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Lower Hunter vs Lake Macquarie - West

Name: Lower Hunter vs Lake Macquarie - West — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 48 km apart · Lower Hunter profile · Lake Macquarie - West profile

Lower Hunter Lake Macquarie - West

Lower Hunter and Lake Macquarie - West are nearby New South Wales areas with very different layouts. Lake Macquarie - West is much more urbanised, with 18 intersections per square kilometre compared to just 1 in Lower Hunter. This is reflected in public transport, where 83% of homes in Lake Macquarie - West are within a 10-minute walk of a stop, compared to 60.5% in Lower Hunter. Lower Hunter has a much larger First Nations population, with 9,212 people, and is more remote, with a typical drive time to the city of 126 minutes compared to 79 minutes in Lake Macquarie - West.

Differences in education and work have become more pronounced since 2011. More adults in Lake Macquarie - West have a bachelor degree or higher (15.9% versus 10.7%) and have completed Year 12 (41.6% versus 35.5%). These gaps have both widened over the last decade, alongside a rise in people working from home in Lake Macquarie - West. Despite these shifts, the two areas remain very similar in their typical weekly personal income, which is $727 in both places.

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Where they differ most

Aged 65+: 5.9 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West Median age: 4 yrs older in Lake Macquarie - West De facto: 1.9 pts higher in Lower Hunter Bachelor+: 5.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West Year 12: 6.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

Demographics & Identity

Population in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +12,905 larger in Lower Hunter gap steady

97,927 75th pct 85,022 69th pct

Median age in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +4 yrs older in Lake Macquarie - West gap steady

38 yrs 36th pct 42 yrs 67th pct

Age structure

25.8% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.5 pts 23.3%

25.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.5 pts 24.7%

16.9% Seniors (65+) +5.9 pts ▸ 22.8%

20.1% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.1 pts 18.0%

12.1% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.8 pts 11.2%

Marital status

44.4% Married +3.4 pts ▸ 47.8%

36.9% Never married ◂ +4.8 pts 32.1%

9.7% Divorced +0.2 pts ▸ 9.9%

5.1% Widowed +1.6 pts ▸ 6.7%

3.9% Separated ◂ +0.4 pts 3.5%

Age & sex structure

Lower Hunter Lake Macquarie - West

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

87.4% Australia ◂ +2.5 pts 84.9%

1.9% England +0.8 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.1% New Zealand +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.3% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.3% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

45.4% Australian ◂ +2.6 pts 42.8%

42.3% English +1.7 pts ▸ 44.0%

11.1% Scottish even 11.1%

9.7% Irish +0.4 pts ▸ 10.0%

4.3% German ◂ +0.2 pts 4.0%

1.6% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.1% Dutch +0.4 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.5% Chinese +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.8% Filipino even 0.7%

0.3% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

90.7% English only ◂ +0.1 pts 90.6%

0.1% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.0% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

51.1% Christianity ◂ +0.6 pts 50.5%

39.6% No religion +1.9 pts ▸ 41.4%

7.9% Not stated ◂ +2.0 pts 5.9%

0.6% Buddhism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Islam +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Other religions even 0.3%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +12 more in Lower Hunter

49 86th pct 37 71st pct

Schools/1k kids in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +0.07 more in Lower Hunter

2.49 58th pct 2.42 57th pct

Students in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +2,815 more in Lower Hunter

14,154 68th pct 11,339 58th pct

Avg size in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +18 larger in Lake Macquarie - West

289 29th pct 306 31st pct

ICSEA in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +43 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

936 13th pct 979 31st pct

Highest year of school

35.5% Year 12 +6.1 pts ▸ 41.6%

34.7% Year 10 ◂ +1.9 pts 32.8%

13.7% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.0 pts 12.7%

7.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.6 pts 7.2%

Highest qualification level

44.8% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.2 pts 39.6%

13.6% Bachelor degree +4.2 pts ▸ 17.8%

13.1% Advanced diploma / diploma +2.2 pts ▸ 15.3%

3.0% Postgraduate degree +2.4 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.0% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 2.5%

