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Illawarra vs Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

Name: Illawarra vs Sydney - Eastern Suburbs — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 73 km apart · Illawarra profile · Sydney - Eastern Suburbs profile

Illawarra Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

Illawarra and Sydney - Eastern Suburbs are both significant New South Wales hubs, but they offer very different lifestyles. Sydney - Eastern Suburbs is a walker's paradise with a high-earning population; its typical personal weekly income is $1,296, and 48.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. It is also far more diverse, with 38.9% of people born overseas. In contrast, Illawarra is more residential and spacious, with a far higher share of separate houses (71.7%) and larger homes, as 75.5% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms.

Everyday life in both places shares a similar lack of religious affiliation, with around 38% of people in each area reporting no religion. However, the gaps in wealth and education have widened since 2011. For example, the difference in the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week has grown to 20 percentage points. While both are well-connected, Sydney - Eastern Suburbs is much more walkable, with 97.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services compared to 41.7% in Illawarra.

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Where they differ most

Year 12: 28.1 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs Bachelor+: 26.0 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs Separate houses: 49.1 pts higher in Illawarra 3+ bedrooms: 29.8 pts higher in Illawarra Work from home: 25.8 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

Demographics & Identity

Population in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +52,432 larger in Illawarra gap widening

313,842 72nd pct 261,410 61st pct

Median age in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +3 yrs older in Illawarra gap steady

40 yrs 50th pct 37 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

25.0% Young adults (25–44) +9.5 pts ▸ 34.5%

25.0% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.7 pts 23.3%

19.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.3 pts 15.9%

17.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.6 pts 15.3%

12.9% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.0 pts 10.9%

Marital status

36.0% Never married +10.9 pts ▸ 46.9%

46.1% Married ◂ +7.0 pts 39.0%

9.0% Divorced ◂ +1.3 pts 7.7%

5.9% Widowed ◂ +1.7 pts 4.1%

3.1% Separated ◂ +0.9 pts 2.2%

Age & sex structure

Illawarra Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

76.4% Australia ◂ +20.2 pts 56.3%

3.9% England +2.4 pts ▸ 6.3%

0.4% South Africa +2.4 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.7% China +1.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.1% New Zealand +1.1 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.9% Italy even 0.9%

0.8% India even 0.9%

0.6% Philippines +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.4% Vietnam even 0.4%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

Ancestry

37.3% English ◂ +8.0 pts 29.3%

35.9% Australian ◂ +13.9 pts 22.0%

10.3% Irish +2.8 pts ▸ 13.2%

9.9% Scottish ◂ +1.9 pts 7.9%

1.6% Chinese +5.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

5.4% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 5.0%

1.5% Greek +2.6 pts ▸ 4.1%

3.9% German ◂ +0.2 pts 3.7%

1.8% Dutch ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%

1.1% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.9% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.5% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Language

Language used at home

82.0% English only ◂ +11.0 pts 70.9%

0.8% Mandarin +2.0 pts ▸ 2.8%

0.6% Greek +1.5 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.2% Cantonese +1.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.1% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%

1.1% Arabic ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

0.4% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

51.3% Christianity ◂ +10.8 pts 40.5%

38.5% No religion +0.2 pts ▸ 38.7%

0.1% Judaism +9.2 pts ▸ 9.2%

5.9% Not stated +1.7 pts ▸ 7.6%

2.1% Islam ◂ +1.1 pts 1.0%

1.0% Buddhism +0.8 pts ▸ 1.8%

0.7% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Schools in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +49 more in Illawarra

120 63rd pct 71 17th pct

Schools/1k kids in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +0.36 more in Illawarra

2.14 50th pct 1.77 34th pct

Students in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +10,309 more in Illawarra

47,260 58th pct 36,951 45th pct

Avg size in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +135 larger in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

401 44th pct 536 71st pct

ICSEA in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +107 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

1,027 56th pct 1,133 96th pct

Highest year of school

50.9% Year 12 +28.1 pts ▸ 79.0%

26.5% Year 10 ◂ +18.9 pts 7.6%

11.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +7.5 pts 3.6%

5.9% Year 11 ◂ +3.1 pts 2.8%

Highest qualification level

23.1% Bachelor degree +18.8 pts ▸ 41.9%

32.0% Certificate III / IV ◂ +22.1 pts 9.9%

8.8% Postgraduate degree +9.4 pts ▸ 18.2%

15.1% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +3.4 pts 11.7%

3.5% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.3 pts 0.8%

Field of qualification

17.7% Management & commerce +8.4 pts ▸ 26.1%

16.8% Engineering & related ◂ +8.8 pts 8.1%

12.5% Society & culture +3.7 pts ▸ 16.2%

10.5% Health ◂ +1.2 pts 9.3%

9.3% Education ◂ +3.8 pts 5.4%

3.7% Creative arts +4.3 pts ▸ 8.0%

6.5% Architecture & building ◂ +1.7 pts 4.8%

4.9% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.0 pts 2.9%

2.7% Natural & physical sciences +0.9 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.4% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.7 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$543 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap widening

