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Sunshine Bay vs Surf Beach

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

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 2.0 km apart · Sunshine Bay profile · Surf Beach profile

Sunshine Bay Surf Beach

Surf Beach (NSW) and Sunshine Bay are neighbouring areas with different levels of local convenience. Surf Beach (NSW) is much more walkable, with 77% of homes within a 15-minute walk of both health services and groceries, compared to just 2.8% in Sunshine Bay. In contrast, Sunshine Bay is far better for those needing a school nearby, with 88% of homes within a short walk of one, whereas only 20.7% of Surf Beach (NSW) homes share this access. Sunshine Bay also sees more movement, with 46.2% of residents having moved in the last five years, compared to 35.7% in Surf Beach (NSW).

Everyday life is very similar in both places, with nearly identical typical weekly household incomes of around $1,100 and a shared presence of First Nations people at about 7%. Both areas are home to an older population well above the national figure, though residents are noticeably older in Sunshine Bay, where the typical age is 56. While they share many traits, the gap in First Nations education is stark, with 50% of First Nations people in Sunshine Bay completing Year 12 compared to 19.5% in Surf Beach (NSW).

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Where they differ most

Recent movers: 10.5 pts higher in Sunshine Bay Population: 495 larger in Surf Beach Separate houses: 7.9 pts higher in Sunshine Bay 3+ bedrooms: 6.2 pts higher in Sunshine Bay Housework 15h+: 3.8 pts higher in Surf Beach

Demographics & Identity

Population in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +495 larger in Surf Beach gap narrowing

1,439 75th pct 1,934 78th pct

Median age in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +3 yrs older in Sunshine Bay gap widening

56 yrs 87th pct 53 yrs 80th pct

Age structure

37.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +4.6 pts 32.9%

26.1% Older adults (45–64) +1.6 pts ▸ 27.7%

16.9% Young adults (25–44) +0.1 pts ▸ 17.0%

13.4% Children (0–14) +1.1 pts ▸ 14.5%

6.5% Youth (15–24) +1.6 pts ▸ 8.0%

Marital status

48.4% Married ◂ +1.1 pts 47.2%

25.6% Never married +3.3 pts ▸ 28.8%

13.4% Divorced ◂ +2.3 pts 11.2%

8.7% Widowed ◂ +0.9 pts 7.8%

4.1% Separated +0.6 pts ▸ 4.7%

Age & sex structure

Sunshine Bay Surf Beach

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

76.2% Australia ◂ +2.1 pts 74.0%

5.8% England ◂ +1.6 pts 4.2%

1.0% New Zealand +1.0 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.1% India ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

1.0% Philippines even 0.9%

0.3% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

0.2% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

0.0% Vietnam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

43.6% English ◂ +2.9 pts 40.7%

39.8% Australian ◂ +4.7 pts 35.2%

13.3% Irish ◂ +3.2 pts 10.0%

9.8% Scottish +1.3 pts ▸ 11.1%

3.6% German +0.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

2.6% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%

1.0% Dutch +0.8 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.3% Filipino ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

0.4% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.7% Chinese even 0.7%

0.5% Greek even 0.5%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Language

Language used at home

89.0% English only ◂ +3.5 pts 85.5%

0.8% Punjabi ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

0.5% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.0% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

0.0% Arabic even 0.0%

0.0% Greek even 0.0%

0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

56.5% Christianity ◂ +7.8 pts 48.7%

33.8% No religion +5.1 pts ▸ 39.0%

7.5% Not stated +2.8 pts ▸ 10.3%

0.9% Other religions ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

0.4% Buddhism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.3% Islam even 0.3%

0.0% Hinduism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach

5.18 59th pct —

Schools ≤3 km in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even

3 67th pct 3 67th pct

Avg size in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even

377 56th pct 377 56th pct

ICSEA in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even

934 19th pct 934 19th pct

Highest year of school

39.1% Year 12 ◂ +1.0 pts 38.0%

33.0% Year 10 ◂ +0.5 pts 32.4%

14.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.7 pts 12.5%

7.1% Year 11 ◂ +1.1 pts 6.0%

Highest qualification level

36.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +3.3 pts 33.2%

16.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.6 pts 13.7%

14.8% Bachelor degree +1.0 pts ▸ 15.9%

4.3% Postgraduate degree +2.5 pts ▸ 6.9%

3.6% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.2 pts 2.5%

2.6% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

19.3% Management & commerce ◂ +4.1 pts 15.2%

13.6% Engineering & related ◂ +0.8 pts 12.8%

11.5% Society & culture +0.7 pts ▸ 12.2%

10.4% Health even 10.4%

7.0% Education +2.3 pts ▸ 9.3%

6.9% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.5 pts 6.4%

6.6% Architecture & building ◂ +0.8 pts 5.9%

1.9% Natural & physical sciences +0.5 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.2% Creative arts ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%

