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Lake Macquarie vs Newcastle

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

State Electorate comparison ≈ 34 km apart · Lake Macquarie profile · Newcastle profile

Lake Macquarie Newcastle

Lake Macquarie and Newcastle are two nearby areas with very different streetscapes and lifestyles. Newcastle is a walker's paradise, where 91% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed and 32.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Lake Macquarie is more car-dependent, with a higher share of separate houses (87.6% compared to 58.1% in Newcastle) and larger homes, as 78.8% have three or more bedrooms. Residents in Lake Macquarie also tend to be older, with a typical age of 44 compared to 39 in Newcastle.

The gap in typical weekly family income has widened since 2011, now sitting at $2,395 in Newcastle and $1,894 in Lake Macquarie. Despite this, both areas are remarkably similar in some respects, such as their 5% unemployment rate and the fact that roughly 12.5% of people in each area live with a mental health condition. They also share very similar levels of public transport use for commuting, which remains low in both places.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 29.5 pts higher in Lake Macquarie 3+ bedrooms: 21.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie Year 12: 18.4 pts higher in Newcastle Renting: 16.7 pts higher in Newcastle Bachelor+: 15.8 pts higher in Newcastle

Demographics & Identity

Population in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle even gap narrowing

79,707 81st pct 79,670 81st pct

Median age in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +5 yrs older in Lake Macquarie gap widening

44 yrs 81st pct 39 yrs 50th pct

Age structure

22.2% Young adults (25–44) +7.7 pts ▸ 29.9%

25.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.6 pts 24.9%

24.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +6.1 pts 18.0%

17.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.5 pts 14.6%

11.2% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 12.6%

Marital status

47.2% Married ◂ +10.3 pts 37.0%

31.9% Never married +12.5 pts ▸ 44.4%

10.4% Divorced +0.1 pts ▸ 10.5%

6.9% Widowed ◂ +1.9 pts 5.0%

3.6% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Lake Macquarie Newcastle

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

84.7% Australia ◂ +3.1 pts 81.6%

2.9% England ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%

1.5% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%

0.4% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%

0.2% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Italy +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.1% Vietnam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

44.4% English ◂ +1.9 pts 42.5%

42.1% Australian ◂ +5.2 pts 36.9%

10.8% Irish +3.5 pts ▸ 14.4%

11.5% Scottish +1.0 pts ▸ 12.5%

4.2% German +0.3 pts ▸ 4.5%

2.1% Italian +1.0 pts ▸ 3.1%

1.6% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%

0.9% Chinese +0.6 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.6% Greek +0.9 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.7% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.5% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%

Language

Language used at home

91.1% English only ◂ +4.0 pts 87.0%

0.1% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.3% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

51.1% Christianity ◂ +9.1 pts 41.9%

41.1% No religion +7.6 pts ▸ 48.7%

6.0% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 6.3%

0.8% Buddhism +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.4% Hinduism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.4% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%

0.0% Judaism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +0.02 more in Newcastle

2.65 72nd pct 2.67 72nd pct

Schools ≤3 km in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +5 more in Lake Macquarie

36 86th pct 31 78th pct

Students in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +3,667 more in Newcastle

10,149 56th pct 13,816 83rd pct

Avg size in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +164 larger in Newcastle

282 19th pct 446 42nd pct

ICSEA in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +97 higher in Newcastle

987 30th pct 1,084 78th pct

Highest year of school

42.6% Year 12 +18.4 pts ▸ 61.0%

32.2% Year 10 ◂ +12.1 pts 20.1%

12.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +4.7 pts 7.7%

7.0% Year 11 ◂ +1.9 pts 5.1%

Highest qualification level

37.7% Certificate III / IV ◂ +14.3 pts 23.5%

18.9% Bachelor degree +13.2 pts ▸ 32.1%

15.8% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.2 pts 13.5%

5.6% Postgraduate degree +5.7 pts ▸ 11.3%

3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.3 pts ▸ 4.2%

2.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.8 pts 1.6%

Field of qualification

18.1% Engineering & related ◂ +4.8 pts 13.3%

17.5% Management & commerce even 17.5%

11.9% Health +2.2 pts ▸ 14.0%

11.1% Society & culture +1.5 pts ▸ 12.7%

9.1% Education +0.2 pts ▸ 9.3%

6.9% Architecture & building ◂ +1.4 pts 5.5%

2.7% Creative arts +2.8 pts ▸ 5.5%

5.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.0 pts 4.2%

2.0% Natural & physical sciences +1.0 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.6% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 2.0%

