Pokolbin
At 126.1 square kilometres with just 1,049 residents, Pokolbin averages 8.3 people per km2, well below any suburban norm nationally. What stands out is household income at the 90.5th percentile alongside a SEIFA IEO decile of only 3: wealth here comes from property and rural assets, not professional salaries. The median age of 57 sits 17 years above the national figure, and 50.3% of dwellings are owned outright, pointing to an equity-rich retiree base. All 100% of dwellings are separate houses, anchoring Pokolbin as a rural-residential and wine-tourism locality rather than a conventional suburb.
Population
1,049
Median Age
57.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,395/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
69
Median House
$520K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price is $520,000, down 19% from $617,500 in 2024 to $500,000 in 2025. Monthly repayments average $2,550, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to inner-urban markets. The entire stock is separate houses, with 64.5% carrying four or more bedrooms, above the national mix, suiting buyers seeking large rural lots. Outright owners at 50.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 38.7%, meaning most property transacts among long-term holders and voluntary sellers rather than distressed churn.
For Buyers
The median house price is $520,000, down 19% from $617,500 in 2024 to $500,000 in 2025. Monthly repayments average $2,550, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to inner-urban markets. The entire stock is separate houses, with 64.5% carrying four or more bedrooms, above the national mix, suiting buyers seeking large rural lots. Outright owners at 50.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 38.7%, meaning most property transacts among long-term holders and voluntary sellers rather than distressed churn.
For Investors
Only 11.0% of dwellings are rented, far below the national renter share, and a vacancy rate of 34.1% signals genuine letting oversupply. Weekly rent of $600 against a $520,000 median implies a gross yield near 6%, but sustained occupancy is the real challenge. Development activity is elevated at 67 applications in 12 months for a 1,049-person suburb, including new dwelling houses and subdivision work. The broader SA2 receives net internal migration of 686 per year, and population grew 37.8% over the past decade, so long-term demand momentum is real even if short-term rental vacancy is high.
Development Activity
Total DAs
467
Last 12 Months
69
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-6.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 57 is 17 years above the national median, confirmed by the senior share rising 4.1 points and the working-age share falling 2.5 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 39.7%, which is 9.6 percentage points above the national figure, suggesting a professionally credentialled resident base despite the rural setting. Overseas-born residents are 22.3%, near the national average. Ancestry is Anglo-Celtic dominant: English (502), Scottish (147) and Irish (128) lead. Couples without children make up 53.1% of families, consistent with the older age profile, and average household size of 2.4 is marginally below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling is a separate house, unusual even among NSW rural areas compared to the state's broader dwelling mix. Tenure skews heavily toward ownership: 50.3% own outright, 38.7% carry a mortgage and only 11.0% rent. Four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 64.5%, with three-bedroom at 28.4% and two-bedroom at just 6.3%, reflecting large-lot rural properties. Prices fell from $617,500 in 2024 to $500,000 in 2025, a 19% drop, though the small transaction volume in a 1,049-person suburb amplifies per-sale volatility. Both mortgage-to-income (24.6%) and rent-to-income (25.1%) sit below stress thresholds.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,550
Rent / wk
$600
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,045
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
34.1%
Unoccupied
207
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
53.1%
Couples, no children
859
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hospitality leads local employment at 14.7% (61 workers), underpinned by the Hunter Valley wine tourism economy. Manufacturing follows at 11.1% (46 workers) and Professional/Tech at 10.6% (44 workers), a higher knowledge-sector share than the rural setting implies. Mining accounts for 8.9% (37 workers), reflecting the wider Hunter region. Managers (187) and Professionals (122) are the top occupations. Unemployment is low at 2.4%, but the participation rate of 53.9% sits below national norms because 338 residents are not in the labour force, mainly retirees. Household income at the 90.5th percentile nationally is high despite the IEO decile 3 score, which measures occupational and educational advantage rather than income directly.
Unemployment
2.3%
Labour Force
8,169
Unemployed
186
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.2%
Part-time
35.4%
Participation
53.9%
Employed
489
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.7%
Postgraduate
10.5%
Born Overseas
22.3%
Dwellings
397
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 79.2% driving to work, expected for a 126.1 km2 rural area with no public transport data recorded. An unusually high 16.7% walk or cycle, likely vineyard workers travelling within estates. No schools are recorded inside the boundary, so families depend on facilities in Cessnock and Maitland. The IRSAD decile of 5 places Pokolbin at the national median for advantage, while the IER decile of 9 signals high economic resources consistent with property-rich households. Only 3.1% of residents need daily assistance, and volunteering runs at 14.9%, both typical of a settled rural community.
Drive
79.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
16.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.7%/yr
(+443 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 37.8% over the past decade from a small base, and SA2-level forecasts project 2.7% annual growth, adding around 443 persons per year through 2031. Internal migration drives the gain at a net average of 686 per year, with overseas migration contributing a further 38. Real income grew 20.7% over the decade and rents rose 33.3%, both above typical regional benchmarks. The gentrification score of 40 is classified as active. Affordability improved from 49.7% in 2011 to 44.6% in 2021, indicating housing became marginally more accessible relative to incomes over that period.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+38
Net Internal / yr
+686
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +686/yr, Accelerating: 8% → 58%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pokolbin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pokolbin a good suburb to live in?
Pokolbin suits buyers seeking large rural properties in the Hunter Valley wine region. Household income sits at the 90.5th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is 24.6%, and 50.3% of dwellings are owned outright. Trade-offs include no public transport, no schools within the boundary, and a median age of 57 that reflects a predominantly retirement demographic.
What is the median house price in Pokolbin?
The median house price is $520,000, based on 2024-2025 data. Prices fell from $617,500 in 2024 to $500,000 in 2025, a decline of around 19%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,550, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.6%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $600.
What schools are in Pokolbin?
No schools are recorded inside the Pokolbin boundary. Families travel to nearby Cessnock or Maitland for schooling. Despite the rural setting, 39.7% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 9.6 percentage points above the national rate, indicating a well-educated adult population.
Is Pokolbin safe?
Specific crime rate data is not available for Pokolbin. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on IRSD (relative disadvantage), above the national median, and the IRSAD decile of 5 places it at the midpoint nationally. Only 3.1% of residents (31 people) need daily assistance, consistent with a stable, low-disadvantage rural community.
Is Pokolbin good for property investment?
The case is mixed. Population grew 37.8% over the past decade and net internal migration averages 686 per year into the broader area, supporting long-term demand. However, the rental vacancy rate is 34.1% and only 11.0% of dwellings are rented, so investors face real occupancy risk. Capital growth depends on continued lifestyle-driven demand rather than rental yield.
How is Pokolbin's population changing?
Population grew 37.8% over the past decade. SA2-level forecasts project 2.7% annual growth, adding about 443 people per year, with net internal migration of 686 per year as the primary driver. The age profile is shifting older, with the senior share up 4.1 points and the working-age share down 2.5 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Pokolbin?
There were 67 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, covering new dwelling houses, subdivisions and structural alterations. This is high for a suburb of only 1,049 residents, indicating active land subdivision and rural residential construction driven by lifestyle demand from internal migrants at 686 per year net.
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.
Explore Pokolbin on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map