1.9% Information technology ◂ +1.1 pts 0.8%

1.9% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.3 pts 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$7 higher in Surf Beach gap narrowing

$605 25th pct $612 26th pct

Household income in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$39 higher in Sunshine Bay gap steady

$1,138 21st pct $1,099 19th pct

Family income in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$40 higher in Surf Beach gap widening

$1,355 18th pct $1,395 20th pct

Household income distribution

42.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.0 pts 37.4%

18.6% Under $650 +5.3 pts ▸ 24.0%

21.4% $1,500–$2,999 +0.1 pts ▸ 21.5%

3.6% $3,000–$3,999 +1.0 pts ▸ 4.6%

4.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 3.5%

Personal income distribution

50.8% Under $650 ◂ +3.9 pts 46.9%

31.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.1 pts 29.5%

9.3% $1,500–$2,999 +0.7 pts ▸ 10.1%

1.9% $3,000 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

18.1% Arthritis ◂ +3.4 pts 14.7%

10.8% Mental health ◂ +0.1 pts 10.7%

9.7% Asthma +0.7 pts ▸ 10.3%

9.6% Other condition +0.7 pts ▸ 10.3%

7.9% Diabetes ◂ +1.9 pts 5.9%

7.6% Heart disease ◂ +1.4 pts 6.2%

4.7% Cancer +0.7 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.4% Lung condition even 3.4%

1.6% Stroke ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%

0.6% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

52.5% None ◂ +2.1 pts 50.4%

25.4% One condition ◂ +2.1 pts 23.2%

9.7% Two conditions ◂ +0.5 pts 9.2%

6.4% Three or more ◂ +0.9 pts 5.5%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +21 larger in Surf Beach

108 86th pct 129 86th pct

Median age in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +4 yrs older in Surf Beach

23 yrs 38th pct 27 yrs 54th pct

Median income in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$106 higher in Sunshine Bay

$668 53rd pct $562 41st pct

Household income in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$323 higher in Sunshine Bay

$1,468 41st pct $1,145 24th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even gap narrowing

2.1 19th pct 2.1 19th pct

Family composition

45.8% Couples without children ◂ +3.8 pts 41.9%

36.6% Couples with children +3.5 pts ▸ 40.1%

16.5% One-parent families +0.4 pts ▸ 16.9%

1.1% Other families ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

Household size

43.5% 2 people ◂ +2.6 pts 40.9%

32.0% 1 person +2.8 pts ▸ 34.7%

10.6% 3 people +0.6 pts ▸ 11.1%

7.5% 4 people +0.7 pts ▸ 8.1%

3.3% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.3% 6 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 2.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$40 higher in Sunshine Bay gap widening

$370 76th pct $330 66th pct

Mortgage in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +$133 higher in Sunshine Bay gap widening

$1,650 52nd pct $1,517 43rd pct

People / bedroom in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +0.10 higher in Surf Beach gap steady

0.60 7th pct 0.70 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

50.2% Owned outright ◂ +3.2 pts 47.0%

24.2% Rented +4.2 pts ▸ 28.5%

21.9% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +0.8 pts 21.1%

2.3% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.8%

1.6% Other tenure ◂ +0.3 pts 1.2%

Types of homes

78.9% Separate house ◂ +7.9 pts 70.9%

13.2% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.3 pts ▸ 18.5%

3.9% Flat or apartment +6.0 pts ▸ 9.9%

4.2% Other dwelling ◂ +4.2 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

40.1% 3 bedrooms +4.9 pts ▸ 44.9%

37.3% 4 bedrooms ◂ +14.6 pts 22.6%

13.5% 2 bedrooms +7.6 pts ▸ 21.1%

5.1% 5 or more +3.6 pts ▸ 8.7%

3.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.3 pts 0.0%

0.0% Studio / none even 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

55.1% $350–$549 ◂ +13.0 pts 42.1%

26.9% $200–$349 +14.4 pts ▸ 41.3%

7.7% $550–$749 ◂ +7.7 pts 0.0%

4.5% Under $200 +0.6 pts ▸ 5.1%

0.0% $750 or more +1.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

35.5% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +0.4 pts 35.1%

34.0% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +7.6 pts 26.4%

22.7% Under $1,000 +4.3 pts ▸ 27.0%

6.4% $3,000 or more +4.0 pts ▸ 10.3%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even

