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ashtonfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Hunter Valley Grammar School
K-12 · 1161 students
Ashtonfield Public School
K-6 · 514 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 sits one year below the national figure, and the household composition reveals a family-oriented suburb: couples with children account for 1,714 families compared to 941 couples without children, and average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national. Overseas-born residents at 12.7% are 8.9 percentage points below the national average, reflecting strong Anglo-Celtic roots. English ancestry leads at 1,958 residents, followed by Irish (525) and Scottish (486). University qualification rates reach 29.8%, nearly matching the national average, and the unemployment rate of 3.8% is low. Volunteering at 12.7% and only 4.5% of residents needing daily assistance point to a relatively self-sufficient community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.0%
Houses
5.8%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits into three clear bands: 34.2% own outright, 44% carry a mortgage, and 21.7% rent, making this a predominantly owner-occupier suburb compared to higher-renter-share urban markets. Separate houses account for 94% of dwellings, far above the national mix, with four-plus bedroom homes at 68.7% dominating the stock. Three-bedroom homes represent 28%. The median house price eased from $876,000 in 2024 to $845,000 in 2025, a 3.5% decline over one year. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,950 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21%, well below the stress benchmark of 30%. Rent-to-income at 20.5% is equally comfortable, indicating housing costs remain manageable relative to local incomes at the 81.9th household income percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$440
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$891
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
52
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.5%
Couples, no children
4,002
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local industry mix at 20.6% of workers (326 residents), which is consistent with proximity to Hunter Valley medical facilities. Education follows at 11.4% (181 workers) and Public Administration at 9.5% (151). Mining contributes 8.2% (130 workers), a notable share reflecting Hunter Valley's coal and resources economy. Professional and Technical services round out the top five at 7.3% (116 workers). By occupation, Professionals number 495 and Managers 295, with Clerical/Admin at 314 and Community/Personal services at 277. The full-time employment rate of 66.1% is strong, and unemployment sits at 3.8%. Personal weekly income of $891 and family weekly income of $2,354 place household finances in the upper tier nationally, at the 81.9th percentile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.1%
Part-time
30.1%
Participation
63.9%
Employed
2,232
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.8%
Postgraduate
7.6%
Born Overseas
12.7%
Dwellings
1,562
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 92.2% of residents drive to work, and only 0.6% use public transport, lower than state and national averages. This reflects the suburban spread of a 6.83 square kilometre area with a density of 671 residents per square kilometre, typical of low-density Hunter Valley development. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in surrounding areas. Crime statistics are not available for Ashtonfield in this dataset. Housing affordability is comfortable by NSW standards: mortgage-to-income at 21% and rent-to-income at 20.5% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, making the suburb accessible to families on average incomes compared to Sydney or coastal NSW markets.
Drive
92.2%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ashtonfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ashtonfield a good suburb to live in?
Ashtonfield suits families seeking large detached homes at manageable costs. Household income sits at the 81.9th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is 21% (below the 30% stress threshold), and 94% of dwellings are separate houses. The main trade-offs are high car dependency (92.2% drive to work) and no recorded schools inside the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Ashtonfield?
The median house price is $855,000, easing from $876,000 in 2024 to $845,000 in 2025, a decline of about 3.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, and weekly rent runs at $440. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 21% is well below the 30% stress threshold compared to many NSW markets.
What schools are in Ashtonfield?
No schools are recorded inside the Ashtonfield suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Despite this, 29.8% of residents hold university qualifications, close to the national average, and the local population of 4,589 includes 1,714 couples-with-children families.
Is Ashtonfield safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Ashtonfield in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is absent (mortgage-to-income 21%, rent-to-income 20.5%), unemployment is low at 3.8%, and household income sits at the 81.9th percentile nationally, factors typically associated with lower crime rates compared to high-disadvantage areas.
Is Ashtonfield good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $440 against an $855,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.7%, modest but supported by a 21.7% renter share and 3.2% vacancy rate. Rent-to-income at 20.5% is below the stress threshold, reducing default risk. The 3.5% price decline from 2024 to 2025 warrants monitoring, though supply pressure is limited at 21 development applications in 12 months.
How is Ashtonfield's population changing?
Longer-term population forecasts are not available in this brief. However, 81.2% of residents stayed in place over the measured period, indicating low turnover compared to more transient markets. The suburb's 4,589 residents are spread across 6.83 square kilometres at a density of 672 per square kilometre, typical of stable, established Hunter Valley residential areas.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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