$753 41st pct $1,296 88th pct

Household income in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$829 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap widening

$1,684 53rd pct $2,513 96th pct

Family income in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$1,295 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap widening

$2,109 61st pct $3,404 100th pct

Household income distribution

11.2% $4,000 or more +19.2 pts ▸ 30.4%

28.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.0 pts 24.8%

26.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +10.2 pts 16.0%

16.9% Under $650 ◂ +5.5 pts 11.4%

10.8% $3,000–$3,999 +0.4 pts ▸ 11.2%

Personal income distribution

42.0% Under $650 ◂ +15.2 pts 26.8%

30.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.5 pts 25.0%

17.8% $1,500–$2,999 +6.8 pts ▸ 24.6%

3.9% $3,000 or more +12.3 pts ▸ 16.2%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

10.5% Arthritis ◂ +4.8 pts 5.7%

10.1% Mental health ◂ +4.0 pts 6.1%

8.8% Other condition ◂ +2.4 pts 6.4%

8.7% Asthma ◂ +2.5 pts 6.2%

5.1% Diabetes ◂ +2.4 pts 2.7%

4.2% Heart disease ◂ +1.3 pts 2.9%

3.2% Cancer ◂ +0.6 pts 2.6%

2.1% Lung condition ◂ +1.2 pts 0.9%

1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%

0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.5% None +9.3 pts ▸ 70.9%

20.7% One condition ◂ +4.8 pts 15.9%

6.8% Two conditions ◂ +2.9 pts 3.9%

3.7% Three or more ◂ +2.0 pts 1.6%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +8,434 larger in Illawarra

11,287 75th pct 2,853 28th pct

Median age in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +7 yrs older in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

22 yrs 14th pct 29 yrs 86th pct

Median income in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$148 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

$608 57th pct $756 86th pct

Household income in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$245 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

$1,678 61st pct $1,923 86th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +0.2 larger in Illawarra gap narrowing

2.5 57th pct 2.3 14th pct

Family composition

57.2% Couples with children +0.2 pts ▸ 57.4%

26.9% Couples without children +3.5 pts ▸ 30.4%

14.9% One-parent families ◂ +4.0 pts 10.8%

1.0% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.4%

Household size

34.1% 2 people +1.0 pts ▸ 35.1%

25.0% 1 person +4.7 pts ▸ 29.7%

15.9% 4 people ◂ +2.1 pts 13.7%

15.7% 3 people ◂ +0.4 pts 15.3%

6.5% 5 people ◂ +1.8 pts 4.7%

2.8% 6 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 1.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$200 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap narrowing

$400 71st pct $600 100th pct

Mortgage in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +$1,131 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap widening

$2,167 82nd pct $3,298 100th pct

People / bedroom in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +0.20 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs gap widening

0.80 29th pct 1.00 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

29.0% Rented +16.2 pts ▸ 45.2%

35.1% Owned outright ◂ +7.2 pts 27.9%

33.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +9.1 pts 23.8%

1.7% Other tenure +0.2 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.3% Not stated even 1.2%

Types of homes

71.7% Separate house ◂ +49.1 pts 22.5%

14.5% Flat or apartment +43.2 pts ▸ 57.8%

12.8% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.6 pts ▸ 18.5%

0.8% Other dwelling +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

Bedrooms per home

41.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +15.7 pts 25.8%

18.9% 2 bedrooms +19.6 pts ▸ 38.5%

26.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +12.9 pts 13.8%

4.1% 1 bedroom +8.9 pts ▸ 13.1%

7.3% 5 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 6.1%

0.3% Studio / none +1.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

Weekly rent distribution

43.5% $350–$549 ◂ +18.8 pts 24.7%

14.8% $550–$749 +16.2 pts ▸ 31.1%

2.4% $750 or more +26.4 pts ▸ 28.8%

20.1% $200–$349 ◂ +14.1 pts 6.1%

15.9% Under $200 ◂ +9.4 pts 6.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

