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Lower Hunter vs Port Stephens

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 70 km apart · Lower Hunter profile · Port Stephens profile

Lower Hunter Port Stephens

Lower Hunter and Port Stephens are two different New South Wales regions. Port Stephens is far older, with a typical resident aged 48 compared to 38 in Lower Hunter, and a far higher share of seniors at 27.3%. It is also more walkable, with 46.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries compared to 24.5% in Lower Hunter. Conversely, Lower Hunter is more family-oriented; it has a well higher share of children under 15 (20.1% versus 16.4%) and more people caring for children unpaid.

Everyday life is similar in both places, with almost identical typical monthly mortgage payments of $1,733 and very similar weekly rents. While both areas are largely residential, they have diverged since 2011. The age gap has widened as Port Stephens has aged, and the difference in home ownership has grown, with homes now well higher in Port Stephens being owned outright (41.7% versus 32.6%).

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Where they differ most

Median age: 10 yrs older in Port Stephens Aged 65+: 10.4 pts higher in Port Stephens Under 15: 3.7 pts higher in Lower Hunter Unpaid child care: 5.6 pts higher in Lower Hunter Household size: 0.2 larger in Lower Hunter

Demographics & Identity

Population in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +21,513 larger in Lower Hunter gap widening
97,927 75th pct 76,414 63rd pct
Median age in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +10 yrs older in Port Stephens gap widening
38 yrs 36th pct 48 yrs 88th pct
First Nations in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +3.0 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
9.4% 86th pct 6.5% 79th pct
Aged 65+ in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +10.4 pts higher in Port Stephens gap widening
16.9% 45th pct 27.3% 93rd pct
Under 15 in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +3.7 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
20.1% 77th pct 16.4% 29th pct
De facto in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.4 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
13.7% 73rd pct 11.3% 33rd pct

Age structure

16.9% Seniors (65+) +10.4 pts ▸ 27.3%
25.2% Older adults (45–64) +1.9 pts ▸ 27.1%
25.8% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +6.8 pts 19.0%
20.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.7 pts 16.4%
12.1% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.8 pts 10.3%

Marital status

44.4% Married +5.0 pts ▸ 49.5%
36.9% Never married ◂ +7.6 pts 29.3%
9.7% Divorced +1.3 pts ▸ 11.0%
5.1% Widowed +1.5 pts ▸ 6.6%
3.9% Separated ◂ +0.3 pts 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Lower Hunter Port Stephens

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +5.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
7.3% 4th pct 12.3% 25th pct

Country of birth

87.4% Australia ◂ +5.0 pts 82.4%
1.9% England +2.2 pts ▸ 4.1%
1.1% New Zealand +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.3% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.3% India even 0.2%
0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% China even 0.2%
0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

45.4% Australian ◂ +4.3 pts 41.2%
42.3% English +2.3 pts ▸ 44.7%
9.7% Irish +1.8 pts ▸ 11.4%
11.1% Scottish +0.2 pts ▸ 11.3%
4.3% German even 4.3%
1.6% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.1% Dutch +0.4 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.8% Filipino ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.5% Chinese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Other language in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.3 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
2.7% 0th pct 4.0% 12th pct
Limited English in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.1 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
0.4% 11th pct 0.5% 17th pct

Language used at home

90.7% English only even 90.8%
0.1% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Tagalog even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.1 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
39.6% 41st pct 38.5% 36th pct

Religious affiliation

51.1% Christianity +2.3 pts ▸ 53.4%
39.6% No religion ◂ +1.1 pts 38.5%
7.9% Not stated ◂ +1.4 pts 6.5%
0.6% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Other religions even 0.3%
0.3% Hinduism even 0.3%
0.2% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.2 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
35.5% 9th pct 39.6% 18th pct
Bachelor+ in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.8 pts higher in Port Stephens gap widening
10.7% 11th pct 13.5% 27th pct
Schools in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +22 more in Lower Hunter
49 86th pct 27 51st pct
Schools/1k kids in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.33 more in Lower Hunter
2.49 58th pct 2.16 50th pct
Students in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4,594 more in Lower Hunter
14,154 68th pct 9,560 47th pct
Avg size in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +65 larger in Port Stephens
289 29th pct 354 38th pct
ICSEA in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +33 higher in Port Stephens
936 13th pct 969 25th pct

