Jesmond
With 69.7% of households renting, Jesmond's defining contrast with nearby Wallsend and Lambton is its strongly rental-led profile. Its 3,210 residents have a median age of 31, nine years below the national average, while 41.7% were born overseas, 20.1 percentage points above the national share. Density reaches 2,658.2 people per sq km across 1.21 sq km, supporting a compact setting where transport, services and dwelling choice matter. Household income sits at the 23.6th percentile, so entry costs and weekly expenses deserve close attention.
Population
3,210
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,180/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
29
Buyers need to treat Jesmond as a tenure-diverse, compact market rather than assume detached ownership dominates. Separate houses make up 46.6%, while semi-detached dwellings account for 27.6% and apartments 25.8%, creating more attached options than a conventional detached market. Two-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 37.0%, followed by three-bedroom homes at 35.9%, which suits households averaging 2.4 people. The $1,652 monthly mortgage figure and 32.3% mortgage-to-income ratio call for a careful cash-flow test because household income is at the 23.6th percentile. Compared with nearby Wallsend or Lambton, buyers should check the exact dwelling, strata costs and parking.
For Buyers
Buyers need to treat Jesmond as a tenure-diverse, compact market rather than assume detached ownership dominates. Separate houses make up 46.6%, while semi-detached dwellings account for 27.6% and apartments 25.8%, creating more attached options than a conventional detached market. Two-bedroom homes are the largest bedroom group at 37.0%, followed by three-bedroom homes at 35.9%, which suits households averaging 2.4 people. The $1,652 monthly mortgage figure and 32.3% mortgage-to-income ratio call for a careful cash-flow test because household income is at the 23.6th percentile. Compared with nearby Wallsend or Lambton, buyers should check the exact dwelling, strata costs and parking.
For Investors
Jesmond's investment case is anchored by renter demand: 69.7% of households rent, compared with 13.4% paying a mortgage and 16.2% owning outright. Weekly rent is $350, while vacancy is 8.2%, so landlords should allow for leasing variability rather than assume every property turns over immediately. The rent-growth signal is 35.2%, and 27 development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing small-scale planning activity, including a dwelling house, secondary dwelling and neighbourhood shop. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, which can support demand for well-located, lower-cost stock. Two-bedroom homes represent 37.0%, higher than the 15.3% share of four-bedroom-plus homes, giving investors a clear compact-stock segment to assess.
Development Activity
Total DAs
143
Last 12 Months
29
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Jesmond
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Jesmond's demographic profile is younger and more internationally connected than the national picture. Median age is 31, nine years below the national average, while 35.0% have a university qualification, 4.9 percentage points above the national rate. Overseas-born residents account for 41.7%, 20.1 points above the national share; Arabic, Mandarin and Urdu are the leading listed non-English languages, with 93, 63 and 56 speakers respectively. English ancestry is recorded for 823 people and Irish ancestry for 204, alongside 1,006 people reporting no religion and 518 reporting Islam. Household size averages 2.4, lower than the national average by 0.1, and turnover is 37.7%, helping explain the suburb's changing social mix compared with nearby Wallsend and Lambton.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
46.6%
Houses
27.6%
Townhouse
25.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Jesmond's housing economics favour renters, with 69.7% renting versus 16.2% owning outright and 13.4% paying a mortgage. That tenure pattern is reinforced by a weekly rent of $350 and a vacancy rate of 8.2%, although mortgage holders face a higher housing-cost ratio of 32.3% than renters at 29.7%. Dwelling form is mixed: separate houses represent 46.6%, while semi-detached homes account for 27.6% and apartments 25.8%, so attached housing is more prominent than the detached share alone suggests. Bedroom supply is concentrated in two-bedroom homes at 37.0% and three-bedroom homes at 35.9%, while four-bedroom-plus stock is 15.3%. Compared with a detached-oriented market, Jesmond provides more compact choices but requires careful checks on strata and maintenance costs.
Mortgage / mo
$1,652
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $350.
