# Forestville vs Middle Cove — 2021 Census comparison

Suburb / Locality comparison · about 3.8 km apart

Forestville (NSW) and Middle Cove are neighbouring areas with a clear difference in wealth and housing. Middle Cove has a much higher typical weekly household income of $4,446 compared to $2,507 in Forestville (NSW). This is consistent with Middle Cove's higher levels of education, where 56.1% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 38.7% in Forestville (NSW). Homes in Middle Cove are also more likely to be large, detached houses, with 93.4% having three or more bedrooms. Forestville (NSW) is more likely to be rented and has better walking access to groceries and health services.

Both areas are very similar in their age profiles, with about 20% of the population being children under 15. They also share similar unemployment rates and the same typical commute time to the city. While Middle Cove has a far higher share of people working from home at 64.2%, Forestville (NSW) also sits well above the national figure at 47.4%.

## Where they differ most

- Population: 7,332 larger in Forestville
- Household income: $1,939 higher in Middle Cove
- Bachelor+: 17.4 pts higher in Middle Cove
- Work from home: 16.8 pts higher in Middle Cove
- Separate houses: 16.7 pts higher in Middle Cove

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 8,659 | 1,327 | 7,332 larger in Forestville | gap widening |
| Median age | 43 yrs | 45 yrs | 2 yrs older in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| First Nations | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 20.4% | 18.6% | 1.8 pts higher in Forestville | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 20.9% | 20.3% | 0.6 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |
| De facto | 6.0% | 5.0% | 1.0 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |

### Age structure

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Older adults (45–64) | 27.7% | 33.2% | -5.6 |
| Children (0–14) | 20.9% | 20.3% | +0.6 |
| Seniors (65+) | 20.4% | 18.6% | +1.8 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 18.8% | 14.8% | +3.9 |
| Youth (15–24) | 12.2% | 13.3% | -1.1 |

### Marital status

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 56.3% | 61.1% | -4.9 |
| Never married | 28.0% | 27.0% | +1.0 |
| Divorced | 7.0% | 5.6% | +1.4 |
| Widowed | 6.6% | 4.9% | +1.7 |
| Separated | 2.1% | 1.8% | +0.3 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Forestville male | Forestville female | Middle Cove male | Middle Cove female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| 5–9 | 3.7% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% |
| 10–14 | 5.1% | 4.2% | 5.4% | 4.1% |
| 15–19 | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| 20–24 | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 2.7% |
| 25–29 | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| 30–34 | 1.6% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 35–39 | 2.4% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| 40–44 | 3.3% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.9% |
| 45–49 | 4.2% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 50–54 | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| 55–59 | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| 60–64 | 2.5% | 2.7% | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| 65–69 | 1.8% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| 70–74 | 1.8% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| 75–79 | 1.7% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| 80–84 | 1.5% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| 85+ | 1.6% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 1.4% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 32.0% | 36.0% | 4.0 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