1.6% Agriculture & environment even 1.6%

Income

Personal income in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +$220 higher in Newcastle gap widening

$717 27th pct $937 75th pct

Household income in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +$297 higher in Newcastle gap widening

$1,496 31st pct $1,793 56th pct

Family income in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +$501 higher in Newcastle gap widening

$1,894 34th pct $2,395 73rd pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +5.2 pts 24.0%

29.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.4 pts 28.7%

17.6% Under $650 ◂ +1.0 pts 16.6%

8.3% $4,000 or more +5.3 pts ▸ 13.6%

9.2% $3,000–$3,999 +1.7 pts ▸ 10.8%

Personal income distribution

43.2% Under $650 ◂ +8.5 pts 34.7%

32.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.9 pts 31.1%

15.4% $1,500–$2,999 +6.1 pts ▸ 21.5%

2.9% $3,000 or more +3.4 pts ▸ 6.3%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

12.7% Arthritis ◂ +3.3 pts 9.4%

12.5% Mental health even 12.5%

10.4% Asthma ◂ +1.2 pts 9.2%

9.7% Other condition ◂ +0.9 pts 8.8%

6.0% Diabetes ◂ +1.8 pts 4.2%

5.9% Heart disease ◂ +1.6 pts 4.3%

3.9% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 3.1%

2.7% Lung condition ◂ +0.7 pts 2.0%

1.4% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

1.3% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.4% None +4.7 pts ▸ 60.2%

23.4% One condition ◂ +1.8 pts 21.6%

8.7% Two conditions ◂ +1.8 pts 6.9%

5.0% Three or more ◂ +1.5 pts 3.5%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +0.3 larger in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing

2.5 43rd pct 2.2 10th pct

Family composition

52.0% Couples with children ◂ +1.2 pts 50.8%

30.5% Couples without children +3.1 pts ▸ 33.7%

16.5% One-parent families ◂ +2.5 pts 14.0%

1.0% Other families +0.6 pts ▸ 1.5%

Household size

37.0% 2 people ◂ +1.2 pts 35.8%

25.2% 1 person +8.1 pts ▸ 33.2%

15.3% 3 people ◂ +1.0 pts 14.3%

13.9% 4 people ◂ +2.4 pts 11.5%

5.8% 5 people ◂ +1.8 pts 4.0%

2.9% 6 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 1.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +$40 higher in Newcastle gap narrowing

$370 52nd pct $410 74th pct

Mortgage in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +$173 higher in Newcastle gap narrowing

$1,885 52nd pct $2,058 74th pct

People / bedroom in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle even gap narrowing

0.80 29th pct 0.80 29th pct

How homes are owned or rented

23.1% Rented +16.7 pts ▸ 39.8%

37.3% Owned outright ◂ +7.7 pts 29.7%

35.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +7.2 pts 28.1%

2.8% Other tenure ◂ +1.6 pts 1.2%

1.4% Not stated ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

Types of homes

87.6% Separate house ◂ +29.5 pts 58.1%

2.8% Flat or apartment +19.9 pts ▸ 22.7%

8.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +9.8 pts ▸ 18.3%

0.8% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

Bedrooms per home

40.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.8 pts 38.9%

16.3% 2 bedrooms +14.8 pts ▸ 31.0%

30.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +15.9 pts 14.9%

3.3% 1 bedroom +6.2 pts ▸ 9.5%

7.3% 5 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 3.7%

0.3% Studio / none +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%

Weekly rent distribution

50.3% $350–$549 ◂ +3.1 pts 47.2%

26.4% $200–$349 ◂ +7.9 pts 18.5%

6.4% $550–$749 +8.3 pts ▸ 14.6%

12.5% Under $200 +0.8 pts ▸ 13.3%

0.6% $750 or more +3.2 pts ▸ 3.8%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.6 pts 35.9%