20.9% $3,000 or more +32.4 pts ▸ 53.3%

38.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +20.1 pts 18.4%

22.6% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +12.8 pts 9.7%

12.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.5 pts 11.0%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +780 more in Illawarra

1,834 72nd pct 1,054 48th pct

Stops/1k in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +1.81 more in Illawarra

5.84 83rd pct 4.03 28th pct

Departures/1k in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +2,002.1 more in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

1,039.5 55th pct 3,041.6 100th pct

PT routes in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +3 more in Illawarra

58 32nd pct 55 29th pct

How people get to work

50.7% Car (driver) ◂ +27.3 pts 23.4%

24.7% Worked at home +25.8 pts ▸ 50.5%

1.8% Walked +2.4 pts ▸ 4.2%

3.0% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.1 pts 1.9%

0.6% Bus +2.1 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.4% Bicycle +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.6% Train +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Motor vehicles per home

35.0% 1 vehicle +12.6 pts ▸ 47.5%

37.6% 2 vehicles ◂ +10.5 pts 27.1%

7.3% No vehicle +9.3 pts ▸ 16.7%

12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +6.5 pts 6.0%

7.6% 4 or more ◂ +4.9 pts 2.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +5.0 pts 12.2%

6.1% Professional & technical +10.7 pts ▸ 16.9%

10.6% Education & training ◂ +1.6 pts 9.0%

10.1% Construction ◂ +3.2 pts 6.9%

3.3% Finance & insurance +6.5 pts ▸ 9.8%

8.9% Retail trade ◂ +2.5 pts 6.5%

7.3% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.6 pts 4.7%

7.0% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.0 pts 5.0%

5.9% Manufacturing ◂ +3.4 pts 2.5%

4.5% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.3 pts 3.2%

3.7% Other services ◂ +1.0 pts 2.7%

1.0% Media & telecommunications +2.6 pts ▸ 3.6%

Occupations people work in

23.3% Professionals +16.8 pts ▸ 40.0%

11.5% Managers +9.0 pts ▸ 20.5%

14.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +7.5 pts 7.2%

13.2% Community & personal service ◂ +6.0 pts 7.2%

12.6% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.6 pts 11.0%

8.6% Labourers ◂ +5.2 pts 3.4%

8.1% Sales workers ◂ +1.3 pts 6.8%

6.5% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +4.6 pts 2.0%

Economy & Advantage

ERP in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +50,020 higher in Illawarra

330,469 61st pct 280,449 50th pct

Growth in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +1.2 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

5.2% 41st pct 6.4% 55th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +136 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

1,349 84th pct 1,484 91st pct

Max temp in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +1.7 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

21.2 22nd pct 22.9 38th pct

Min temp in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +3.6 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

10.5 35th pct 14.0 79th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +2.9 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

5.9 67th pct 8.9 99th pct

Types ≤15 min in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +2.2 more in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

5.7 68th pct 7.9 100th pct

15-min city in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +29.1 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

70.6% 66th pct 99.7% 100th pct

Walk to shops in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +37.0 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

60.9% 55th pct 97.9% 100th pct

Walk to transit in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +6.5 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

93.4% 76th pct 99.9% 100th pct

Walk to school in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +21.5 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

77.9% 68th pct 99.4% 100th pct

Walk to a park in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +5.9 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

94.1% 67th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to health in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +56.2 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

41.7% 48th pct 97.9% 100th pct

Amenities/1k in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +3.5 more in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

12.2 18th pct 15.7 45th pct

Intersections/km² in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +265 higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

18 55th pct 283 95th pct

Mean slope in Illawarra in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs +1.4 pts higher in Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

7.0% 78th pct 8.4% 90th pct

Compare Illawarra with nearby areas

Sydney - Outer South West Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - South West Sydney - Inner South West Sydney - Parramatta Sydney - Inner West Sydney - City and Inner South Sydney - Blacktown Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven Sydney - Ryde Sydney - Eastern Suburbs

Compare Sydney - Eastern Suburbs with nearby areas

Sydney - City and Inner South Sydney - Inner West Sydney - Inner South West Sydney - Ryde Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby Sydney - Northern Beaches Sydney - Parramatta Sydney - Sutherland Sydney - South West Sydney - Blacktown Central Coast Sydney - Outer South West

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Illawarra vs Sydney - Eastern Suburbs [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/107/illawarra/vs/118/sydney-eastern-suburbs