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Blue Mountains vs Penrith

Name: Blue Mountains vs Penrith — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

State Electorate comparison ≈ 26 km apart · Blue Mountains profile · Penrith profile

Blue Mountains Penrith

Penrith and Blue Mountains are nearby neighbours with very different profiles. Residents are far older in Blue Mountains, where the typical age is 45 compared to 36 in Penrith. Education and housing also differ sharply; 32.1% of adults in Blue Mountains hold a bachelor degree or higher, while 19.0% do so in Penrith. Renting is far more common in Penrith, where 37.3% of households rent, compared to just 18.2% in Blue Mountains. Penrith is also much more walkable, with 85.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, versus 51.9% in Blue Mountains.

The two areas share very similar typical weekly household incomes, sitting around $1,700. They also have nearly identical shares of people living alone and people needing help with daily activities. While they are similar in these ways, some gaps are changing. The difference in the share of people with a bachelor degree has flipped since 2011, and the gap in rental rates has narrowed over the same period.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 22.7 pts higher in Blue Mountains Renting: 19.1 pts higher in Penrith Volunteering: 9.1 pts higher in Blue Mountains Median age: 9 yrs older in Blue Mountains Owned outright: 14.5 pts higher in Blue Mountains

Demographics & Identity

Population in Blue Mountains in Penrith +12,307 larger in Penrith gap narrowing

72,271 71st pct 84,578 86th pct

Median age in Blue Mountains in Penrith +9 yrs older in Blue Mountains gap steady

45 yrs 86th pct 36 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

21.6% Young adults (25–44) +7.4 pts ▸ 29.0%

28.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +5.2 pts 23.0%

22.6% Seniors (65+) ◂ +6.6 pts 16.0%

17.4% Children (0–14) +1.8 pts ▸ 19.2%

10.2% Youth (15–24) +2.6 pts ▸ 12.8%

Marital status

47.4% Married ◂ +4.8 pts 42.6%

33.4% Never married +5.3 pts ▸ 38.7%

11.0% Divorced ◂ +1.5 pts 9.5%

5.1% Widowed +0.2 pts ▸ 5.3%

3.1% Separated +0.8 pts ▸ 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Blue Mountains Penrith

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

78.9% Australia ◂ +4.4 pts 74.5%

5.5% England ◂ +2.0 pts 3.5%

0.4% India +1.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

1.6% New Zealand even 1.6%

0.5% Philippines +0.9 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.3% China +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.4% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.1% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Vietnam even 0.2%

Ancestry

44.2% English ◂ +8.9 pts 35.3%

37.8% Australian ◂ +1.0 pts 36.8%

16.0% Irish ◂ +5.2 pts 10.8%

13.4% Scottish ◂ +4.9 pts 8.4%

4.9% German ◂ +1.4 pts 3.4%

2.9% Italian +0.3 pts ▸ 3.2%

0.7% Indian +1.9 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.3% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.8%

1.4% Chinese +0.8 pts ▸ 2.3%

0.8% Filipino +1.4 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.9% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.3% Vietnamese even 0.3%

Language

Language used at home

89.9% English only ◂ +9.4 pts 80.5%

0.3% Mandarin +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.0% Punjabi +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Arabic +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Hindi +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Tagalog +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.2% Greek +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Cantonese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.3% Italian even 0.3%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Religion

Religious affiliation

43.4% Christianity +8.4 pts ▸ 51.8%

47.9% No religion ◂ +13.2 pts 34.8%

5.5% Not stated +1.9 pts ▸ 7.4%

0.4% Hinduism +1.7 pts ▸ 2.1%

0.3% Islam +1.4 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.5% Buddhism ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

0.8% Other religions +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.2% Judaism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Blue Mountains in Penrith +0.78 more in Blue Mountains

2.63 71st pct 1.84 46th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Blue Mountains in Penrith +3 more in Blue Mountains

