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Lake Macquarie vs Port Stephens

State Electorate comparison ≈ 52 km apart · Lake Macquarie profile · Port Stephens profile

Lake Macquarie Port Stephens

Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens are both large residential areas in New South Wales with similar populations. A key difference is their layout; Lake Macquarie has far more street intersections per square kilometre and 53.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school. In contrast, Port Stephens is more convenient for shopping, with 46.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to 35.2% in Lake Macquarie. Port Stephens also has a more senior population, with a typical resident aged 48 and 27.3% of people aged 65 and over.

Since 2011, the two areas have moved closer together in several ways. The age gap between them has narrowed from 14 years to just four, and the difference in the share of people who own their homes outright has dropped from 14.3% to 4.3%. They remain very similar in other respects, with nearly equal shares of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents and people who speak a language other than English at home.

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Where they differ most

People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Lake Macquarie Separate houses: 6.8 pts higher in Lake Macquarie Median age: 4 yrs older in Port Stephens Unpaid child care: 2.7 pts higher in Lake Macquarie Family income: $248 higher in Lake Macquarie

Demographics & Identity

Population in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3,283 larger in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
79,707 81st pct 76,424 77th pct
Median age in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +4 yrs older in Port Stephens gap narrowing
44 yrs 81st pct 48 yrs 94th pct
First Nations in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.5 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
6.0% 79th pct 6.5% 82nd pct
Aged 65+ in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3.2 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
24.1% 88th pct 27.3% 96th pct
Under 15 in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.7 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
17.0% 38th pct 16.4% 28th pct
De facto in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
11.4% 39th pct 11.3% 37th pct

Age structure

24.1% Seniors (65+) +3.2 pts ▸ 27.3%
25.5% Older adults (45–64) +1.6 pts ▸ 27.1%
22.2% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +3.2 pts 19.0%
17.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.7 pts 16.4%
11.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +0.8 pts 10.3%

Marital status

47.2% Married +2.2 pts ▸ 49.5%
31.9% Never married ◂ +2.6 pts 29.3%
10.4% Divorced +0.6 pts ▸ 11.0%
6.9% Widowed ◂ +0.3 pts 6.6%
3.6% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.6%

Age & sex structure

Lake Macquarie Port Stephens

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
11.3% 14th pct 12.3% 17th pct

Country of birth

84.7% Australia ◂ +2.3 pts 82.4%
2.9% England +1.2 pts ▸ 4.1%
1.5% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%
0.5% South Africa even 0.5%
0.4% Philippines even 0.4%
0.4% India ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

44.4% English +0.3 pts ▸ 44.7%
42.1% Australian ◂ +1.0 pts 41.2%
11.5% Scottish ◂ +0.3 pts 11.3%
10.8% Irish +0.6 pts ▸ 11.4%
4.2% German +0.1 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.1% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 1.9%
1.6% Dutch even 1.6%
0.9% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%
0.7% Filipino ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.6% Greek even 0.6%
0.5% Indian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Other language in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
4.6% 12th pct 4.0% 7th pct
Limited English in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens even gap steady
0.5% 15th pct 0.5% 11th pct

Language used at home

91.1% English only ◂ +0.3 pts 90.8%
0.3% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Tagalog even 0.2%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
41.1% 45th pct 38.5% 35th pct

Religious affiliation

51.1% Christianity +2.3 pts ▸ 53.4%
41.1% No religion ◂ +2.6 pts 38.5%
6.0% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 6.5%
0.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%
0.4% Hinduism even 0.3%
0.4% Other religions even 0.3%
0.2% Islam even 0.3%
0.0% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.9 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
42.6% 20th pct 39.7% 14th pct
Bachelor+ in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
16.9% 35th pct 13.5% 21st pct
Schools/1k kids in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.49 more in Lake Macquarie
2.65 72nd pct 2.16 60th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +9 more in Lake Macquarie
36 86th pct 27 71st pct
Students in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +589 more in Lake Macquarie
10,149 56th pct 9,560 51st pct
Avg size in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +72 larger in Port Stephens
282 19th pct 354 27th pct
ICSEA in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +18 higher in Lake Macquarie
987 30th pct 969 21st pct

Highest year of school

42.6% Year 12 ◂ +2.9 pts 39.7%
32.2% Year 10 +1.3 pts ▸ 33.5%
12.5% Year 9 or below +0.3 pts ▸ 12.7%
7.0% Year 11 +0.3 pts ▸ 7.3%

Highest qualification level

37.7% Certificate III / IV +1.6 pts ▸ 39.3%
18.9% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.1 pts 15.8%
15.8% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.4 pts ▸ 16.2%
5.6% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.4 pts 4.2%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%
2.4% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.7%

Field of qualification

18.1% Engineering & related +1.3 pts ▸ 19.4%
17.5% Management & commerce +0.1 pts ▸ 17.6%
11.9% Health ◂ +2.0 pts 9.9%
11.1% Society & culture ◂ +1.0 pts 10.1%
9.1% Education ◂ +1.3 pts 7.8%
6.9% Architecture & building ◂ +0.3 pts 6.6%
5.2% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.9 pts ▸ 6.1%
2.7% Creative arts ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%
1.6% Agriculture & environment +0.5 pts ▸ 2.2%
2.0% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.1 pts 1.9%
1.6% Information technology ◂ +0.3 pts 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +$59 higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening
$717 27th pct $658 14th pct
Household income in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +$158 higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening
$1,496 31st pct $1,338 15th pct
Family income in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +$248 higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening
$1,894 34th pct $1,646 15th pct
High earners in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap steady
9.0% 39th pct 7.8% 29th pct
High-income homes in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening
17.4% 37th pct 14.3% 22nd pct

