Compare

Gosford vs Lake Macquarie

Name: Gosford vs Lake Macquarie — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

State Electorate comparison ≈ 40 km apart · Gosford profile · Lake Macquarie profile

Gosford Lake Macquarie

Lake Macquarie and Gosford are both large residential areas in New South Wales, but they offer different lifestyles. Lake Macquarie is dominated by separate houses, which are far more common there than in Gosford by 23.4 percentage points, and 78.8% of its homes have three or more bedrooms. In contrast, Gosford is much more walkable and connected; it has a very walkable score of 6.3 compared to Lake Macquarie's somewhat walkable 4.2. Gosford also has a far higher number of public transport departures per 1,000 people, with 1,729.4 compared to 731.6 in Lake Macquarie.

Since 2011, several trends have shifted the gap between these two places. Gosford has seen a rise in renters and a growing number of people born overseas, while Lake Macquarie has seen a shift toward more separate houses and larger homes. Despite these changing patterns, they remain very similar in other ways. Both areas have the same typical resident age of 44, and they share nearly identical typical weekly household incomes, which sit around the $1,450 to $1,500 mark.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Separate houses: 23.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie No car: 5.3 pts higher in Gosford 3+ bedrooms: 12.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie Renting: 12.1 pts higher in Gosford Living alone: 6.9 pts higher in Gosford

Demographics & Identity

Population in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +1,170 larger in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing

78,537 80th pct 79,707 81st pct

Median age in Gosford in Lake Macquarie even gap narrowing

44 yrs 81st pct 44 yrs 81st pct

Age structure

26.6% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.1 pts 25.5%

24.2% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.0 pts 22.2%

22.4% Seniors (65+) +1.7 pts ▸ 24.1%

16.4% Children (0–14) +0.6 pts ▸ 17.0%

10.4% Youth (15–24) +0.7 pts ▸ 11.2%

Marital status

41.5% Married +5.8 pts ▸ 47.2%

35.7% Never married ◂ +3.9 pts 31.9%

12.3% Divorced ◂ +1.9 pts 10.4%

6.4% Widowed +0.5 pts ▸ 6.9%

4.2% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Gosford Lake Macquarie

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

74.3% Australia +10.4 pts ▸ 84.7%

4.8% England ◂ +2.0 pts 2.9%

2.0% New Zealand ◂ +0.5 pts 1.5%

1.1% India ◂ +0.7 pts 0.4%

1.1% China ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%

1.1% Philippines ◂ +0.6 pts 0.4%

0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

0.4% Nepal ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.3% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

41.0% English +3.4 pts ▸ 44.4%

36.9% Australian +5.2 pts ▸ 42.1%

12.2% Irish ◂ +1.4 pts 10.8%

10.5% Scottish +1.0 pts ▸ 11.5%

3.3% German +0.9 pts ▸ 4.2%

2.9% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 2.1%

2.3% Chinese ◂ +1.4 pts 0.9%

1.5% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.5% Filipino ◂ +0.8 pts 0.7%

1.3% Indian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

83.8% English only +7.2 pts ▸ 91.1%

1.1% Mandarin ◂ +0.8 pts 0.3%

0.5% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.4% Tagalog ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%

0.4% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%

0.3% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Arabic ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%

0.3% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.8% Christianity +3.3 pts ▸ 51.1%

41.3% No religion ◂ +0.2 pts 41.1%

6.9% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 6.0%

1.4% Buddhism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.8%

1.2% Hinduism ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%

0.6% Islam ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.3 pts 0.4%

0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +0.32 more in Lake Macquarie

2.33 64th pct 2.65 72nd pct

Schools ≤3 km in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +6 more in Lake Macquarie

30 77th pct 36 86th pct

Students in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +3,284 more in Gosford

13,433 80th pct 10,149 56th pct

Avg size in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +181 larger in Gosford

463 45th pct 282 19th pct

ICSEA in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +44 higher in Gosford