### Country of birth

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 64.3% | 63.1% | +1.3 |
| China | 3.0% | 5.7% | -2.8 |
| England | 5.3% | 4.9% | +0.4 |
| New Zealand | 2.0% | 2.8% | -0.8 |
| South Africa | 1.5% | 1.8% | -0.4 |
| India | 0.7% | 0.9% | -0.2 |
| Italy | 0.5% | 0.8% | -0.3 |
| Philippines | 0.6% | 0.8% | -0.2 |
| Vietnam | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Nepal | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 34.8% | 35.2% | -0.4 |
| Australian | 29.9% | 30.7% | -0.8 |
| Chinese | 8.8% | 14.2% | -5.5 |
| Irish | 10.2% | 12.4% | -2.1 |
| Scottish | 9.0% | 11.3% | -2.4 |
| Italian | 3.5% | 4.9% | -1.4 |
| German | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0.0 |
| Indian | 1.3% | 2.0% | -0.7 |
| Dutch | 1.7% | 1.0% | +0.8 |
| Greek | 1.3% | 0.9% | +0.4 |
| Filipino | 1.0% | 1.3% | -0.3 |
| Vietnamese | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 24.4% | 21.8% | 2.6 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |
| Limited English | 2.5% | 3.1% | 0.5 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 71.7% | 76.7% | -5.0 |
| Cantonese | 3.2% | 5.9% | -2.7 |
| Mandarin | 2.8% | 4.4% | -1.6 |
| Italian | 0.7% | 1.2% | -0.5 |
| Greek | 0.6% | 0.0% | +0.6 |
| Arabic | 0.4% | 0.0% | +0.4 |
| Hindi | 0.2% | 0.2% | +0.0 |
| Tagalog | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 39.0% | 44.5% | 5.5 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 50.8% | 47.4% | +3.4 |
| No religion | 39.0% | 44.5% | -5.5 |
| Not stated | 5.7% | 3.0% | +2.7 |
| Buddhism | 1.7% | 2.1% | -0.4 |
| Judaism | 0.8% | 1.5% | -0.7 |
| Islam | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.0 |
| Hinduism | 0.6% | 0.8% | -0.1 |
| Other religions | 0.6% | 0.2% | +0.4 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 73.0% | 87.9% | 14.9 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 38.7% | 56.1% | 17.4 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| Schools/1k kids | 2.21 | 3.72 | 1.51 more in Middle Cove |  |
| Schools ≤3 km | 35 | 27 | 8 more in Forestville |  |
| Avg size | 485 | 629 | 144 larger in Middle Cove |  |
| ICSEA | 1,138 | 1,150 | 12 higher in Middle Cove |  |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 73.0% | 87.9% | -14.9 |
| Year 10 | 13.5% | 5.8% | +7.7 |
| Year 9 or below | 5.1% | 1.7% | +3.4 |
| Year 11 | 3.1% | 2.2% | +0.9 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor degree | 37.1% | 46.6% | -9.5 |
| Postgraduate degree | 14.3% | 22.2% | -7.9 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 14.6% | 11.8% | +2.8 |
| Certificate III / IV | 13.8% | 5.9% | +8.0 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 4.6% | 5.5% | -0.9 |
| Certificate I / II | 1.2% | 1.4% | -0.2 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 26.5% | 28.1% | -1.5 |
| Society & culture | 13.0% | 18.5% | -5.4 |
| Engineering & related | 11.2% | 9.6% | +1.6 |
| Health | 7.9% | 10.5% | -2.6 |
| Education | 8.5% | 5.4% | +3.2 |
| Creative arts | 5.4% | 6.7% | -1.4 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 4.3% | 6.6% | -2.3 |
| Architecture & building | 5.2% | 2.5% | +2.7 |
| Information technology | 4.4% | 5.0% | -0.5 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 2.6% | 1.4% | +1.2 |
| Agriculture & environment | 1.3% | 1.2% | +0.0 |

## Income

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $936 | $1,369 | $433 higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| Household income | $2,507 | $4,446 | $1,939 higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| Family income | $3,125 | $4,660 | $1,535 higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| High earners | 22.4% | 35.8% | 13.5 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap steady |
| High-income homes | 41.1% | 61.3% | 20.2 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $4,000 or more | 30.4% | 50.5% | -20.1 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 21.7% | 12.9% | +8.8 |
| $650–$1,499 | 17.5% | 11.0% | +6.5 |
| Under $650 | 14.2% | 7.7% | +6.5 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 10.7% | 10.8% | -0.1 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 36.7% | 32.1% | +4.7 |
| $650–$1,499 | 25.6% | 20.6% | +5.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 12.9% | 23.3% | -10.4 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 19.5% | 21.4% | -2.0 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 25.1% | 23.8% | 1.3 pts higher in Forestville |  |
| Mental health | 6.3% | 5.4% | 0.9 pts higher in Forestville |  |
| Needs assistance | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.5 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Asthma | 6.7% | 8.3% | -1.6 |
| Arthritis | 7.6% | 6.0% | +1.6 |
| Other condition | 7.3% | 6.6% | +0.7 |
| Mental health | 6.3% | 5.4% | +0.9 |
| Heart disease | 4.1% | 2.5% | +1.6 |
| Diabetes | 4.0% | 2.7% | +1.3 |
| Cancer | 3.3% | 3.0% | +0.3 |
| Lung condition | 1.2% | 0.9% | +0.3 |
| Dementia | 0.7% | 0.5% | +0.2 |
| Stroke | 0.7% | 0.5% | +0.2 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 68.8% | 72.6% | -3.8 |
| One condition | 18.0% | 18.8% | -0.8 |
| Two conditions | 5.0% | 4.1% | +0.9 |
| Three or more | 2.1% | 1.2% | +0.9 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 19.1% | 22.0% | 2.9 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| Unpaid carers | 12.1% | 13.5% | 1.5 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 30.7% | 32.5% | 1.8 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| Defence service | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.4 pts higher in Forestville |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 24.8% | 29.4% | 4.6 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