29.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +5.4 pts 23.8%

12.4% $3,000 or more +8.7 pts ▸ 21.1%

15.2% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.4 pts 13.8%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +57 more in Newcastle

501 88th pct 558 91st pct

Stops/1k in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +0.72 more in Newcastle

6.29 83rd pct 7.00 90th pct

Departures/1k in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +1,426.2 more in Newcastle

731.6 39th pct 2,157.8 87th pct

PT routes in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +20 more in Newcastle

34 67th pct 54 86th pct

How people get to work

56.7% Car (driver) ◂ +10.0 pts 46.7%

19.5% Worked at home +7.3 pts ▸ 26.8%

1.2% Walked +2.7 pts ▸ 3.8%

3.4% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.9 pts 2.5%

0.2% Bicycle +1.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.3% Bus +0.6 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.3% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

33.7% 1 vehicle +8.0 pts ▸ 41.6%

38.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.3 pts 35.5%

14.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +5.1 pts 9.0%

4.6% No vehicle +5.1 pts ▸ 9.7%

8.8% 4 or more ◂ +4.7 pts 4.2%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.7% Health care & social assistance +1.9 pts ▸ 20.6%

11.9% Construction ◂ +4.5 pts 7.4%

8.7% Education & training +1.9 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.3% Retail trade ◂ +2.0 pts 7.3%

5.1% Professional & technical +4.0 pts ▸ 9.1%

6.0% Accommodation & food +2.3 pts ▸ 8.2%

5.2% Public administration & safety +2.3 pts ▸ 7.5%

6.3% Manufacturing ◂ +2.1 pts 4.1%

4.4% Other services ◂ +1.4 pts 3.0%

4.2% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 3.2%

2.7% Finance & insurance +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%

3.2% Administrative & support ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%

Occupations people work in

19.2% Professionals +13.4 pts ▸ 32.6%

16.4% Technicians & trades ◂ +5.3 pts 11.1%

13.6% Community & personal service ◂ +0.4 pts 13.2%

10.8% Managers +2.2 pts ▸ 13.0%

12.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.5 pts 11.2%

9.6% Labourers ◂ +3.1 pts 6.5%

8.4% Sales workers ◂ +1.3 pts 7.1%

7.6% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +3.8 pts 3.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +3.8 higher in Newcastle

4.2 26th pct 8.0 88th pct

Types ≤15 min in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +3.1 more in Newcastle

4.1 26th pct 7.3 83rd pct

15-min city in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +51.0 pts higher in Newcastle

40.0% 18th pct 91.0% 76th pct

Walk to shops in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +51.4 pts higher in Newcastle

35.2% 12th pct 86.6% 76th pct

Walk to transit in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +16.4 pts higher in Newcastle

81.7% 40th pct 98.1% 73rd pct

Walk to school in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +38.5 pts higher in Newcastle

53.8% 26th pct 92.4% 79th pct

Walk to a park in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +19.7 pts higher in Newcastle

77.4% 24th pct 97.1% 52nd pct

Walk to health in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +58.9 pts higher in Newcastle

27.3% 17th pct 86.3% 86th pct

Amenities/1k in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +4.9 more in Newcastle

13.6 45th pct 18.5 74th pct

Intersections/km² in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +108 higher in Newcastle

17 31st pct 125 59th pct

Mean slope in Lake Macquarie in Newcastle +2.7 pts higher in Lake Macquarie

7.9% 86th pct 5.3% 48th pct

Compare Lake Macquarie with nearby areas

Swansea Wyong Charlestown Wallsend The Entrance Newcastle Maitland Terrigal

Compare Newcastle with nearby areas

Wallsend Charlestown Port Stephens Maitland Swansea Lake Macquarie Wyong The Entrance

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Lake Macquarie vs Newcastle [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10042/lake-macquarie/vs/SED10058/newcastle