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Shoalhaven vs Southern Highlands

Name: Shoalhaven vs Southern Highlands — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sub-region (SA3) comparison ≈ 57 km apart · Shoalhaven profile · Southern Highlands profile

Shoalhaven Southern Highlands

Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands are two New South Wales regions with contrasting economic and social profiles. Southern Highlands has a more highly qualified workforce, with 54.9% of residents completing Year 12 compared to 40.6% in Shoalhaven. This is consistent with higher pay in Southern Highlands, where the typical weekly household income is $1,673, well higher than the $1,248 seen in Shoalhaven. Southern Highlands also has a far higher share of people working from home (23.4% versus 12.5%) and a much shorter drive time to the city. In contrast, Shoalhaven is more walkable, with far more homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. It also has a well higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, at 6.5% compared to 2.3% in Southern Highlands.

These gaps in income and education have widened since 2011. Despite these diverging trends, the two areas share a very similar age profile, with a typical resident in both places aged 48. They are also effectively alike in their population growth since 2021, which was around 2.7% to 2.8%, and both have the same share of homes owned outright at 44.6%.

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Where they differ most

Year 12: 14.3 pts higher in Southern Highlands Unemployment: 1.9 pts higher in Shoalhaven Population: 55,650 larger in Shoalhaven Family income: $560 higher in Southern Highlands Work from home: 10.8 pts higher in Southern Highlands

Demographics & Identity

Population in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +55,650 larger in Shoalhaven gap widening

108,328 79th pct 52,678 42nd pct

Median age in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands even gap narrowing

48 yrs 88th pct 48 yrs 88th pct

Age structure

28.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +0.1 pts 28.0%

26.1% Older adults (45–64) +0.4 pts ▸ 26.5%

20.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +1.3 pts 19.1%

16.0% Children (0–14) +0.7 pts ▸ 16.7%

9.4% Youth (15–24) +0.3 pts ▸ 9.7%

Marital status

47.6% Married +4.8 pts ▸ 52.4%

30.5% Never married ◂ +2.8 pts 27.6%

11.1% Divorced ◂ +0.8 pts 10.3%

7.2% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 6.7%

3.7% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 3.0%

Age & sex structure

Shoalhaven Southern Highlands

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

80.0% Australia ◂ +3.2 pts 76.7%

4.4% England +1.2 pts ▸ 5.6%

1.2% New Zealand +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.5% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Nepal +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.3% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Philippines even 0.5%

0.3% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

43.1% English +1.2 pts ▸ 44.4%

40.3% Australian ◂ +2.6 pts 37.6%

11.7% Irish +2.1 pts ▸ 13.8%

10.9% Scottish +2.5 pts ▸ 13.3%

3.9% German even 4.0%

2.5% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.4% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.8% Chinese +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.7% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.8% Filipino ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

88.4% English only ◂ +0.4 pts 88.0%

0.3% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.3% Greek even 0.3%

0.1% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Tagalog even 0.2%

0.2% Cantonese even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi even 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

48.0% Christianity +5.0 pts ▸ 53.0%

41.6% No religion ◂ +4.7 pts 36.9%

8.2% Not stated ◂ +1.6 pts 6.6%

0.5% Hinduism +0.8 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.8% Buddhism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +9 more in Shoalhaven

37 71st pct 28 52nd pct

Schools/1k kids in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +1.05 more in Southern Highlands

2.14 50th pct 3.19 71st pct

Students in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +7,015 more in Shoalhaven

14,284 69th pct 7,269 32nd pct

Avg size in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +126 larger in Shoalhaven

386 42nd pct 260 25th pct

ICSEA in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +75 higher in Southern Highlands

976 29th pct 1,051 66th pct

Highest year of school

40.6% Year 12 +14.3 pts ▸ 54.9%

31.3% Year 10 ◂ +6.5 pts 24.8%

13.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +5.5 pts 8.0%

6.4% Year 11 ◂ +0.4 pts 6.0%

Highest qualification level

36.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +9.6 pts 26.8%

17.1% Bachelor degree +7.6 pts ▸ 24.7%

14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.6 pts ▸ 16.3%

5.2% Postgraduate degree +4.2 pts ▸ 9.5%

3.2% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.6 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 1.9%