$455
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $680 · units $498
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$574
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
104
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.6%
Couples with children
35.7%
Couples, no children
21.7%
Single parent
645
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Jesmond's dominant industry at 26.8% of jobs, followed by education at 12.1%, hospitality at 9.5%, retail at 8.8% and professional or technical work at 6.2%. That service mix aligns with the leading occupations: 260 professionals, 228 community or personal service workers, 163 labourers, 152 trades workers and 151 sales workers. Labour-market conditions are uneven, with 52.7% participation, 10.3% unemployment and a 46.1% full-time employment rate. Compared with 580 full-time workers, 571 part-time workers indicate a substantial flexible-work base. Socioeconomic rankings sit below the midpoint overall: IER is decile 1, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 3, while IEO is higher at decile 4. This helps explain why professional employment does not translate into high household income, which ranks at the 23.6th percentile.
Unemployment
10.3%
Labour Force
1,402
Unemployed
144
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
46.1%
Part-time
45.4%
Participation
52.7%
Employed
1,258
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.0%
Postgraduate
14.3%
Born Overseas
41.7%
Dwellings
1,154
Transport to Work
Daily life is compact but car-oriented. A high-density footprint of 2,658.2 people per sq km sits alongside 69.0% driving to work, compared with 5.7% using public transport and 3.7% walking or cycling; 15.7% work from home. That pattern means car access is likely to matter more than the low public-transport share suggests, while address-level proximity should guide decisions. There are 3 nearby government schools, comprising 2 primary schools and 1 secondary campus. Check the exact address against enrolment zones, because school access can change across boundary lines within a compact 1.21 sq km suburb. The IRSAD score is 930 in decile 3, and household income ranks at the 23.6th percentile, so service access and housing costs are central to livability. For safety decisions, check recent NSW Police information and inspect the area at different times.
Drive
69.0%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
15.7%
Population Forecast
+1.65%/yr
(+236 people/yr)
EstablishedJesmond's growth outlook is positive but not uniform. The annual trend is 1.65%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 24.9% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed: the rent-growth signal is 35.2%, working-age share changed by 1.8% and senior share fell by 2.3%. Gentrification indicators also differ, ranging from a score of 65 at the Active stage to a score of 37 at the Early signs stage. That spread supports a measured interpretation because demand is strengthening, but the 69.7% renting rate and household income at the 23.6th percentile keep affordability central. Compared with a mature, low-turnover market, Jesmond is more exposed to migration and rental-cycle changes.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+551
Net Internal / yr
-170
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +36% since 2011, Net internal outflow -170/yr, Strong overseas inflow +551/yr, Accelerating: 13% → 21%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Jesmond compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jesmond a good suburb to live in?
Jesmond suits households seeking a compact, rental-led setting with a median age of 31 and 3 nearby government schools. Its 69.7% renting share supports housing choice, while 69.0% car commuting and IRSAD decile 3 mean transport and household costs deserve close attention.
What is the median house price in Jesmond?
Jesmond's current median house price should be checked against recent settled sales. The suburb has 46.6% separate houses and 69.7% renting, so the headline figure can be influenced by attached dwellings, property condition and rental-oriented demand.
What schools are in Jesmond?
Jesmond has 3 nearby government schools: 2 primary schools and 1 secondary campus. Check the exact address against enrolment zones, because school access can change across boundary lines even within a compact 1.21 sq km suburb.
Is Jesmond safe?
Safety should be checked using recent NSW Police information and an inspection at different times. Jesmond covers 1.21 sq km and has 3,210 residents, so street-level conditions can differ. Consider lighting, traffic, access routes and activity around the property.
Is Jesmond good for property investment?
Jesmond can suit investors targeting rental demand: 69.7% of households rent, weekly rent is $350 and vacancy is 8.2%. Weigh those figures against a 32.3% mortgage-to-income ratio and 27 development applications in 12 months, because cash flow and future competition both matter.
How is Jesmond's population changing?
The current population is 3,210. The annual trend is 1.65%, overseas migration is the primary driver, and population change across the wider area is 24.9% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed, so growth is likely to be uneven rather than a simple straight line.
What languages are spoken in Jesmond?
English is widely used, while Arabic, Mandarin and Urdu are the leading listed non-English languages, with 93, 63 and 56 speakers respectively. With 41.7% of residents born overseas, Jesmond's language profile is more internationally connected than the national average.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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