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Emerald Beach vs Sandy Beach

Name: Emerald Beach vs Sandy Beach — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 3.5 km apart · Emerald Beach profile · Sandy Beach profile

Emerald Beach Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach and Emerald Beach are neighbouring coastal areas with similar population sizes, but they offer very different lifestyles. Sandy Beach is more connected, with far more public transport stops and 67.0% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. Residents are also noticeably younger, with a typical age of 35 compared to 41 in Emerald Beach. In contrast, Emerald Beach is more affluent, with a higher share of people earning $2,000 or more per week (11.1% versus 5.4%) and more homes owned outright. While Sandy Beach has more walkable amenities, Emerald Beach is far better for accessing groceries on foot, with 51.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a shop.

Both areas share several core characteristics, including similar proportions of children under 15 and almost identical household sizes. They also have very similar levels of overseas birth and typical weekly personal incomes. These shared traits suggest a consistent regional character, even as the two areas diverge in their transport and educational infrastructure.

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Where they differ most

Median age: 6 yrs older in Emerald Beach Bachelor+: 8.5 pts higher in Emerald Beach Recent arrivals: 8.2 pts higher in Sandy Beach Owned outright: 8.1 pts higher in Emerald Beach Recent movers: 5.8 pts higher in Sandy Beach

Demographics & Identity

Population in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +236 larger in Sandy Beach gap widening

2,677 82nd pct 2,913 83rd pct

Median age in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +6 yrs older in Emerald Beach gap widening

41 yrs 33rd pct 35 yrs 14th pct

Age structure

24.2% Young adults (25–44) +5.5 pts ▸ 29.7%

27.3% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.3 pts 23.0%

22.1% Children (0–14) +0.5 pts ▸ 22.6%

17.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +2.2 pts 14.8%

9.0% Youth (15–24) +1.0 pts ▸ 10.0%

Marital status

50.1% Married ◂ +5.9 pts 44.2%

32.7% Never married +3.6 pts ▸ 36.3%

10.3% Divorced +1.3 pts ▸ 11.6%

3.4% Separated +1.2 pts ▸ 4.6%

3.9% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Emerald Beach Sandy Beach

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.8% Australia ◂ +0.8 pts 80.9%

3.2% England ◂ +0.4 pts 2.8%

0.3% India +2.9 pts ▸ 3.2%

2.4% New Zealand ◂ +1.1 pts 1.3%

0.7% South Africa even 0.7%

0.5% Philippines even 0.5%

0.3% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%

0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

45.8% English ◂ +5.6 pts 40.3%

38.3% Australian +2.9 pts ▸ 41.1%

13.6% Scottish ◂ +2.5 pts 11.1%

13.2% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 11.4%

5.2% German ◂ +0.5 pts 4.6%

0.5% Indian +2.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

1.9% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 1.8%

1.8% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%

1.5% Chinese ◂ +0.6 pts 0.8%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

0.8% Filipino ◂ +0.3 pts 0.5%

0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

91.8% English only ◂ +7.5 pts 84.3%

0.6% Punjabi +4.6 pts ▸ 5.1%

0.4% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

0.0% Tagalog +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.3% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

0.0% Arabic +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

0.0% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

52.9% No religion ◂ +2.8 pts 50.1%

39.5% Christianity ◂ +5.7 pts 33.7%

5.9% Not stated +2.1 pts ▸ 8.0%

1.0% Other religions +5.0 pts ▸ 6.0%

0.1% Islam +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% Buddhism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Hinduism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach

— 1.52 19th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +3 more in Sandy Beach

1 43rd pct 4 71st pct

Avg size in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +118 larger in Sandy Beach

336 52nd pct 454 66th pct

ICSEA in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +11 higher in Sandy Beach

973 39th pct 984 46th pct

Highest year of school

55.1% Year 12 ◂ +5.5 pts 49.6%

25.6% Year 10 +1.4 pts ▸ 27.0%

6.6% Year 11 +2.0 pts ▸ 8.5%

7.0% Year 9 or below +1.2 pts ▸ 8.3%

Highest qualification level

32.0% Certificate III / IV +4.9 pts ▸ 36.8%

27.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.8 pts 20.4%

15.7% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.2 pts ▸ 15.8%

6.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.7 pts 4.1%

3.4% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.0 pts 2.4%

1.6% Certificate I / II +0.6 pts ▸ 2.2%

Field of qualification

15.0% Management & commerce ◂ +0.3 pts 14.7%

14.0% Engineering & related ◂ +2.4 pts 11.6%

11.1% Society & culture +2.2 pts ▸ 13.4%

13.3% Health ◂ +2.8 pts 10.5%

11.8% Education ◂ +2.6 pts 9.2%

7.4% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 8.0%

4.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.8 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.4% Creative arts ◂ +1.7 pts 2.7%