Field of qualification

15.5% Management & commerce +3.4 pts ▸ 18.9%

15.8% Engineering & related ◂ +2.8 pts 13.0%

11.2% Society & culture +1.2 pts ▸ 12.5%

10.0% Health +0.8 pts ▸ 10.8%

8.8% Education +0.8 pts ▸ 9.6%

7.7% Architecture & building ◂ +1.3 pts 6.4%

5.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.9 pts 4.8%

2.8% Creative arts +1.6 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.4% Agriculture & environment +0.7 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.0% Natural & physical sciences +0.4 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.3% Information technology +0.2 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$160 higher in Southern Highlands gap widening

$634 13th pct $794 52nd pct

Household income in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$425 higher in Southern Highlands gap widening

$1,248 13th pct $1,673 49th pct

Family income in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$560 higher in Southern Highlands gap widening

$1,535 11th pct $2,095 56th pct

Household income distribution

33.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +6.6 pts 27.3%

26.0% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 27.9%

21.2% Under $650 ◂ +5.3 pts 15.8%

5.6% $4,000 or more +7.2 pts ▸ 12.8%

6.4% $3,000–$3,999 +3.0 pts ▸ 9.5%

Personal income distribution

46.8% Under $650 ◂ +7.9 pts 39.0%

30.4% $650–$1,499 +1.3 pts ▸ 31.8%

12.2% $1,500–$2,999 +4.3 pts ▸ 16.5%

2.3% $3,000 or more +3.6 pts ▸ 5.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

14.7% Arthritis ◂ +2.4 pts 12.3%

11.3% Mental health ◂ +2.5 pts 8.7%

9.3% Other condition ◂ +1.0 pts 8.3%

9.0% Asthma ◂ +0.8 pts 8.3%

6.5% Diabetes ◂ +1.6 pts 4.9%

5.9% Heart disease ◂ +1.0 pts 4.9%

4.5% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 4.2%

3.3% Lung condition ◂ +1.0 pts 2.2%

1.5% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 1.1%

1.2% Dementia ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

53.8% None +6.1 pts ▸ 59.9%

22.3% One condition ◂ +0.6 pts 21.7%

8.9% Two conditions ◂ +1.7 pts 7.2%

5.5% Three or more ◂ +1.9 pts 3.6%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +5,857 larger in Shoalhaven

7,060 89th pct 1,203 45th pct

Median age in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +1 yrs older in Shoalhaven

24 yrs 43rd pct 23 yrs 29th pct

Median income in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$79 higher in Southern Highlands

$545 29th pct $624 55th pct

Household income in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$507 higher in Southern Highlands

$1,332 23rd pct $1,839 70th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.1 larger in Southern Highlands gap narrowing

2.3 14th pct 2.4 29th pct

Family composition

46.3% Couples with children +6.3 pts ▸ 52.6%

37.1% Couples without children ◂ +2.6 pts 34.5%

15.6% One-parent families ◂ +3.5 pts 12.1%

1.0% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

Household size

40.5% 2 people ◂ +1.8 pts 38.8%

28.5% 1 person ◂ +2.3 pts 26.2%

11.0% 4 people +2.1 pts ▸ 13.1%

12.7% 3 people +0.4 pts ▸ 13.1%

4.8% 5 people +1.2 pts ▸ 6.0%

2.4% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$80 higher in Southern Highlands gap widening

$350 47th pct $430 80th pct

Mortgage in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +$434 higher in Southern Highlands gap widening

$1,733 43rd pct $2,167 80th pct

People / bedroom in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands even gap steady

0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

44.6% Owned outright even 44.6%

27.1% Owned with a mortgage +5.4 pts ▸ 32.5%

24.2% Rented ◂ +5.0 pts 19.3%

2.3% Other tenure even 2.3%

1.7% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

87.2% Separate house +3.2 pts ▸ 90.4%

8.1% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.8 pts 6.4%

2.0% Flat or apartment +0.3 pts ▸ 2.3%

2.0% Other dwelling ◂ +1.3 pts 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

41.1% 3 bedrooms ◂ +5.1 pts 36.0%

30.6% 4 bedrooms +6.3 pts ▸ 36.9%

16.0% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.3 pts 11.7%

7.2% 5 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 11.0%

3.1% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 2.8%

0.3% Studio / none even 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

45.8% $350–$549 ◂ +2.7 pts 43.1%

35.7% $200–$349 ◂ +16.3 pts 19.4%

3.6% $550–$749 +15.3 pts ▸ 19.0%

10.4% Under $200 ◂ +2.2 pts 8.2%

0.7% $750 or more +4.8 pts ▸ 5.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