1,031 57th pct 987 30th pct

Highest year of school

50.3% Year 12 ◂ +7.7 pts 42.6%

26.6% Year 10 +5.6 pts ▸ 32.2%

10.3% Year 9 or below +2.2 pts ▸ 12.5%

6.0% Year 11 +1.0 pts ▸ 7.0%

Highest qualification level

30.2% Certificate III / IV +7.6 pts ▸ 37.7%

22.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.5 pts 18.9%

16.1% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.4 pts 15.8%

7.5% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.9 pts 5.6%

3.1% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.1 pts 3.0%

2.2% Certificate I / II +0.1 pts ▸ 2.4%

Field of qualification

19.5% Management & commerce ◂ +2.0 pts 17.5%

12.7% Engineering & related +5.4 pts ▸ 18.1%

12.2% Society & culture ◂ +1.1 pts 11.1%

10.5% Health +1.3 pts ▸ 11.9%

7.3% Education +1.8 pts ▸ 9.1%

6.0% Architecture & building +0.9 pts ▸ 6.9%

5.3% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.1 pts 5.2%

4.7% Creative arts ◂ +2.0 pts 2.7%

2.9% Information technology ◂ +1.3 pts 1.6%

2.4% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.4 pts 2.0%

2.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.4 pts 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +$14 higher in Gosford gap narrowing

$731 31st pct $717 27th pct

Household income in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +$47 higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening

$1,449 27th pct $1,496 31st pct

Family income in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +$55 higher in Gosford gap narrowing

$1,949 39th pct $1,894 34th pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $650–$1,499 +0.8 pts ▸ 29.2%

28.2% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 29.1%

20.1% Under $650 ◂ +2.6 pts 17.6%

8.6% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 9.2%

8.7% $4,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 8.3%

Personal income distribution

42.2% Under $650 +0.9 pts ▸ 43.2%

31.1% $650–$1,499 +1.0 pts ▸ 32.0%

16.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 15.4%

3.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.7 pts 2.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

11.0% Arthritis +1.8 pts ▸ 12.7%

11.2% Mental health +1.3 pts ▸ 12.5%

9.5% Asthma +0.9 pts ▸ 10.4%

9.2% Other condition +0.6 pts ▸ 9.7%

5.6% Diabetes +0.5 pts ▸ 6.0%

4.9% Heart disease +1.0 pts ▸ 5.9%

3.8% Cancer +0.2 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.7% Lung condition even 2.7%

1.3% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.2% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

58.1% None ◂ +2.6 pts 55.4%

21.9% One condition +1.5 pts ▸ 23.4%

7.7% Two conditions +0.9 pts ▸ 8.7%

4.3% Three or more +0.7 pts ▸ 5.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +0.2 larger in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing

2.3 14th pct 2.5 43rd pct

Family composition

51.1% Couples with children +0.9 pts ▸ 52.0%

29.7% Couples without children +0.8 pts ▸ 30.5%

17.9% One-parent families ◂ +1.4 pts 16.5%

1.2% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

Household size

34.5% 2 people +2.5 pts ▸ 37.0%

32.1% 1 person ◂ +6.9 pts 25.2%

14.3% 3 people +1.0 pts ▸ 15.3%

12.4% 4 people +1.5 pts ▸ 13.9%

4.6% 5 people +1.2 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.2% 6 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 2.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +$25 higher in Gosford gap steady

$395 68th pct $370 52nd pct

Mortgage in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +$115 higher in Gosford gap narrowing

$2,000 68th pct $1,885 52nd pct

People / bedroom in Gosford in Lake Macquarie even gap narrowing

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.1% Owned outright +5.2 pts ▸ 37.3%

29.3% Owned with a mortgage +6.0 pts ▸ 35.3%

35.3% Rented ◂ +12.1 pts 23.1%

1.6% Other tenure +1.2 pts ▸ 2.8%

1.7% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

64.3% Separate house +23.4 pts ▸ 87.6%

17.6% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +9.1 pts 8.6%

16.4% Flat or apartment ◂ +13.6 pts 2.8%

1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

Bedrooms per home

40.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.2 pts 40.7%

19.6% 4 bedrooms +11.2 pts ▸ 30.7%

25.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +9.3 pts 16.3%

6.2% 5 or more +1.2 pts ▸ 7.3%

5.5% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.1 pts 3.3%

0.8% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

55.6% $350–$549 ◂ +5.3 pts 50.3%

20.6% $200–$349 +5.8 pts ▸ 26.4%

10.3% Under $200 +2.1 pts ▸ 12.5%

9.0% $550–$749 ◂ +2.7 pts 6.4%

1.5% $750 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.5% $1,800–$2,999 even 37.5%

