Paxton
With a median age of 33, Paxton sits 7 years below the national figure, making it one of the younger residential communities in the Hunter Valley region. The suburb's 1,215 residents live entirely in separate houses, a 100% detached rate that stands in sharp contrast to the apartment-heavy housing mix found across greater Sydney. Household income falls at the 59.4th percentile nationally, placing Paxton in the middle tier rather than at the lower end, despite an occupational base led by labourers and machinery operators. High mortgage take-up at 53.8% of dwellings, combined with the youngest median age profile in the data, points to a suburb attracting young families entering homeownership rather than downsizers or renters.
Population
1,215
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,692/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Median House
$715K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price stands at $715,000, with the price series moving from $740,000 in 2024 to $685,000 in 2025, a 7.4% decline over one year. All dwellings are separate houses, so buyers are not competing across different property types. The bedroom profile skews large: 48.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and a further 41.5% have 3 bedrooms, meaning spacious family homes are the norm rather than the exception. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,671, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.8%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. That affordable repayment burden relative to income helps explain why 53.8% of households carry a mortgage, higher than the outright-owned share of 29.1%, consistent with a buyer base that entered the market in the past decade.
For Buyers
The median house price stands at $715,000, with the price series moving from $740,000 in 2024 to $685,000 in 2025, a 7.4% decline over one year. All dwellings are separate houses, so buyers are not competing across different property types. The bedroom profile skews large: 48.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and a further 41.5% have 3 bedrooms, meaning spacious family homes are the norm rather than the exception. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,671, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.8%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. That affordable repayment burden relative to income helps explain why 53.8% of households carry a mortgage, higher than the outright-owned share of 29.1%, consistent with a buyer base that entered the market in the past decade.
For Investors
Rental conditions in Paxton are modest but stable. Weekly rent averages $345 and the renter share is 17.1%, lower than most urban markets. Against the $685,000 2025 median, that rent implies a gross yield around 2.6%, above the near-zero yields seen in premium Sydney suburbs but well below the returns available in higher-density regional centres. The vacancy rate of 3.8% is slightly elevated compared to a tight-market threshold of under 3%, suggesting the rental pool is not severely undersupplied. Development activity reached 22 applications in the past 12 months, above a typical low-activity baseline, including dwelling additions and new residential certificates. The 7.4% price decline from 2024 to 2025 is a caution flag for short-term capital growth expectations.
Development Activity
Total DAs
140
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-10.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Paxton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Paxton Public School
K-6 · 80 students
Demographics
Paxton's median age of 33 is 7 years below the national average, reflecting the young-family orientation visible in the household composition data: 460 couples with children compared to 212 couples without, and an average household size of 2.9, which is 0.4 above the national figure. The overseas-born share is just 5.3%, which is 16.3 percentage points below the national rate, and ancestry is almost entirely Anglo-Celtic, led by English (542), Irish (162) and Scottish (144) heritage. University qualifications reach only 12.3% of residents, sitting 17.8 percentage points below the national figure, a gap explained by the trade and manual-labour occupational base rather than by disadvantage alone. The population shows strong residential stability: 80% of residents stayed in the same address over the reference period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling in Paxton is a separate house, giving the suburb a 100% detached rate that is rare in the broader NSW context. The bedroom mix reflects large family needs: 48.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, 41.5% have 3 bedrooms, and just 9.2% have 2 bedrooms. Tenure splits between 53.8% mortgaged, 29.1% outright ownership and 17.1% renting. The mortgage-dominant profile is consistent with the young median age of 33 and the likely cohort of first or second home buyers who entered the market over the past decade. Prices peaked at $740,000 in 2024 and fell to $685,000 by 2025, a 7.4% retreat, though the median remains above the broader Hunter Valley average for detached family housing.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,671
Rent / wk
$345
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$730
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.8%
Unoccupied
16
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.6%
Couples, no children
1,028
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry employing Paxton residents at 17.6% of the workforce, followed by Construction at 11.2%, then Mining and Education tied at 9.0% each, with Hospitality at 8.7%. By occupation, Labourers (74) and Machinery/Drivers (70) are the two largest groups, which is consistent with the region's mining and construction base in the Hunter coalfields. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%, above the national average, and the labour force participation rate is 54.5%, below typical metropolitan benchmarks. Full-time employment accounts for 64.3% of those employed, and 331 residents are not in the labour force, a share that includes retirees and carers. Household weekly income of $1,692 sits at the 59.4th percentile nationally, above the median.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.3%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
54.5%
Employed
462
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.3%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
5.3%
Dwellings
404
Transport to Work
Car dependence defines daily life in Paxton: 92% of residents drive to work, and only 0.8% use public transport, far below the national average. Walking and cycling account for 2.5% of commute modes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on institutions in surrounding areas of the Hunter Valley. Crime statistics are not available for Paxton in this dataset. Rent-to-income sits at 20.4% and mortgage-to-income at 22.8%, both below standard stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes compared to many NSW markets. The volunteering rate of 10.7% and an 8.5% share of residents requiring daily assistance both fall within typical ranges for a regional NSW community of this size.
Drive
92.0%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Paxton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paxton a good suburb to live in?
Paxton suits young families seeking large detached homes at accessible prices. The median house price of $715,000 comes with mortgage repayments averaging $1,671 a month, giving a 22.8% mortgage-to-income ratio that is below stress levels. The suburb has a young median age of 33, well below the national figure, and 80% of residents stay long-term. Key trade-offs include 92% car dependence, no listed schools within the boundary, and a 6.3% unemployment rate above national.
What is the median house price in Paxton?
The median house price is $715,000 based on 2024-2025 data. The price series peaked at $740,000 in 2024 and eased to $685,000 in 2025, a 7.4% decline over one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,671 and weekly rent is $345. All dwellings are separate houses, so the median represents the full market.
What schools are in Paxton?
No schools are recorded within the Paxton suburb boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,215, the suburb is small enough that families typically access schools in nearby towns in the Hunter Valley. The local university qualification rate is 12.3%, which is 17.8 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trade-oriented workforce.
Is Paxton safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Paxton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low: mortgage-to-income is 22.8% and rent-to-income is 20.4%, both below standard stress thresholds. Residential stability is high, with 80% of residents staying in the same address, which is generally associated with low-churn, low-crime community dynamics.
Is Paxton good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $345 against a $685,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.6%, modest but above inner-city levels. The vacancy rate of 3.8% is slightly above the tight-market threshold of 3%, and prices fell 7.4% from 2024 to 2025. The renter share is only 17.1%, meaning demand for rentals is limited. Development activity reached 22 applications in 12 months, signalling ongoing owner-occupier investment in the area.
How is Paxton's population changing?
Paxton's current population is 1,215 residents. No multi-year forecast series is available in the dataset, but residential stability is high, with 80% of residents remaining in the same address over the reference period. The suburb's median age of 33 is 7 years below the national average, suggesting natural population growth through younger families forming households rather than an aging or declining base.
How much development is happening in Paxton?
There were 22 development applications lodged in Paxton over the past 12 months, including dwelling additions, a shed, and a new semi-detached dwelling via Complying Development Certificate. For a suburb of 1,215 residents, that is approximately 1 application per 55 people, indicating an active renovation and upgrade cycle among the predominantly owner-occupier population.
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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