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Bellingen vs Kempsey

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 65 km apart · Bellingen profile · Kempsey profile

Bellingen Kempsey

Kempsey and Bellingen are two New South Wales areas with very different social and economic profiles. Bellingen has a far higher share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher (22.2% compared to 10.2% in Kempsey) and a higher rate of Year 12 completion. This is consistent with Bellingen having far higher scores for education, job skills and overall advantage. In contrast, Kempsey has a much higher First Nations population (12.9% compared to 4.2% in Bellingen) and faces significantly more challenges, with a First Nations unemployment rate far higher than Bellingen's 4.8%.

These two areas share a very similar age structure, with almost identical shares of children under 15 and seniors over 65. They also have nearly the same proportion of people living alone and similar home sizes. While they are alike in these ways, the gap in educational attainment has widened since 2011, and the difference in the share of people with no religion has remained steady.

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Where they differ most

Population: 17,435 larger in Kempsey Year 12: 15.5 pts higher in Bellingen No religion: 13.9 pts higher in Bellingen Bachelor+: 12.0 pts higher in Bellingen Volunteering: 8.4 pts higher in Bellingen

Demographics & Identity

Population in Bellingenin Kempsey +17,435 larger in Kempsey gap widening
13,253 51st pct 30,688 66th pct
Median age in Bellingenin Kempsey +2 yrs older in Bellingen gap widening
50 yrs 86th pct 48 yrs 79th pct
First Nations in Bellingenin Kempsey +8.7 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
4.2% 51st pct 12.9% 82nd pct
Aged 65+ in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.6 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
26.9% 84th pct 26.2% 82nd pct
Under 15 in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.2 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
16.7% 37th pct 16.5% 35th pct
De facto in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.7 pts higher in Bellingen gap narrowing
14.7% 73rd pct 13.0% 55th pct

Age structure

30.4% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.2 pts 27.2%
26.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.6 pts 26.2%
17.7% Young adults (25–44) +2.1 pts ▸ 19.8%
16.7% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.2 pts 16.5%
8.4% Youth (15–24) +1.9 pts ▸ 10.2%

Marital status

43.1% Married ◂ +2.2 pts 40.9%
32.9% Never married +2.6 pts ▸ 35.5%
13.3% Divorced ◂ +1.5 pts 11.7%
6.5% Widowed +0.9 pts ▸ 7.4%
4.2% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 4.5%

Age & sex structure

Bellingen Kempsey

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.7 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
12.6% 50th pct 7.8% 23rd pct

Country of birth

79.4% Australia +4.0 pts ▸ 83.4%
4.7% England ◂ +2.4 pts 2.3%
1.4% New Zealand ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%
0.3% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.1% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

43.9% English ◂ +2.5 pts 41.4%
39.2% Australian +1.2 pts ▸ 40.4%
14.2% Irish ◂ +3.1 pts 11.0%
12.8% Scottish ◂ +4.1 pts 8.7%
5.1% German ◂ +1.5 pts 3.5%
1.9% Dutch ◂ +0.9 pts 0.9%
1.6% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 1.2%
0.4% Filipino +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.6% Chinese even 0.6%
0.2% Indian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.3% Greek even 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Other language in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.7 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
3.6% 29th pct 2.9% 20th pct
Limited English in Bellingenin Kempsey even gap steady
0.3% 28th pct 0.3% 33rd pct

Language used at home

88.8% English only ◂ +1.7 pts 87.1%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%
0.0% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Bellingenin Kempsey +13.9 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
51.9% 92nd pct 37.9% 36th pct

Religious affiliation

51.9% No religion ◂ +13.9 pts 37.9%
35.5% Christianity +13.2 pts ▸ 48.7%
9.9% Not stated +2.1 pts ▸ 12.0%
1.3% Buddhism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%
0.8% Other religions ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%
0.3% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Hinduism even 0.2%
0.1% Islam even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Bellingenin Kempsey +15.5 pts higher in Bellingen gap widening
47.4% 66th pct 31.9% 13th pct
Bachelor+ in Bellingenin Kempsey +12.0 pts higher in Bellingen gap widening
22.2% 77th pct 10.2% 26th pct
Schools in Bellingenin Kempsey +8 more in Kempsey
12 57th pct 20 73rd pct
Schools/1k kids in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.48 more in Bellingen
5.42 65th pct 3.94 51st pct
Students in Bellingenin Kempsey +2,664 more in Kempsey
1,663 46th pct 4,327 62nd pct
Avg size in Bellingenin Kempsey +65 larger in Kempsey
151 35th pct 216 48th pct
ICSEA in Bellingenin Kempsey +97 higher in Bellingen
1,001 67th pct 903 18th pct