3.4% Agriculture & environment +0.6 pts ▸ 4.0%

2.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 2.4%

1.9% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 2.2%

Income

Personal income in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$48 higher in Emerald Beach gap narrowing

$811 60th pct $763 52nd pct

Household income in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$246 higher in Emerald Beach gap narrowing

$1,813 66th pct $1,567 52nd pct

Family income in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$195 higher in Emerald Beach gap steady

$1,911 52nd pct $1,716 39th pct

Household income distribution

32.8% $1,500–$2,999 +4.6 pts ▸ 37.4%

26.1% $650–$1,499 +5.5 pts ▸ 31.7%

12.1% Under $650 +0.5 pts ▸ 12.6%

11.6% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.6 pts 8.0%

10.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +6.3 pts 3.7%

Personal income distribution

38.3% Under $650 +1.5 pts ▸ 39.8%

34.3% $650–$1,499 +4.6 pts ▸ 38.9%

17.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +4.1 pts 13.6%

3.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.7 pts 0.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.1% Mental health +1.5 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.5% Arthritis ◂ +0.8 pts 8.7%

8.2% Other condition ◂ +0.8 pts 7.3%

8.0% Asthma even 8.0%

3.5% Heart disease +0.2 pts ▸ 3.7%

2.6% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.8% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.2% Lung condition +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

0.6% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.4% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.9% None ◂ +3.1 pts 60.7%

20.4% One condition +0.3 pts ▸ 20.7%

5.1% Two conditions +0.7 pts ▸ 5.7%

2.6% Three or more +0.2 pts ▸ 2.8%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +54 larger in Sandy Beach

140 86th pct 194 86th pct

Median age in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +3 yrs older in Emerald Beach

26 yrs 50th pct 23 yrs 38th pct

Median income in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$2 higher in Emerald Beach

$718 58th pct $716 58th pct

Household income in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$212 higher in Emerald Beach

$1,812 55th pct $1,600 46th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach even gap narrowing

2.7 71st pct 2.7 71st pct

Family composition

55.2% Couples with children ◂ +1.8 pts 53.4%

29.5% Couples without children ◂ +1.1 pts 28.4%

15.4% One-parent families +2.4 pts ▸ 17.7%

0.1% Other families +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%

Household size

38.1% 2 people ◂ +1.3 pts 36.8%

16.0% 1 person +3.4 pts ▸ 19.3%

18.0% 4 people ◂ +1.3 pts 16.7%

16.1% 3 people +0.3 pts ▸ 16.3%

8.7% 5 people ◂ +1.3 pts 7.4%

2.6% 6 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$43 higher in Emerald Beach gap widening

$463 89th pct $420 86th pct

Mortgage in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +$140 higher in Emerald Beach gap narrowing

$1,950 69th pct $1,810 61st pct

People / bedroom in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach even gap steady

0.80 43rd pct 0.80 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

40.1% Owned with a mortgage +2.7 pts ▸ 42.8%

36.8% Owned outright ◂ +8.1 pts 28.7%

21.2% Rented +4.6 pts ▸ 25.8%

1.0% Not stated +1.0 pts ▸ 1.9%

0.5% Other tenure +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

Types of homes

93.6% Separate house +3.9 pts ▸ 97.5%

3.9% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +2.1 pts 1.7%

1.5% Flat or apartment ◂ +1.2 pts 0.3%

0.7% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

37.0% 3 bedrooms +6.4 pts ▸ 43.4%

40.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +5.5 pts 34.7%

8.7% 2 bedrooms +3.2 pts ▸ 11.8%

10.4% 5 or more ◂ +3.5 pts 6.9%

1.9% 1 bedroom +0.1 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.0% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