26.1% $1,000–$1,799 +3.1 pts ▸ 29.2%

16.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +4.2 pts 12.4%

14.2% Under $1,000 +1.1 pts ▸ 15.2%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +257 more in Gosford

758 99th pct 501 88th pct

Stops/1k in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +3.37 more in Gosford

9.65 100th pct 6.29 83rd pct

Departures/1k in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +997.8 more in Gosford

1,729.4 77th pct 731.6 39th pct

PT routes in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +31 more in Gosford

65 87th pct 34 67th pct

How people get to work

43.2% Car (driver) +13.4 pts ▸ 56.7%

29.3% Worked at home ◂ +9.8 pts 19.5%

3.1% Car (passenger) +0.2 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.2% Walked ◂ +1.0 pts 1.2%

1.7% Train ◂ +1.4 pts 0.3%

0.9% Bus ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

0.3% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

43.7% 1 vehicle ◂ +10.1 pts 33.7%

32.0% 2 vehicles +6.8 pts ▸ 38.8%

9.5% 3 vehicles +4.7 pts ▸ 14.1%

9.9% No vehicle ◂ +5.3 pts 4.6%

4.9% 4 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 8.8%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

17.9% Health care & social assistance +0.8 pts ▸ 18.7%

9.7% Construction +2.2 pts ▸ 11.9%

9.8% Retail trade ◂ +0.5 pts 9.3%

7.4% Education & training +1.3 pts ▸ 8.7%

7.5% Professional & technical ◂ +2.4 pts 5.1%

7.0% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.0 pts 6.0%

6.3% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.1 pts 5.2%

5.3% Manufacturing +1.0 pts ▸ 6.3%

3.6% Other services +0.8 pts ▸ 4.4%

3.9% Transport & warehousing +0.2 pts ▸ 4.2%

3.9% Finance & insurance ◂ +1.2 pts 2.7%

3.5% Administrative & support ◂ +0.3 pts 3.2%

Occupations people work in

22.5% Professionals ◂ +3.3 pts 19.2%

13.6% Technicians & trades +2.9 pts ▸ 16.4%

12.1% Community & personal service +1.5 pts ▸ 13.6%

13.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.8 pts 12.7%

13.1% Managers ◂ +2.3 pts 10.8%

9.3% Labourers +0.3 pts ▸ 9.6%

8.7% Sales workers ◂ +0.3 pts 8.4%

5.4% Machinery operators & drivers +2.2 pts ▸ 7.6%

Walkability

Walk score in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +2.0 higher in Gosford

6.3 61st pct 4.2 26th pct

Types ≤15 min in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +1.8 more in Gosford

5.9 59th pct 4.1 26th pct

15-min city in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +34.1 pts higher in Gosford

74.1% 57th pct 40.0% 18th pct

Walk to shops in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +27.8 pts higher in Gosford

63.0% 47th pct 35.2% 12th pct

Walk to transit in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +10.5 pts higher in Gosford

92.2% 55th pct 81.7% 40th pct

Walk to school in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +20.9 pts higher in Gosford

74.8% 49th pct 53.8% 26th pct

Walk to a park in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +15.6 pts higher in Gosford

93.0% 41st pct 77.4% 24th pct

Walk to health in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +30.1 pts higher in Gosford

57.5% 60th pct 27.3% 17th pct

Amenities/1k in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +9.0 more in Gosford

22.6 87th pct 13.6 45th pct

Intersections/km² in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +7 higher in Lake Macquarie

9 29th pct 17 31st pct

Mean slope in Gosford in Lake Macquarie +0.8 pts higher in Gosford

8.7% 89th pct 7.9% 86th pct

Compare Gosford with nearby areas

Wyong The Entrance Terrigal Hornsby Pittwater Hawkesbury Lake Macquarie Ku-ring-gai

Compare Lake Macquarie with nearby areas

Swansea Wyong Charlestown Wallsend The Entrance Newcastle Maitland Terrigal

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Gosford vs Lake Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10030/gosford/vs/SED10042/lake-macquarie