Highest year of school

47.4% Year 12 ◂ +15.5 pts 31.9%
26.2% Year 10 +6.3 pts ▸ 32.5%
11.3% Year 9 or below +5.3 pts ▸ 16.6%
6.5% Year 11 even 6.5%

Highest qualification level

30.0% Certificate III / IV +8.1 pts ▸ 38.1%
22.7% Bachelor degree ◂ +9.6 pts 13.1%
14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.5 pts 12.2%
6.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.9 pts 2.4%
4.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.5 pts 2.2%
1.8% Certificate I / II +0.9 pts ▸ 2.7%

Field of qualification

11.8% Engineering & related +1.5 pts ▸ 13.3%
11.4% Management & commerce +1.7 pts ▸ 13.1%
12.8% Society & culture ◂ +1.9 pts 10.9%
11.4% Health ◂ +1.6 pts 9.8%
11.4% Education ◂ +3.4 pts 8.0%
6.5% Architecture & building +0.4 pts ▸ 6.9%
4.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.7 pts ▸ 5.4%
5.3% Creative arts ◂ +3.5 pts 1.8%
4.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.2 pts 2.9%
2.7% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.5 pts 1.3%
1.3% Information technology ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Bellingenin Kempsey +$63 higher in Bellingen gap widening
$613 19th pct $550 12th pct
Household income in Bellingenin Kempsey +$112 higher in Bellingen gap widening
$1,197 24th pct $1,085 13th pct
Family income in Bellingenin Kempsey +$132 higher in Bellingen gap widening
$1,479 22nd pct $1,347 13th pct
High earners in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.9 pts higher in Bellingen gap widening
6.0% 24th pct 4.0% 9th pct
High-income homes in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.2 pts higher in Bellingen gap widening
10.5% 28th pct 8.3% 13th pct

Household income distribution

33.5% $650–$1,499 +3.3 pts ▸ 36.8%
25.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.1 pts 23.5%
22.7% Under $650 +1.0 pts ▸ 23.6%
6.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.3 pts 5.0%
4.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 3.3%

Personal income distribution

47.8% Under $650 +2.0 pts ▸ 49.9%
30.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.3 pts 27.9%
11.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.8 pts 8.4%
1.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 1.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.8 pts higher in Kempsey
31.6% 64th pct 36.4% 91st pct
Mental health in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.1 pts higher in Kempsey
10.4% 77th pct 11.4% 89th pct
Needs assistance in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.3 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
6.3% 64th pct 9.5% 100th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.2% Arthritis +2.9 pts ▸ 14.1%
10.4% Mental health +1.1 pts ▸ 11.4%
7.3% Asthma +2.6 pts ▸ 9.9%
9.4% Other condition ◂ +0.4 pts 9.1%
4.2% Diabetes +2.2 pts ▸ 6.4%
5.2% Heart disease +0.8 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.9% Cancer +0.3 pts ▸ 4.2%
2.9% Lung condition +0.8 pts ▸ 3.8%
1.2% Stroke +0.6 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.2% Dementia even 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

58.3% None ◂ +7.8 pts 50.5%
20.6% One condition +1.2 pts ▸ 21.8%
7.0% Two conditions +1.6 pts ▸ 8.6%
4.0% Three or more +2.0 pts ▸ 6.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Bellingenin Kempsey +8.4 pts higher in Bellingen gap narrowing
22.2% 72nd pct 13.8% 26th pct
Unpaid carers in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.0 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
14.3% 87th pct 14.2% 87th pct
Unpaid child care in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.6 pts higher in Bellingen gap narrowing
24.6% 48th pct 21.0% 20th pct
Defence service in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.4 pts higher in Kempsey
3.2% 57th pct 3.6% 70th pct
Housework 15h+ in Bellingenin Kempsey +5.4 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
29.0% 100th pct 23.6% 65th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Bellingenin Kempsey +3,397 larger in Kempsey
562 50th pct 3,959 87th pct
Median age in Bellingenin Kempsey +1 yrs older in Kempsey
24 yrs 43rd pct 25 yrs 50th pct
Year 12 in Bellingenin Kempsey +12.5 pts higher in Bellingen
36.7% 61st pct 24.3% 19th pct
Unemployment in Bellingenin Kempsey +13.9 pts higher in Kempsey
4.8% 11th pct 18.7% 82nd pct
Median income in Bellingenin Kempsey +$113 higher in Bellingen
$581 57th pct $468 25th pct
Household income in Bellingenin Kempsey +$199 higher in Bellingen
$1,397 52nd pct $1,198 30th pct
Indigenous language in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.5 pts higher in Kempsey
3.7% 38th pct 4.3% 44th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.1 larger in Kempsey gap widening
2.3 29th pct 2.4 43rd pct
One-parent in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.9 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
17.5% 78th pct 21.4% 88th pct
Living alone in Bellingenin Kempsey even gap steady
29.0% 50th pct 28.9% 50th pct