1.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.9 pts ▸ 2.8%

Field of qualification

21.9% Engineering & related ◂ +3.2 pts 18.8%

15.9% Management & commerce +1.5 pts ▸ 17.4%

9.4% Health +2.4 pts ▸ 11.8%

9.7% Society & culture +1.5 pts ▸ 11.2%

6.5% Education +2.0 pts ▸ 8.5%

5.1% Architecture & building +1.6 pts ▸ 6.8%

6.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.9 pts 5.5%

2.0% Creative arts +0.5 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.6% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.9 pts 1.6%

1.5% Natural & physical sciences +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.3% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 1.7%

Income

Personal income in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West even gap narrowing

$727 32nd pct $727 32nd pct

Household income in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +$42 higher in Lower Hunter gap narrowing

$1,604 44th pct $1,562 40th pct

Family income in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +$11 higher in Lower Hunter gap narrowing

$1,941 43rd pct $1,930 42nd pct

Household income distribution

29.7% $1,500–$2,999 +0.3 pts ▸ 30.0%

27.6% $650–$1,499 +1.0 pts ▸ 28.6%

16.4% Under $650 +0.3 pts ▸ 16.7%

9.9% $3,000–$3,999 +0.1 pts ▸ 10.0%

8.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 8.0%

Personal income distribution

41.8% Under $650 +0.9 pts ▸ 42.7%

30.7% $650–$1,499 +1.9 pts ▸ 32.6%

15.6% $1,500–$2,999 even 15.6%

3.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 2.6%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.9% Mental health +0.6 pts ▸ 12.5%

11.4% Arthritis +1.1 pts ▸ 12.4%

10.5% Asthma even 10.5%

8.4% Other condition +1.4 pts ▸ 9.7%

5.6% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 6.0%

4.6% Heart disease +1.1 pts ▸ 5.8%

3.0% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 3.8%

2.4% Lung condition +0.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.1% Stroke +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.8% Dementia +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.5% None ◂ +0.7 pts 55.8%

21.8% One condition +1.5 pts ▸ 23.2%

7.6% Two conditions +0.9 pts ▸ 8.5%

4.4% Three or more +0.6 pts ▸ 5.0%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +3,760 larger in Lower Hunter

9,212 91st pct 5,452 87th pct

Median age in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West even

22 yrs 21st pct 22 yrs 21st pct

Median income in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West even

$601 47th pct $601 47th pct

Household income in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +$37 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

$1,736 61st pct $1,773 64th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +0.1 larger in Lower Hunter gap widening

2.6 71st pct 2.5 57th pct

Family composition

54.9% Couples with children ◂ +1.0 pts 53.9%

26.3% Couples without children +3.0 pts ▸ 29.3%

17.9% One-parent families ◂ +1.9 pts 15.9%

0.9% Other families even 0.9%

Household size

34.0% 2 people +2.3 pts ▸ 36.3%

23.9% 1 person ◂ +0.2 pts 23.6%

16.0% 3 people ◂ +0.2 pts 15.8%

15.0% 4 people ◂ +0.1 pts 14.9%

7.3% 5 people ◂ +1.0 pts 6.3%

3.8% 6 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +$40 higher in Lake Macquarie - West gap widening

$340 43rd pct $380 60th pct

Mortgage in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +$167 higher in Lake Macquarie - West gap widening

$1,733 43rd pct $1,900 54th pct

People / bedroom in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West even gap steady

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.1% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +1.6 pts 37.4%

32.6% Owned outright +3.0 pts ▸ 35.7%

25.3% Rented ◂ +2.8 pts 22.6%

1.5% Other tenure +1.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

90.7% Separate house ◂ +1.1 pts 89.6%

6.9% Townhouse / semi-detached even 6.9%

1.6% Flat or apartment +1.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.5% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Bedrooms per home

41.8% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.7 pts 40.0%

32.3% 4 bedrooms +1.7 pts ▸ 34.0%

14.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.2 pts 13.9%

7.2% 5 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 7.4%

3.0% 1 bedroom +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.3% Studio / none even 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

43.4% $350–$549 +7.5 pts ▸ 50.9%

41.0% $200–$349 ◂ +16.3 pts 24.7%

9.4% Under $200 +3.0 pts ▸ 12.4%

2.1% $550–$749 +5.5 pts ▸ 7.6%

0.4% $750 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

31.1% $1,800–$2,999 +8.1 pts ▸ 39.2%

37.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +7.1 pts 30.0%

14.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +0.7 pts 13.9%

11.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 11.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +71 more in Lake Macquarie - West