Highest year of school

35.5% Year 12 +4.2 pts ▸ 39.6%
34.7% Year 10 ◂ +1.2 pts 33.5%
13.7% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.9 pts 12.7%
7.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.5 pts 7.3%

Highest qualification level

44.8% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.5 pts 39.3%
13.1% Advanced diploma / diploma +3.1 pts ▸ 16.2%
13.6% Bachelor degree +2.2 pts ▸ 15.8%
3.0% Postgraduate degree +1.3 pts ▸ 4.2%
3.0% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.3 pts 2.7%
1.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.7 pts ▸ 2.6%

Field of qualification

21.9% Engineering & related ◂ +2.6 pts 19.4%
15.9% Management & commerce +1.7 pts ▸ 17.6%
9.7% Society & culture +0.4 pts ▸ 10.1%
9.4% Health +0.5 pts ▸ 9.9%
6.5% Education +1.3 pts ▸ 7.8%
5.1% Architecture & building +1.4 pts ▸ 6.6%
6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.4 pts 6.1%
2.6% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%
2.0% Creative arts +0.2 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.5% Natural & physical sciences +0.5 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.3% Information technology +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$70 higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
$727 32nd pct $657 17th pct
Household income in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$266 higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
$1,604 44th pct $1,338 20th pct
Family income in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$295 higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
$1,941 43rd pct $1,646 18th pct
High earners in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.7 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
10.6% 53rd pct 7.8% 32nd pct
High-income homes in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.5 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
18.8% 45th pct 14.3% 25th pct

Household income distribution

27.6% $650–$1,499 +5.2 pts ▸ 32.9%
29.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +3.2 pts 26.6%
16.4% Under $650 +2.4 pts ▸ 18.8%
9.9% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.2 pts 7.7%
8.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.3 pts 6.6%

Personal income distribution

41.8% Under $650 +4.3 pts ▸ 46.1%
30.7% $650–$1,499 +0.2 pts ▸ 30.9%
15.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.0 pts 13.6%
3.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +3.6 pts higher in Port Stephens
33.7% 83rd pct 37.4% 96th pct
Mental health in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.4 pts higher in Lower Hunter
11.9% 89th pct 11.5% 86th pct
Needs assistance in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.3 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
7.0% 79th pct 7.3% 85th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.4% Arthritis +2.7 pts ▸ 14.1%
11.9% Mental health ◂ +0.4 pts 11.5%
10.5% Asthma ◂ +0.9 pts 9.6%
8.4% Other condition +0.7 pts ▸ 9.1%
5.6% Diabetes +0.7 pts ▸ 6.3%
4.6% Heart disease +1.4 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.0% Cancer +1.4 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.4% Lung condition +0.4 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.1% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.8% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.5% None ◂ +2.2 pts 54.4%
21.8% One condition +1.8 pts ▸ 23.5%
7.6% Two conditions +1.4 pts ▸ 9.0%
4.4% Three or more +0.5 pts ▸ 4.9%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.4 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
11.9% 23rd pct 14.3% 43rd pct
Unpaid carers in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.6 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
13.1% 68th pct 13.7% 81st pct
Unpaid child care in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +5.6 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
29.5% 80th pct 23.9% 33rd pct
Defence service in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.8 pts higher in Port Stephens
3.8% 74th pct 6.6% 95th pct
Housework 15h+ in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.6 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
23.8% 78th pct 24.4% 84th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4,282 larger in Lower Hunter
9,212 91st pct 4,930 86th pct
Median age in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens even
22 yrs 21st pct 22 yrs 21st pct
Year 12 in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.5 pts higher in Port Stephens
27.4% 13th pct 31.9% 25th pct
Unemployment in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens even
9.1% 38th pct 9.1% 38th pct
Median income in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$24 higher in Lower Hunter
$601 47th pct $577 39th pct
Household income in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$171 higher in Lower Hunter
$1,736 61st pct $1,565 47th pct
Indigenous language in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.7 pts higher in Port Stephens
2.0% 6th pct 2.7% 13th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.2 larger in Lower Hunter gap widening
2.6 71st pct 2.4 29th pct
One-parent in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.2 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
17.9% 86th pct 15.7% 70th pct
Living alone in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.2 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
23.9% 35th pct 26.0% 46th pct

