Mayfield East
At 2,916 residents per km2 across just 0.62 km2, Mayfield East packs a lot into a small footprint. The suburb's most striking contrast is between its working-class industrial roots and its current professional tilt: 43.8% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 13.7 percentage points above the national average, yet household income sits at the 64th percentile nationally. Median house prices jumped 25.4% in a single year to reach $1,050,000 in 2025, a move that outpaced most comparable inner-Newcastle suburbs. Detached houses dominate at 83.1% of dwellings, giving Mayfield East a suburban character that contrasts with the apartment-heavy stock found in nearby Newcastle CBD fringe areas.
Population
1,794
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,809/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
Median House
$922K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $1,050,000 in 2025, up from $837,500 in 2024, a 25.4% gain in one year. The stock is predominantly detached houses at 83.1%, with three-bedroom homes the most common configuration at 51.5% of dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.5%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is a relative affordability signal compared to Sydney markets. Four-plus bedroom homes are rare at 11.2%, so buyers seeking larger family homes face limited supply. Outright owners at 23.3% are outnumbered by those with a mortgage (37.9%) and renters (38.8%), suggesting a buyer pool weighted toward recent purchasers rather than long-held wealth. The semi-detached segment at 13.7% offers a lower entry point than detached houses.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,050,000 in 2025, up from $837,500 in 2024, a 25.4% gain in one year. The stock is predominantly detached houses at 83.1%, with three-bedroom homes the most common configuration at 51.5% of dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.5%, below the 30% stress threshold, which is a relative affordability signal compared to Sydney markets. Four-plus bedroom homes are rare at 11.2%, so buyers seeking larger family homes face limited supply. Outright owners at 23.3% are outnumbered by those with a mortgage (37.9%) and renters (38.8%), suggesting a buyer pool weighted toward recent purchasers rather than long-held wealth. The semi-detached segment at 13.7% offers a lower entry point than detached houses.
For Investors
A 38.8% renter share is higher than the national average and supports consistent tenant demand, with weekly rent sitting at $420. The vacancy rate of 6.5% is elevated relative to typical healthy market levels around 2-3%, which implies some softness in rental absorption and may weigh on yield. Development activity is modest with 18 applications in the past 12 months, including dual occupancy and garage additions, indicating incremental densification rather than large new supply. The price run from $837,500 to $1,050,000 over 2024-2025 at 25.4% growth signals strong capital appreciation momentum. Gross yield against the $922,500 median house price and $420 weekly rent sits near 2.4%, above typical inner-Sydney levels, though the elevated vacancy rate tempers income reliability.
Development Activity
Total DAs
92
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+63.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mayfield East iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mayfield East Public School
K-6 · 343 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 is 4 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger resident profile. University qualifications at 43.8% sit 13.7 percentage points above the national rate, a notable gap for a suburb at the 64th income percentile, suggesting residents are highly educated relative to their earnings. Overseas-born residents account for 12.3% of the population, which is 9.3 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born community. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (815), Irish (300) and Scottish (236) are the top three, with Other (130) and German (79) rounding out the top five. Couples with children (525 families) outnumber couples without children (365), consistent with the suburb's family-oriented housing stock of mostly three-bedroom detached homes.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.1%
Houses
13.7%
Townhouse
3.2%
Apartment
Tenure
House prices moved from $837,500 in 2024 to $1,050,000 in 2025, a 25.4% increase, though this is based on two data points. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 51.5%, and two-bedroom homes account for 32.3%, leaving the suburb suited to families and couples rather than singles. The detached house share of 83.1% is well above what you find in inner-city areas, and apartments make up only 3.2% of dwellings. Tenure is split between renters (38.8%), mortgage holders (37.9%) and outright owners (23.3%), with mortgage holders and renters together accounting for more than three-quarters of households. Rent-to-income at 23.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.5% both sit below the 30% stress threshold compared to many Sydney and larger Newcastle fringe markets, indicating manageable housing costs relative to local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$903
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.5%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.3%
Couples, no children
1,247
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 24.7% (183 workers), nearly double the second-largest sector, Education at 14.2% (105 workers). Professional and Technical services contribute 9.6% and Public Administration 9.3%, while Construction rounds out the top five at 6.9%. This healthcare and education concentration is typical of suburbs near major public hospital precincts. By occupation, Professionals (314) are the clear majority, followed by Community and Personal service workers (145) and Clerical and Administrative roles (119). The full-time employment rate is 64.0% and the unemployment rate is 4.1%, broadly in line with national averages. Participation at 63.9% means a meaningful portion (421 residents) are not in the labour force, consistent with the presence of students, caregivers and retirees in the household mix.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.0%
Part-time
31.9%
Participation
63.9%
Employed
917
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.8%
Postgraduate
10.8%
Born Overseas
12.3%
Dwellings
759
Transport to Work
Mayfield East is car-dependent: 88.2% of residents drive to work, compared to much lower rates in transit-rich areas, and only 1.4% use public transport. Walking and cycling account for 5.8% of journeys, reasonable for a compact suburb of 0.62 km2. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in adjacent Mayfield and Newcastle suburbs. The volunteering rate of 12.5% is a modest signal of community engagement. Housing stress measures are benign: rent-to-income at 23.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.5% stay below the 30% threshold, favouring residents compared to higher-cost Sydney markets. The high detached-house share of 83.1% provides backyard space and privacy that apartment-concentrated suburbs of similar density cannot match.
Drive
88.2%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mayfield East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mayfield East a good suburb to live in?
Mayfield East suits households who want a detached house near Newcastle CBD without inner-city pricing pressure. University qualifications at 43.8% are 13.7 points above the national average, reflecting a well-educated community. Housing cost ratios are manageable, with mortgage-to-income at 25.5% and rent-to-income at 23.2%, both below the 30% stress level. The suburb's main limitation is high car dependency, with 88.2% driving to work and only 1.4% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Mayfield East?
The median house price reached $1,050,000 in 2025, rising 25.4% from $837,500 in 2024. The broader PSI-derived median is $922,500. Weekly rent averages $420 and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.5% sits below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Mayfield East?
No schools are recorded inside the Mayfield East boundary in this dataset. The suburb covers only 0.62 km2 and residents access schools in adjacent Mayfield, Warabrook and Newcastle suburbs. The community is highly educated overall, with 43.8% holding university qualifications, which is 13.7 percentage points above the national rate.
Is Mayfield East safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mayfield East in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress measures are low, with rent-to-income at 23.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.5%, both below the 30% threshold. The suburb's 70.1% residential stability rate, meaning 70.1% of residents stayed over the 5-year census period, also suggests a settled community.
Is Mayfield East good for property investment?
The case for investment rests mainly on capital appreciation: prices rose 25.4% from $837,500 to $1,050,000 between 2024 and 2025. The 38.8% renter share is above national averages and supports tenant demand, but the 6.5% vacancy rate is elevated compared to a healthy market level of around 2-3%. Gross yield near 2.4% on a $922,500 median is modest, placing the investment thesis on price growth rather than rental income.
How is Mayfield East's population changing?
The suburb has a population of 1,794 across 0.62 km2, giving a density of 2,916 per km2. The median age of 36 is 4 years below the national figure, indicating a younger-than-average resident profile. About 29.9% of residents moved in the five years to the census, a moderate turnover rate, while 70.1% stayed, suggesting reasonable long-term community stability.
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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