## First Nations

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 34 | 8 | 26 larger in Forestville |  |
| Median age | 23 yrs | 42 yrs | 19 yrs older in Middle Cove |  |
| Year 12 | 80.0% | — |  |  |
| Median income | $749 | $900 | $151 higher in Middle Cove |  |
| Household income | $2,250 | $4,750 | $2,500 higher in Middle Cove |  |
| Indigenous language | 0.0% | — |  |  |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.9 | 3.0 | 0.1 larger in Middle Cove | gap steady |
| One-parent | 9.6% | 8.7% | 1.0 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |
| Living alone | 21.0% | 13.4% | 7.6 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |

### Family composition

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 71.5% | 72.3% | -0.8 |
| Couples without children | 18.2% | 19.0% | -0.8 |
| One-parent families | 9.6% | 8.7% | +1.0 |
| Other families | 0.7% | 0.3% | +0.3 |

### Household size

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4 people | 25.0% | 28.6% | -3.6 |
| 2 people | 24.8% | 27.7% | -2.9 |
| 1 person | 21.0% | 13.4% | +7.6 |
| 3 people | 16.1% | 20.7% | -4.5 |
| 5 people | 10.2% | 7.0% | +3.2 |
| 6 or more | 2.9% | 3.1% | -0.2 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $650 | $930 | $280 higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| Mortgage | $3,250 | $4,000 | $750 higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.10 higher in Forestville | gap steady |
| Renting | 19.5% | 8.2% | 11.3 pts higher in Forestville | gap widening |
| Owned outright | 39.3% | 48.1% | 8.8 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| Separate houses | 80.3% | 96.9% | 16.7 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap steady |
| 3+ bedrooms | 79.1% | 93.4% | 14.4 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 39.3% | 48.1% | -8.8 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 36.8% | 42.3% | -5.4 |
| Rented | 19.5% | 8.2% | +11.3 |
| Other tenure | 3.3% | 0.7% | +2.6 |
| Not stated | 0.9% | 0.0% | +0.9 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 80.3% | 96.9% | -16.7 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 13.1% | 3.8% | +9.4 |
| Flat or apartment | 6.5% | 1.6% | +4.8 |
| Other dwelling | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4 bedrooms | 32.7% | 37.6% | -4.8 |
| 3 bedrooms | 31.3% | 37.1% | -5.8 |
| 5 or more | 15.0% | 18.8% | -3.7 |
| 2 bedrooms | 9.7% | 6.6% | +3.2 |
| 1 bedroom | 9.4% | 0.0% | +9.4 |
| Studio / none | 0.5% | 0.0% | +0.5 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $750 or more | 39.4% | 91.4% | -52.0 |
| $550–$749 | 20.0% | 0.0% | +20.0 |
| $350–$549 | 15.0% | 0.0% | +15.0 |
| Under $200 | 12.7% | 0.0% | +12.7 |
| $200–$349 | 9.4% | 0.0% | +9.4 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $3,000 or more | 53.5% | 63.3% | -9.8 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 19.5% | 15.6% | +3.9 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 11.6% | 9.4% | +2.2 |
| Under $1,000 | 9.0% | 6.7% | +2.3 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 6.9% | 3.5% | 3.4 pts higher in Forestville | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 47.4% | 64.2% | 16.8 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |
| PT commute | 2.4% | 1.5% | 0.9 pts higher in Forestville | gap narrowing |
| PT stops | 31 | 16 | 15 more in Forestville |  |