31.0% $1,800–$2,999 +4.2 pts ▸ 35.1%

31.7% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +10.0 pts 21.7%

11.6% $3,000 or more +11.3 pts ▸ 22.9%

19.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.8 pts 14.1%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +396 more in Shoalhaven

745 87th pct 349 59th pct

Stops/1k in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.25 more in Shoalhaven

6.88 88th pct 6.63 87th pct

Departures/1k in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +39.0 more in Southern Highlands

198.0 28th pct 237.0 30th pct

PT routes in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +19 more in Southern Highlands

24 44th pct 43 74th pct

Stop walk in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands

— 13 71st pct

Drive to city in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +259 longer in Shoalhaven

338 100th pct 79 78th pct

How people get to work

63.8% Car (driver) ◂ +9.3 pts 54.4%

12.5% Worked at home +10.8 pts ▸ 23.4%

4.6% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.6 pts 4.0%

2.8% Walked +0.1 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.5% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%

0.0% Train +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

38.1% 2 vehicles +0.9 pts ▸ 39.0%

38.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.4 pts 33.9%

12.2% 3 vehicles +2.2 pts ▸ 14.3%

7.0% 4 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 9.4%

4.4% No vehicle ◂ +1.1 pts 3.3%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.5 pts 13.5%

11.9% Construction ◂ +1.3 pts 10.6%

10.7% Retail trade ◂ +1.8 pts 8.9%

9.8% Public administration & safety ◂ +5.5 pts 4.3%

8.3% Education & training +1.2 pts ▸ 9.5%

9.5% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.5 pts 8.0%

4.9% Professional & technical +2.9 pts ▸ 7.8%

4.7% Manufacturing +1.8 pts ▸ 6.5%

3.8% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.9% Administrative & support even 3.9%

3.0% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.4% Wholesale trade +1.6 pts ▸ 3.0%

Occupations people work in

18.1% Professionals +3.5 pts ▸ 21.6%

16.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.7 pts 15.8%

12.5% Managers +3.4 pts ▸ 15.9%

14.9% Community & personal service ◂ +4.1 pts 10.8%

10.9% Clerical & administrative +0.1 pts ▸ 11.0%

11.0% Labourers ◂ +1.5 pts 9.4%

9.4% Sales workers ◂ +1.1 pts 8.4%

5.0% Machinery operators & drivers +0.5 pts ▸ 5.5%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +57,523 higher in Shoalhaven

111,404 75th pct 53,881 37th pct

Growth in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven

2.8% 22nd pct 2.7% 21st pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +132 higher in Shoalhaven

1,130 71st pct 998 60th pct

Max temp in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +2.2 higher in Shoalhaven

22.3 36th pct 20.1 15th pct

Min temp in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +2.8 higher in Shoalhaven

10.9 39th pct 8.1 11th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.2 higher in Shoalhaven

4.2 35th pct 4.0 32nd pct

Types ≤15 min in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.2 more in Shoalhaven

4.1 34th pct 3.9 31st pct

15-min city in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +5.4 pts higher in Shoalhaven

43.6% 30th pct 38.2% 21st pct

Walk to shops in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +3.8 pts higher in Shoalhaven

40.8% 24th pct 37.0% 18th pct

Walk to transit in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +11.2 pts higher in Shoalhaven

82.7% 52nd pct 71.4% 42nd pct

Walk to school in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +9.1 pts higher in Southern Highlands

38.2% 15th pct 47.2% 26th pct

Walk to a park in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +12.9 pts higher in Shoalhaven

83.3% 41st pct 70.4% 28th pct

Walk to health in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +1.8 pts higher in Southern Highlands

29.8% 25th pct 31.6% 28th pct

Amenities/1k in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.6 more in Shoalhaven

17.1 61st pct 16.5 58th pct

Intersections/km² in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands even

3 30th pct 3 30th pct

Mean slope in Shoalhaven in Southern Highlands +0.7 pts higher in Southern Highlands

6.0% 58th pct 6.7% 72nd pct

Compare Shoalhaven with nearby areas

Jervis Bay Southern Highlands Kiama - Shellharbour Dapto - Port Kembla Illawarra Catchment Reserve Wollondilly Queanbeyan Goulburn - Mulwaree

Compare Southern Highlands with nearby areas

Illawarra Catchment Reserve Wollondilly Dapto - Port Kembla Blue Mountains - South Kiama - Shellharbour Shoalhaven Camden Campbelltown

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Shoalhaven vs Southern Highlands [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa3/11401/shoalhaven/vs/11402/southern-highlands