55.1% $350–$549 +1.7 pts ▸ 56.8%

21.2% $550–$749 ◂ +6.6 pts 14.7%

17.2% $200–$349 ◂ +1.0 pts 16.2%

2.5% Under $200 +2.0 pts ▸ 4.5%

1.5% $750 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.1% $1,800–$2,999 +0.2 pts ▸ 41.3%

29.3% $1,000–$1,799 +1.7 pts ▸ 31.1%

12.5% Under $1,000 +4.9 pts ▸ 17.5%

10.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.9 pts 5.2%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +8 more in Sandy Beach

2 71st pct 10 80th pct

Stops/1k in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +2.69 more in Sandy Beach

0.75 60th pct 3.43 71st pct

Departures/1k in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +163.8 more in Sandy Beach

45.6 62nd pct 209.4 73rd pct

PT routes in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach even

1 71st pct 1 71st pct

Stop walk in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +36 longer in Emerald Beach

47 78th pct 11 47th pct

How people get to work

64.6% Car (driver) +6.9 pts ▸ 71.5%

14.4% Worked at home ◂ +4.5 pts 9.9%

3.3% Car (passenger) +0.1 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.3% Walked ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%

0.5% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

0.3% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

46.5% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.3 pts 45.2%

26.0% 1 vehicle +6.7 pts ▸ 32.7%

16.4% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.2 pts 14.2%

9.4% 4 or more ◂ +3.0 pts 6.4%

1.7% No vehicle ◂ +0.2 pts 1.6%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.7% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.4 pts 18.2%

11.2% Education & training ◂ +1.5 pts 9.6%

10.8% Retail trade ◂ +1.3 pts 9.6%

10.7% Construction ◂ +0.7 pts 10.0%

7.6% Public administration & safety +1.2 pts ▸ 8.8%

7.0% Accommodation & food +0.7 pts ▸ 7.7%

2.5% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +4.0 pts ▸ 6.5%

5.1% Professional & technical ◂ +1.8 pts 3.3%

5.0% Other services ◂ +0.4 pts 4.6%

2.3% Administrative & support +1.6 pts ▸ 3.9%

3.2% Manufacturing +0.1 pts ▸ 3.3%

2.9% Transport & warehousing +0.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

Occupations people work in

25.7% Professionals ◂ +7.8 pts 17.8%

15.1% Community & personal service +1.2 pts ▸ 16.2%

13.5% Technicians & trades +1.4 pts ▸ 14.9%

12.8% Clerical & administrative +0.3 pts ▸ 13.1%

6.7% Labourers +6.0 pts ▸ 12.7%

11.8% Managers ◂ +1.0 pts 10.8%

9.4% Sales workers ◂ +2.1 pts 7.3%

4.1% Machinery operators & drivers +1.2 pts ▸ 5.3%

Walkability

Walk score in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach even

2.7 70th pct 2.7 70th pct

Types ≤15 min in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +0.3 more in Sandy Beach

2.6 70th pct 2.9 72nd pct

15-min city in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +16.8 pts higher in Sandy Beach

0.0% 0th pct 16.8% 71st pct

Walk to shops in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +51.9 pts higher in Emerald Beach

51.9% 80th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Walk to transit in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +15.8 pts higher in Sandy Beach

36.0% 69th pct 51.7% 74th pct

Walk to school in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +64.9 pts higher in Sandy Beach

2.1% 58th pct 67.0% 81st pct

Walk to a park in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +4.0 pts higher in Sandy Beach

78.5% 73rd pct 82.5% 76th pct

Walk to health in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach even

0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Amenities/1k in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +3.4 more in Sandy Beach

4.5 28th pct 7.9 36th pct

Intersections/km² in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +2 higher in Emerald Beach

12 72nd pct 10 72nd pct

Mean slope in Emerald Beach in Sandy Beach +0.1 pts higher in Emerald Beach

7.0% 63rd pct 6.9% 62nd pct

Compare Emerald Beach with nearby areas

Moonee Beach Sandy Beach Sapphire Beach Woolgoolga Bucca Safety Beach Mullaway Korora

Compare Sandy Beach with nearby areas

Emerald Beach Woolgoolga Safety Beach Moonee Beach Mullaway Arrawarra Headland Arrawarra Sapphire Beach

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Emerald Beach vs Sandy Beach [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL11414/emerald-beach/vs/SAL13494/sandy-beach