| Stops/1k | 3.58 | 12.06 | 8.48 more in Middle Cove |  |
| Departures/1k | 2,693.0 | 2,934.4 | 241.4 more in Middle Cove |  |
| PT routes | 12 | 7 | 5 more in Forestville |  |
| Stop walk | 1 | 2 | 1 longer in Middle Cove |  |
| Drive to city | 15 | 11 | 4 longer in Forestville |  |
| Reach 30 min | 13,161 | 0 | 13,161 more in Forestville |  |
| Reach 45 min | 142,741 | 85,387 | 57,354 more in Forestville |  |
| Transit to city | 50 | 48 | 2 longer in Forestville |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Worked at home | 47.4% | 64.2% | -16.8 |
| Car (driver) | 31.5% | 19.3% | +12.2 |
| Car (passenger) | 2.3% | 2.4% | -0.1 |
| Bus | 2.2% | 1.5% | +0.7 |
| Walked | 1.4% | 0.6% | +0.8 |
| Train | 0.3% | 0.0% | +0.3 |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 vehicles | 40.0% | 45.8% | -5.8 |
| 1 vehicle | 34.1% | 31.9% | +2.3 |
| 3 vehicles | 11.5% | 12.6% | -1.0 |
| 4 or more | 7.4% | 5.6% | +1.8 |
| No vehicle | 6.9% | 3.5% | +3.4 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 28.2% | 27.0% | 1.3 pts higher in Forestville | gap steady |
| Recent arrivals | 6.4% | 9.4% | 3.0 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 3.4% | 0.2 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 60.1% | 63.6% | 3.5 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 56.8% | 62.4% | 5.6 pts higher in Middle Cove | gap widening |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional & technical | 14.0% | 21.9% | -7.8 |
| Health care & social assistance | 12.6% | 11.2% | +1.4 |
| Finance & insurance | 8.5% | 12.4% | -3.9 |
| Education & training | 10.5% | 9.0% | +1.5 |
| Construction | 8.5% | 3.4% | +5.1 |
| Retail trade | 8.3% | 6.7% | +1.6 |
| Accommodation & food | 6.0% | 3.7% | +2.3 |
| Public administration & safety | 3.4% | 5.5% | -2.1 |
| Media & telecommunications | 2.8% | 4.6% | -1.8 |
| Wholesale trade | 3.8% | 3.4% | +0.4 |
| Other services | 3.5% | 2.3% | +1.2 |
| Manufacturing | 3.4% | 3.5% | -0.1 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Forestville % | Middle Cove % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 32.2% | 42.8% | -10.7 |
| Managers | 21.3% | 23.7% | -2.4 |
| Clerical & administrative | 13.3% | 12.2% | +1.1 |
| Technicians & trades | 9.0% | 5.0% | +4.0 |
| Community & personal service | 8.8% | 6.1% | +2.6 |
| Sales workers | 8.1% | 6.4% | +1.6 |
| Labourers | 4.1% | 1.5% | +2.6 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 2.7% | 0.9% | +1.8 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Forestville | Middle Cove | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 7.7 | 6.9 | 0.8 higher in Forestville |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 7.3 | 7.1 | 0.2 more in Forestville |  |
| 15-min city | 89.3% | 98.9% | 9.6 pts higher in Middle Cove |  |
| Walk to shops | 89.3% | 71.3% | 17.9 pts higher in Forestville |  |
| Walk to transit | 89.2% | 99.8% | 10.6 pts higher in Middle Cove |  |
| Walk to school | 90.0% | 100.0% | 10.0 pts higher in Middle Cove |  |
| Walk to a park | 100.0% | 100.0% |  |  |
| Walk to health | 81.8% | 68.2% | 13.6 pts higher in Forestville |  |
| Amenities/1k | 11.4 | 18.1 | 6.7 more in Middle Cove |  |
| Intersections/km² | 134 | 83 | 51 higher in Forestville |  |
| Mean slope | 9.2% | 16.2% | 7.0 pts higher in Middle Cove |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL11551/forestville/vs/SAL12613/middle-cove