Family composition

54.9% Couples with children ◂ +6.5 pts 48.4%
26.3% Couples without children +8.8 pts ▸ 35.1%
17.9% One-parent families ◂ +2.2 pts 15.7%
0.9% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Household size

34.0% 2 people +6.3 pts ▸ 40.3%
23.9% 1 person +2.2 pts ▸ 26.0%
16.0% 3 people ◂ +2.8 pts 13.2%
15.0% 4 people ◂ +3.1 pts 11.9%
7.3% 5 people ◂ +1.7 pts 5.6%
3.8% 6 or more ◂ +0.8 pts 3.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +$20 higher in Port Stephens gap steady
$340 43rd pct $360 51st pct
Mortgage in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens even gap steady
$1,733 43rd pct $1,733 43rd pct
People / bedroom in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.10 higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
0.80 29th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.1 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap narrowing
25.3% 38th pct 24.3% 34th pct
Owned outright in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +9.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap widening
32.6% 48th pct 41.7% 84th pct
Separate houses in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +9.9 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
90.7% 77th pct 80.8% 45th pct
3+ bedrooms in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.1 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap steady
81.3% 70th pct 80.2% 64th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.6% Owned outright +9.0 pts ▸ 41.7%
39.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +9.3 pts 29.8%
25.3% Rented ◂ +1.1 pts 24.3%
1.5% Other tenure +1.4 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

90.7% Separate house ◂ +9.9 pts 80.8%
6.9% Townhouse / semi-detached +6.7 pts ▸ 13.6%
1.6% Flat or apartment +2.1 pts ▸ 3.7%
0.5% Other dwelling +1.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

Bedrooms per home

41.8% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.7 pts 40.0%
32.3% 4 bedrooms +0.3 pts ▸ 32.6%
14.1% 2 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 15.4%
7.2% 5 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 7.6%
3.0% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 2.7%
0.3% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

43.4% $350–$549 +4.0 pts ▸ 47.4%
41.0% $200–$349 ◂ +7.3 pts 33.7%
9.4% Under $200 ◂ +0.6 pts 8.8%
2.1% $550–$749 +3.9 pts ▸ 6.0%
0.4% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +4.6 pts 32.5%
31.1% $1,800–$2,999 +1.5 pts ▸ 32.6%
14.6% Under $1,000 +2.9 pts ▸ 17.4%
11.5% $3,000 or more even 11.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens even gap steady
4.0% 26th pct 4.0% 25th pct
Work from home in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.1 pts higher in Port Stephens gap widening
13.7% 53rd pct 17.8% 66th pct
PT commute in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.2 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
0.3% 8th pct 0.4% 16th pct
PT stops in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +175 more in Port Stephens
484 72nd pct 659 86th pct
Stops/1k in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +3.68 more in Port Stephens
4.94 61st pct 8.62 95th pct
Departures/1k in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +709.0 more in Port Stephens
277.1 32nd pct 986.2 57th pct
PT routes in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +21 more in Lower Hunter
39 70th pct 18 35th pct
Stop walk in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens
— 6 57th pct
Drive to city in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens even
126 88th pct 126 88th pct

