Cessnock, found in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, is a town and Local Government Area. It was a once prosperous mining town; the local area was known as the Coalfields. However, due to mine closures during the 20th century, the city of some 25,000 people suffers from a relatively high crime rate, and a well above-average unemployment figure, compared with local areas, such as Singleton.

Most employment comes from the local port city of Newcastle, described by many as Australia's version of San Francisco, and in services industries in the local council area, which comprises of many small towns, such as Kurri Kurri, Weston, Neath, Abernethy, Kearsley, and Pokolbin.

Local council action in the working-class city is seen as ineffective, especially in dealing with the poor conditions of local roadways. However, Green groups herald the city as modern and efficient, with one of the first recycling programs for waste disposal in the state.

During the 1990s, local government helped local tourism operators start to sell themselves to the affluent of Sydney. This created a boom for property in the surrounding area of Polkobin, one of Australia's biggest wine producers. Currently, ex-New South Wales government minister for transport, Mr Michael Costa, lives in the area.

There are two public high schools in Cessnock, Cessnock High School and Mount View High School.