33 82nd pct 30 77th pct

Students in Blue Mountains in Penrith +2,898 more in Penrith

10,666 61st pct 13,564 81st pct

Avg size in Blue Mountains in Penrith +145 larger in Penrith

323 23rd pct 468 46th pct

ICSEA in Blue Mountains in Penrith +57 higher in Blue Mountains

1,061 69th pct 1,005 40th pct

Highest year of school

62.0% Year 12 ◂ +11.6 pts 50.4%

22.3% Year 10 +3.9 pts ▸ 26.2%

6.0% Year 9 or below +3.9 pts ▸ 9.9%

5.3% Year 11 +0.8 pts ▸ 6.2%

Highest qualification level

24.2% Certificate III / IV +8.9 pts ▸ 33.1%

27.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.7 pts 20.9%

16.5% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.5 pts 15.0%

12.6% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.8 pts 7.8%

5.2% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.4 pts 2.8%

1.7% Certificate I / II +0.7 pts ▸ 2.3%

Field of qualification

15.5% Management & commerce +4.1 pts ▸ 19.6%

15.8% Society & culture ◂ +4.0 pts 11.8%

11.4% Engineering & related +2.9 pts ▸ 14.3%

13.0% Education ◂ +4.4 pts 8.5%

11.1% Health ◂ +1.8 pts 9.3%

6.9% Creative arts ◂ +3.2 pts 3.8%

5.0% Architecture & building +0.9 pts ▸ 5.9%

3.9% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.2 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.6% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.4 pts 2.1%

2.2% Information technology +0.8 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.7% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Blue Mountains in Penrith +$56 higher in Penrith gap widening

$802 52nd pct $858 65th pct

Household income in Blue Mountains in Penrith +$30 higher in Penrith gap narrowing

$1,708 49th pct $1,738 52nd pct

Family income in Blue Mountains in Penrith +$40 higher in Blue Mountains gap narrowing

$2,194 61st pct $2,154 58th pct

Household income distribution

29.3% $1,500–$2,999 +3.0 pts ▸ 32.3%

26.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.5 pts 26.2%

16.3% Under $650 ◂ +1.2 pts 15.1%

11.8% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 10.0%

10.9% $3,000–$3,999 even 10.8%

Personal income distribution

40.0% Under $650 ◂ +3.0 pts 37.0%

30.3% $650–$1,499 +3.0 pts ▸ 33.3%

20.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 19.3%

4.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 3.1%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.6% Mental health ◂ +0.7 pts 10.9%

10.8% Other condition ◂ +2.0 pts 8.8%

10.7% Arthritis ◂ +1.7 pts 9.0%

9.6% Asthma +0.1 pts ▸ 9.8%

4.6% Diabetes +0.8 pts ▸ 5.4%

5.1% Heart disease ◂ +1.0 pts 4.1%

3.8% Cancer ◂ +1.1 pts 2.7%

2.3% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 1.9%

1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

0.8% Dementia ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.7% None +0.7 pts ▸ 60.4%

23.0% One condition ◂ +2.4 pts 20.6%

7.3% Two conditions ◂ +0.8 pts 6.5%

3.7% Three or more ◂ +0.1 pts 3.6%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Blue Mountains in Penrith +0.1 larger in Penrith gap steady

2.4 29th pct 2.5 43rd pct

Family composition

55.8% Couples with children +1.2 pts ▸ 57.0%

30.3% Couples without children ◂ +6.4 pts 23.9%

13.2% One-parent families +4.7 pts ▸ 17.8%

0.7% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

36.3% 2 people ◂ +4.8 pts 31.5%

27.3% 1 person +0.5 pts ▸ 27.8%

14.4% 3 people +1.8 pts ▸ 16.3%

13.8% 4 people +1.0 pts ▸ 14.8%

5.7% 5 people +0.6 pts ▸ 6.4%

2.4% 6 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Blue Mountains in Penrith +$15 higher in Blue Mountains gap narrowing

$400 71st pct $385 61st pct

Mortgage in Blue Mountains in Penrith +$100 higher in Penrith gap narrowing

$2,000 68th pct $2,100 76th pct

People / bedroom in Blue Mountains in Penrith +0.10 higher in Penrith gap steady

0.70 0th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

40.4% Owned outright ◂ +14.5 pts 25.9%

38.8% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +4.7 pts 34.1%

18.2% Rented +19.1 pts ▸ 37.3%

1.6% Other tenure ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%

1.0% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Types of homes

91.9% Separate house ◂ +22.7 pts 69.2%

3.3% Flat or apartment +12.3 pts ▸ 15.6%

4.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +10.3 pts ▸ 14.7%

0.2% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

42.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.5 pts 42.2%

29.1% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.1 pts 25.0%

14.2% 2 bedrooms +4.7 pts ▸ 19.0%

9.4% 5 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 7.7%

3.2% 1 bedroom +1.3 pts ▸ 4.5%

0.4% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

56.5% $350–$549 +0.4 pts ▸ 56.9%

22.0% $200–$349 +0.3 pts ▸ 22.3%

8.1% Under $200 +2.8 pts ▸ 10.9%

8.8% $550–$749 ◂ +2.4 pts 6.4%

1.0% $750 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.7% $1,800–$2,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 41.0%