19 86th pct 19 86th pct

Stops/1k in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +3.38 more in Sunshine Bay

13.20 89th pct 9.82 87th pct

Departures/1k in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +8.5 more in Sunshine Bay

378.7 76th pct 370.2 76th pct

PT routes in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach even

2 75th pct 2 75th pct

Stop walk in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +1 longer in Sunshine Bay

2 14th pct 1 0th pct

How people get to work

69.5% Car (driver) ◂ +0.7 pts 68.8%

8.3% Worked at home +2.8 pts ▸ 11.0%

7.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +3.8 pts 3.7%

0.8% Walked +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

1.0% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

0.0% Bicycle even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

45.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.2 pts 43.1%

38.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.3 pts 36.5%

8.7% 3 vehicles +0.5 pts ▸ 9.2%

3.8% 4 or more +2.9 pts ▸ 6.7%

3.0% No vehicle +1.5 pts ▸ 4.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.4 pts 19.6%

12.5% Construction ◂ +2.2 pts 10.3%

12.5% Retail trade ◂ +1.2 pts 11.3%

9.2% Accommodation & food +0.7 pts ▸ 9.9%

9.2% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.1 pts 9.2%

5.4% Education & training +2.5 pts ▸ 7.9%

5.8% Other services ◂ +1.9 pts 3.9%

5.2% Administrative & support ◂ +1.0 pts 4.1%

3.5% Manufacturing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.1%

1.9% Professional & technical +1.7 pts ▸ 3.6%

3.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.6 pts 2.4%

1.9% Rental & real estate +0.2 pts ▸ 2.1%

Occupations people work in

14.2% Professionals +4.8 pts ▸ 19.0%

16.9% Technicians & trades ◂ +3.3 pts 13.6%

15.5% Community & personal service +0.8 pts ▸ 16.3%

14.4% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.4 pts 13.0%

13.6% Labourers ◂ +1.8 pts 11.9%

10.4% Managers +0.8 pts ▸ 11.2%

10.6% Sales workers even 10.6%

2.5% Machinery operators & drivers +2.1 pts ▸ 4.6%

Walkability

Walk score in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +1.3 higher in Surf Beach

3.9 77th pct 5.2 84th pct

Types ≤15 min in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +2.0 more in Surf Beach

3.4 74th pct 5.3 85th pct

15-min city in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +74.2 pts higher in Surf Beach

2.7% 59th pct 76.9% 87th pct

Walk to shops in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +74.6 pts higher in Surf Beach

2.5% 59th pct 77.0% 88th pct

Walk to transit in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +8.5 pts higher in Sunshine Bay

95.0% 86th pct 86.5% 83rd pct

Walk to school in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +67.3 pts higher in Sunshine Bay

88.0% 91st pct 20.7% 65th pct

Walk to a park in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +19.1 pts higher in Surf Beach

76.9% 72nd pct 96.0% 84th pct

Walk to health in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +74.5 pts higher in Surf Beach

2.8% 72nd pct 77.4% 93rd pct

Amenities/1k in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +7.4 more in Surf Beach

17.4 58th pct 24.8 68th pct

Intersections/km² in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +98 higher in Sunshine Bay

124 87th pct 26 74th pct

Mean slope in Sunshine Bay in Surf Beach +0.9 pts higher in Surf Beach

8.4% 73rd pct 9.3% 77th pct

Compare Sunshine Bay with nearby areas

Denhams Beach Batehaven Surf Beach Catalina Lilli Pilli Malua Bay Surfside Long Beach

Compare Surf Beach with nearby areas

Denhams Beach Sunshine Bay Lilli Pilli Batehaven Malua Bay Catalina Woodlands Rosedale

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Sunshine Bay vs Surf Beach [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL13710/sunshine-bay/vs/SAL13712/surf-beach