Family composition

46.4% Couples with children ◂ +3.4 pts 43.0%
35.4% Couples without children ◂ +1.4 pts 34.1%
17.5% One-parent families +3.9 pts ▸ 21.4%
0.8% Other families +0.7 pts ▸ 1.5%

Household size

39.2% 2 people ◂ +0.3 pts 38.9%
29.0% 1 person ◂ +0.1 pts 28.9%
13.2% 3 people +0.3 pts ▸ 13.6%
11.2% 4 people ◂ +1.1 pts 10.2%
5.1% 5 people ◂ +0.2 pts 4.9%
2.3% 6 or more +1.2 pts ▸ 3.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Bellingenin Kempsey +$40 higher in Bellingen gap steady
$340 74th pct $300 63rd pct
Mortgage in Bellingenin Kempsey +$216 higher in Bellingen gap widening
$1,517 57th pct $1,301 43rd pct
People / bedroom in Bellingenin Kempsey even gap steady
0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct
Renting in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.1 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
21.9% 34th pct 24.0% 44th pct
Owned outright in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.7 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
48.0% 85th pct 45.3% 78th pct
Separate houses in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.0 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
91.1% 58th pct 90.0% 53rd pct
3+ bedrooms in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.7 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
73.2% 32nd pct 73.9% 35th pct

How homes are owned or rented

48.0% Owned outright ◂ +2.7 pts 45.3%
26.8% Owned with a mortgage even 26.7%
21.9% Rented +2.1 pts ▸ 24.0%
1.5% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.8% Other tenure ◂ +0.2 pts 1.6%

Types of homes

91.1% Separate house ◂ +1.0 pts 90.0%
3.0% Flat or apartment +2.8 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.8% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.2 pts 2.6%
1.7% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 1.3%

Bedrooms per home

43.5% 3 bedrooms +2.5 pts ▸ 46.0%
23.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.1 pts 22.6%
18.8% 2 bedrooms +0.3 pts ▸ 19.1%
6.0% 5 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 5.3%
5.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +1.6 pts 4.1%
1.0% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%

Weekly rent distribution

37.5% $200–$349 +14.0 pts ▸ 51.5%
43.1% $350–$549 ◂ +14.4 pts 28.7%
10.9% Under $200 +3.4 pts ▸ 14.3%
3.4% $550–$749 ◂ +2.1 pts 1.3%
0.7% $750 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

36.2% $1,000–$1,799 +5.8 pts ▸ 42.1%
26.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +5.9 pts 20.6%
22.6% Under $1,000 +3.6 pts ▸ 26.2%
8.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 5.2%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
3.5% 26th pct 5.4% 55th pct
Work from home in Bellingenin Kempsey +8.8 pts higher in Bellingen gap widening
18.2% 75th pct 9.4% 32nd pct
PT commute in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.1 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
0.2% 21st pct 0.3% 28th pct
PT stops in Bellingenin Kempsey +161 more in Kempsey
31 48th pct 192 72nd pct
Stops/1k in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.92 more in Kempsey
2.34 40th pct 6.26 85th pct
Departures/1k in Bellingenin Kempsey +51.6 more in Kempsey
59.4 48th pct 111.0 56th pct
PT routes in Bellingenin Kempsey +16 more in Kempsey
24 73rd pct 40 84th pct

How people get to work

58.0% Car (driver) +7.8 pts ▸ 65.8%
18.2% Worked at home ◂ +8.8 pts 9.4%
3.7% Car (passenger) +1.6 pts ▸ 5.2%
4.5% Walked ◂ +0.7 pts 3.8%
0.7% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%
0.2% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.8 pts 36.2%
37.2% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.3 pts 36.9%
13.0% 3 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 13.7%
7.1% 4 or more +0.6 pts ▸ 7.8%
3.5% No vehicle +1.8 pts ▸ 5.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.3 pts higher in Bellingen gap narrowing
35.4% 54th pct 33.1% 42nd pct
Recent arrivals in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.5 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
4.5% 13th pct 7.0% 28th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
5.3% 71st pct 7.2% 86th pct
Participation in Bellingenin Kempsey +6.5 pts higher in Bellingen gap steady
51.3% 23rd pct 44.9% 12th pct
Full-time in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.2 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
47.2% 0th pct 51.4% 8th pct

Industries people work in

18.1% Health care & social assistance +0.7 pts ▸ 18.8%
12.0% Education & training ◂ +2.8 pts 9.2%
8.7% Retail trade +2.7 pts ▸ 11.3%
9.1% Construction ◂ +0.2 pts 8.9%
7.7% Accommodation & food +0.9 pts ▸ 8.6%
7.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +1.0 pts 6.1%
5.0% Public administration & safety +1.9 pts ▸ 6.9%
4.6% Manufacturing +1.5 pts ▸ 6.1%
5.4% Professional & technical ◂ +2.7 pts 2.8%
3.6% Administrative & support +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.9% Transport & warehousing +0.8 pts ▸ 3.7%
3.4% Other services even 3.4%