How people get to work

60.8% Car (driver) ◂ +4.7 pts 56.1%
13.7% Worked at home +4.1 pts ▸ 17.8%
3.4% Car (passenger) +0.2 pts ▸ 3.6%
2.3% Walked ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%
0.2% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.1% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.9% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.5 pts 38.4%
30.1% 1 vehicle +6.4 pts ▸ 36.5%
16.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +3.2 pts 12.9%
10.8% 4 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 8.2%
4.0% No vehicle ◂ +0.1 pts 4.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.3 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
39.4% 54th pct 39.7% 56th pct
Recent arrivals in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.7 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap narrowing
8.2% 25th pct 7.4% 20th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.2 pts higher in Port Stephens gap steady
4.8% 54th pct 5.1% 60th pct
Participation in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +7.8 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
58.7% 40th pct 50.9% 13th pct
Full-time in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.9 pts higher in Lower Hunter gap widening
58.4% 48th pct 53.5% 15th pct

Industries people work in

12.5% Health care & social assistance +2.0 pts ▸ 14.5%
11.7% Mining ◂ +9.8 pts 1.9%
8.9% Construction +2.1 pts ▸ 11.0%
9.0% Retail trade +1.0 pts ▸ 10.0%
7.8% Accommodation & food +1.5 pts ▸ 9.3%
5.5% Public administration & safety +2.3 pts ▸ 7.9%
6.2% Education & training +0.9 pts ▸ 7.1%
6.4% Manufacturing ◂ +0.3 pts 6.2%
3.6% Professional & technical +1.5 pts ▸ 5.0%
3.8% Transport & warehousing +1.0 pts ▸ 4.9%
4.5% Other services ◂ +0.2 pts 4.3%
4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +0.6 pts 3.8%

Occupations people work in

18.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.9 pts 17.2%
12.2% Professionals +2.8 pts ▸ 14.9%
13.3% Community & personal service +0.8 pts ▸ 14.1%
13.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +5.5 pts 7.6%
10.9% Clerical & administrative +1.5 pts ▸ 12.4%
11.8% Labourers ◂ +0.6 pts 11.2%
10.5% Managers +0.8 pts ▸ 11.3%
8.4% Sales workers +1.0 pts ▸ 9.4%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +27,263 higher in Lower Hunter
107,560 74th pct 80,297 60th pct
Growth in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.0 pts higher in Lower Hunter
9.1% 77th pct 5.1% 44th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +377 higher in Port Stephens
805 44th pct 1,182 74th pct
Max temp in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.5 higher in Lower Hunter
25.4 66th pct 24.0 52nd pct
Min temp in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +2.0 higher in Port Stephens
11.0 40th pct 13.0 64th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +1.2 higher in Port Stephens
3.3 20th pct 4.4 40th pct
Types ≤15 min in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.9 more in Port Stephens
3.2 17th pct 4.2 36th pct
15-min city in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +16.9 pts higher in Port Stephens
33.0% 14th pct 49.9% 41st pct
Walk to shops in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +21.6 pts higher in Port Stephens
24.5% 7th pct 46.1% 33rd pct
Walk to transit in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +16.9 pts higher in Port Stephens
60.5% 33rd pct 77.4% 47th pct
Walk to school in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +4.7 pts higher in Lower Hunter
46.4% 25th pct 41.8% 19th pct
Walk to a park in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +13.6 pts higher in Port Stephens
69.5% 26th pct 83.2% 41st pct
Walk to health in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +8.8 pts higher in Port Stephens
16.0% 9th pct 24.8% 16th pct
Amenities/1k in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +5.5 more in Port Stephens
11.8 22nd pct 17.4 62nd pct
Intersections/km² in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +7 higher in Port Stephens
1 27th pct 8 36th pct
Mean slope in Lower Hunterin Port Stephens +0.1 pts higher in Lower Hunter
6.4% 67th pct 6.3% 65th pct

Compare Lower Hunter with nearby areas

Maitland Lake Macquarie - West Newcastle Wyong Gosford Hawkesbury Lake Macquarie - East Upper Hunter

Compare Port Stephens with nearby areas

Newcastle Lake Macquarie - East Maitland Lake Macquarie - West Great Lakes Wyong Lower Hunter Gosford

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Lower Hunter vs Port Stephens [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/10601/lower-hunter/vs/10603/port-stephens