484 72nd pct 555 78th pct

Stops/1k in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +1.59 more in Lake Macquarie - West

4.94 61st pct 6.53 86th pct

Departures/1k in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +390.8 more in Lake Macquarie - West

277.1 32nd pct 667.9 46th pct

PT routes in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +8 more in Lower Hunter

39 70th pct 31 56th pct

Stop walk in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West

— 37 87th pct

Drive to city in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +47 longer in Lower Hunter

126 88th pct 79 78th pct

How people get to work

60.8% Car (driver) ◂ +2.7 pts 58.1%

13.7% Worked at home +4.6 pts ▸ 18.2%

3.4% Car (passenger) even 3.4%

2.3% Walked ◂ +1.3 pts 1.1%

0.0% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Bicycle even 0.1%

Motor vehicles per home

38.9% 2 vehicles +0.4 pts ▸ 39.2%

30.1% 1 vehicle +2.0 pts ▸ 32.1%

16.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.4 pts 14.8%

10.8% 4 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 9.5%

4.0% No vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 4.4%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

12.5% Health care & social assistance +6.0 pts ▸ 18.5%

11.7% Mining ◂ +8.7 pts 3.0%

8.9% Construction +2.8 pts ▸ 11.7%

9.0% Retail trade +0.8 pts ▸ 9.8%

6.2% Education & training +2.0 pts ▸ 8.2%

7.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.0 pts 5.8%

6.4% Manufacturing +0.3 pts ▸ 6.7%

5.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.5 pts 5.0%

3.6% Professional & technical +1.3 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.5% Other services even 4.5%

4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +1.1 pts 3.4%

3.8% Transport & warehousing +0.4 pts ▸ 4.3%

Occupations people work in

18.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.1 pts 17.0%

12.2% Professionals +5.8 pts ▸ 18.0%

13.3% Community & personal service +0.1 pts ▸ 13.3%

13.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +5.1 pts 8.1%

10.9% Clerical & administrative +1.8 pts ▸ 12.7%

11.8% Labourers ◂ +1.6 pts 10.1%

10.5% Managers ◂ +0.1 pts 10.4%

8.4% Sales workers +0.3 pts ▸ 8.7%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +15,705 higher in Lower Hunter

107,560 74th pct 91,855 66th pct

Growth in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +1.2 pts higher in Lower Hunter

9.1% 77th pct 7.9% 71st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +448 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

805 44th pct 1,253 78th pct

Max temp in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +1.5 higher in Lower Hunter

25.4 66th pct 24.0 52nd pct

Min temp in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +1.0 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

11.0 40th pct 12.0 53rd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +0.7 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

3.3 20th pct 4.0 32nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +0.7 more in Lake Macquarie - West

3.2 17th pct 3.9 31st pct

15-min city in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +3.8 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

33.0% 14th pct 36.9% 19th pct

Walk to shops in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +8.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

24.5% 7th pct 32.9% 13th pct

Walk to transit in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +22.5 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

60.5% 33rd pct 83.0% 52nd pct

Walk to school in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +4.3 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

46.4% 25th pct 50.7% 30th pct

Walk to a park in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +8.0 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

69.5% 26th pct 77.5% 35th pct

Walk to health in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +7.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

16.0% 9th pct 23.2% 14th pct

Amenities/1k in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +0.7 more in Lower Hunter

11.8 22nd pct 11.1 17th pct

Intersections/km² in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +16 higher in Lake Macquarie - West

1 27th pct 18 44th pct

Mean slope in Lower Hunter in Lake Macquarie - West +1.5 pts higher in Lake Macquarie - West

6.4% 67th pct 7.9% 81st pct

Compare Lower Hunter with nearby areas

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

Compare Lake Macquarie - West with nearby areas

Lake Macquarie - East Newcastle Wyong Maitland Gosford Port Stephens Lower Hunter Hornsby

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Lower Hunter vs Lake Macquarie - West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/10601/lower-hunter/vs/11102/lake-macquarie-west