Occupations people work in

23.5% Professionals ◂ +8.2 pts 15.4%
13.4% Community & personal service +3.7 pts ▸ 17.1%
14.4% Managers ◂ +2.4 pts 12.0%
10.9% Labourers +3.4 pts ▸ 14.3%
13.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.3 pts 13.2%
10.1% Clerical & administrative +0.2 pts ▸ 10.3%
7.5% Sales workers +1.8 pts ▸ 9.2%
5.3% Machinery operators & drivers +1.2 pts ▸ 6.5%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Bellingenin Kempsey +4 higher in Bellingen
6 57th pct 2 14th pct
IRSD decile in Bellingenin Kempsey +4 higher in Bellingen
6 57th pct 2 14th pct
IER decile in Bellingenin Kempsey +3 higher in Bellingen
6 57th pct 3 29th pct
IEO decile in Bellingenin Kempsey +6 higher in Bellingen
8 71st pct 2 14th pct
IRSAD score in Bellingenin Kempsey +79 higher in Bellingen
960 56th pct 881 13th pct
ERP in Bellingenin Kempsey +18,602 higher in Kempsey
13,348 49th pct 31,950 65th pct
Growth in Bellingenin Kempsey +2.5 pts higher in Kempsey
1.1% 24th pct 3.6% 50th pct
Businesses in Bellingenin Kempsey +1,071 higher in Kempsey
1,338 49th pct 2,409 60th pct
Approvals in Bellingenin Kempsey +88 higher in Kempsey
47 48th pct 135 63rd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Bellingenin Kempsey +782 higher in Bellingen
1,971 100th pct 1,188 84th pct
Max temp in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.2 higher in Kempsey
21.9 27th pct 25.1 60th pct
Min temp in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.9 higher in Kempsey
10.5 38th pct 11.4 54th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Bellingenin Kempsey +8,609 higher in Kempsey
6,625 34th pct 15,234 82nd pct
Assault/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +1,032 higher in Kempsey
966 49th pct 1,998 84th pct
Sexual/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +102 higher in Kempsey
324 67th pct 427 84th pct
Robbery/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +3 higher in Kempsey
23 47th pct 26 54th pct
Burglary/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +772 higher in Kempsey
362 32nd pct 1,134 86th pct
Theft/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +1,157 higher in Kempsey
596 15th pct 1,753 68th pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +409 higher in Kempsey
513 68th pct 922 89th pct
Property damage/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +658 higher in Kempsey
958 67th pct 1,616 86th pct
Drugs/100k in Bellingenin Kempsey +428 higher in Kempsey
91 2nd pct 518 54th pct
5-yr change in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.8 pts higher in Bellingen
12.1% 56th pct 7.4% 48th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.1 higher in Kempsey
3.7 49th pct 3.8 51st pct
Types ≤15 min in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.1 more in Kempsey
3.6 40th pct 3.7 43rd pct
15-min city in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.6 pts higher in Kempsey
41.8% 39th pct 42.5% 40th pct
Walk to shops in Bellingenin Kempsey +0.3 pts higher in Bellingen
49.5% 53rd pct 49.1% 53rd pct
Walk to transit in Bellingenin Kempsey +17.5 pts higher in Kempsey
44.2% 50th pct 61.7% 62nd pct
Walk to school in Bellingenin Kempsey +7.3 pts higher in Kempsey
41.0% 27th pct 48.2% 39th pct
Walk to a park in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.8 pts higher in Kempsey
57.5% 30th pct 62.4% 38th pct
Walk to health in Bellingenin Kempsey +3.7 pts higher in Bellingen
38.1% 51st pct 34.5% 44th pct
Amenities/1k in Bellingenin Kempsey +4.0 more in Kempsey
20.4 54th pct 24.4 64th pct
Intersections/km² in Bellingenin Kempsey even
1 57th pct 1 57th pct
Mean slope in Bellingenin Kempsey +1.7 pts higher in Bellingen
8.5% 90th pct 6.8% 78th pct

Compare Bellingen with nearby areas

Nambucca Valley Coffs Harbour Kempsey Clarence Valley Armidale Regional Port Macquarie-Hastings Glen Innes Severn Walcha

Compare Kempsey with nearby areas

Nambucca Valley Port Macquarie-Hastings Bellingen Walcha Armidale Regional Coffs Harbour Mid-Coast Clarence Valley

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Bellingen vs Kempsey [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA10600/bellingen/vs/LGA14350/kempsey