24.4% $1,000–$1,799 +0.5 pts ▸ 24.9%

16.9% $3,000 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 17.2%

14.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +3.2 pts 11.4%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Blue Mountains in Penrith +66 more in Blue Mountains

677 96th pct 611 93rd pct

Stops/1k in Blue Mountains in Penrith +2.14 more in Blue Mountains

9.37 100th pct 7.22 91st pct

Departures/1k in Blue Mountains in Penrith +787.5 more in Penrith

823.1 42nd pct 1,610.6 73rd pct

PT routes in Blue Mountains in Penrith +4 more in Blue Mountains

44 80th pct 40 76th pct

How people get to work

39.4% Car (driver) +5.8 pts ▸ 45.3%

36.0% Worked at home ◂ +7.5 pts 28.5%

2.2% Car (passenger) +0.9 pts ▸ 3.1%

1.7% Walked even 1.7%

1.2% Train +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.1% Bus +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.2% Bicycle even 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

38.1% 1 vehicle +1.0 pts ▸ 39.1%

37.3% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.1 pts 34.2%

12.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.7 pts 11.2%

6.1% No vehicle +2.9 pts ▸ 9.0%

6.5% 4 or more even 6.4%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

16.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +2.4 pts 14.0%

14.9% Education & training ◂ +5.5 pts 9.4%

8.6% Construction +3.0 pts ▸ 11.6%

8.0% Retail trade +1.7 pts ▸ 9.6%

8.9% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.1 pts 7.8%

7.4% Professional & technical ◂ +2.4 pts 5.1%

4.6% Manufacturing +2.2 pts ▸ 6.8%

6.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +0.6 pts 5.4%

3.5% Transport & warehousing +2.3 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.7% Finance & insurance +1.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.5% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.1% Wholesale trade +1.2 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

30.2% Professionals ◂ +10.3 pts 19.9%

12.3% Clerical & administrative +3.3 pts ▸ 15.6%

12.8% Technicians & trades +0.9 pts ▸ 13.8%

13.5% Managers ◂ +1.7 pts 11.7%

12.2% Community & personal service ◂ +1.1 pts 11.1%

4.1% Machinery operators & drivers +4.9 pts ▸ 9.0%

6.9% Labourers +2.0 pts ▸ 8.8%

6.7% Sales workers +1.6 pts ▸ 8.3%

Walkability

Walk score in Blue Mountains in Penrith +1.9 higher in Penrith

5.5 47th pct 7.4 79th pct

Types ≤15 min in Blue Mountains in Penrith +1.7 more in Penrith

5.2 46th pct 6.9 77th pct

15-min city in Blue Mountains in Penrith +28.6 pts higher in Penrith

59.2% 41st pct 87.8% 71st pct

Walk to shops in Blue Mountains in Penrith +33.8 pts higher in Penrith

51.9% 34th pct 85.7% 74th pct

Walk to transit in Blue Mountains in Penrith +12.4 pts higher in Penrith

85.6% 45th pct 98.0% 72nd pct

Walk to school in Blue Mountains in Penrith +34.2 pts higher in Penrith

58.6% 31st pct 92.9% 80th pct

Walk to a park in Blue Mountains in Penrith +7.4 pts higher in Penrith

91.6% 39th pct 99.0% 64th pct

Walk to health in Blue Mountains in Penrith +26.3 pts higher in Penrith

45.8% 47th pct 72.1% 73rd pct

Amenities/1k in Blue Mountains in Penrith +9.6 more in Blue Mountains

31.6 98th pct 22.0 86th pct

Intersections/km² in Blue Mountains in Penrith +146 higher in Penrith

9 28th pct 155 65th pct

Mean slope in Blue Mountains in Penrith +6.1 pts higher in Blue Mountains

11.0% 99th pct 4.9% 39th pct

Compare Blue Mountains with nearby areas

Penrith Londonderry Mulgoa Wollondilly Mount Druitt Camden Riverstone Blacktown

Compare Penrith with nearby areas

Londonderry Mulgoa Mount Druitt Riverstone Blacktown Camden Prospect Cabramatta

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Blue Mountains vs Penrith [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10011/blue-mountains/vs/SED10066/penrith