Household income distribution

29.2% $650–$1,499 +3.7 pts ▸ 32.9%
29.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +2.5 pts 26.6%
17.6% Under $650 +1.3 pts ▸ 18.8%
9.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 7.7%
8.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 6.6%

Personal income distribution

43.2% Under $650 +2.9 pts ▸ 46.1%
32.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.2 pts 30.9%
15.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 13.6%
2.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.3 pts higher in Port Stephens
37.1% 98th pct 37.4% 99th pct
Mental health in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.0 pts higher in Lake Macquarie
12.5% 92nd pct 11.5% 86th pct
Needs assistance in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.5 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap steady
7.9% 89th pct 7.3% 84th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

12.7% Arthritis +1.3 pts ▸ 14.1%
12.5% Mental health ◂ +1.0 pts 11.5%
10.4% Asthma ◂ +0.7 pts 9.6%
9.7% Other condition ◂ +0.6 pts 9.1%
6.0% Diabetes +0.2 pts ▸ 6.3%
5.9% Heart disease +0.2 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.9% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.7% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.4% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%
1.3% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.4% None ◂ +1.1 pts 54.4%
23.4% One condition +0.1 pts ▸ 23.5%
8.7% Two conditions +0.3 pts ▸ 9.0%
5.0% Three or more ◂ +0.2 pts 4.9%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.9 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
13.4% 40th pct 14.3% 48th pct
Unpaid carers in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.3 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
14.0% 89th pct 13.7% 84th pct
Unpaid child care in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.7 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap widening
26.6% 50th pct 23.9% 25th pct
Defence service in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3.1 pts higher in Port Stephens
3.5% 67th pct 6.6% 95th pct
Housework 15h+ in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.4 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
24.1% 84th pct 24.4% 87th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.1 larger in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
2.5 43rd pct 2.4 29th pct
One-parent in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.8 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap steady
16.5% 74th pct 15.7% 67th pct
Living alone in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.9 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
25.2% 47th pct 26.0% 52nd pct

Family composition

52.0% Couples with children ◂ +3.6 pts 48.4%
30.5% Couples without children +4.6 pts ▸ 35.1%
16.5% One-parent families ◂ +0.8 pts 15.7%
1.0% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

Household size

37.0% 2 people +3.4 pts ▸ 40.3%
25.2% 1 person +0.9 pts ▸ 26.0%
15.3% 3 people ◂ +2.1 pts 13.2%
13.9% 4 people ◂ +2.0 pts 11.9%
5.8% 5 people ◂ +0.2 pts 5.6%
2.9% 6 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +$10 higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
$370 52nd pct $360 48th pct
Mortgage in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +$152 higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
$1,885 52nd pct $1,733 41st pct
People / bedroom in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.10 higher in Lake Macquarie gap steady
0.80 29th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.1 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
23.1% 28th pct 24.3% 33rd pct
Owned outright in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +4.3 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
37.3% 76th pct 41.6% 89th pct
Separate houses in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +6.8 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
87.6% 69th pct 80.8% 49th pct
3+ bedrooms in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.4 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
78.8% 52nd pct 80.2% 58th pct

How homes are owned or rented

37.3% Owned outright +4.3 pts ▸ 41.6%
35.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +5.6 pts 29.8%
23.1% Rented +1.1 pts ▸ 24.3%
2.8% Other tenure +0.1 pts ▸ 2.9%
1.4% Not stated even 1.4%

Types of homes

87.6% Separate house ◂ +6.8 pts 80.8%
8.6% Townhouse / semi-detached +5.0 pts ▸ 13.6%
2.8% Flat or apartment +0.9 pts ▸ 3.7%
0.8% Other dwelling +0.8 pts ▸ 1.6%

Bedrooms per home

40.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 40.0%
30.7% 4 bedrooms +1.9 pts ▸ 32.6%
16.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.9 pts 15.4%
7.3% 5 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 7.6%
3.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.6 pts 2.7%
0.3% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

50.3% $350–$549 ◂ +2.9 pts 47.4%
26.4% $200–$349 +7.3 pts ▸ 33.7%
12.5% Under $200 ◂ +3.7 pts 8.8%
6.4% $550–$749 ◂ +0.3 pts 6.0%
0.6% $750 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

37.5% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +4.9 pts 32.6%
29.2% $1,000–$1,799 +3.2 pts ▸ 32.5%
15.2% Under $1,000 +2.2 pts ▸ 17.4%
12.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 11.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
4.6% 36th pct 4.0% 27th pct
Work from home in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.7 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
19.5% 68th pct 17.8% 64th pct
PT commute in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
0.6% 14th pct 0.4% 8th pct
PT stops in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +158 more in Port Stephens
501 88th pct 659 95th pct
Stops/1k in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.34 more in Port Stephens
6.29 83rd pct 8.62 100th pct
Departures/1k in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +254.4 more in Port Stephens
731.6 39th pct 986.0 49th pct
PT routes in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +16 more in Lake Macquarie
34 67th pct 18 28th pct

How people get to work

56.7% Car (driver) ◂ +0.6 pts 56.0%
19.5% Worked at home ◂ +1.7 pts 17.8%
3.4% Car (passenger) +0.2 pts ▸ 3.6%
1.2% Walked +0.8 pts ▸ 2.0%
0.3% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% Train ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

38.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.4 pts 38.4%
33.7% 1 vehicle +2.8 pts ▸ 36.5%
14.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.2 pts 12.9%
8.8% 4 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 8.2%
4.6% No vehicle ◂ +0.6 pts 4.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
38.8% 48th pct 39.7% 53rd pct
Recent arrivals in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
6.4% 12th pct 7.4% 19th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.0 pts higher in Port Stephens gap narrowing
5.0% 55th pct 5.1% 56th pct
Participation in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +4.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap steady
55.1% 20th pct 50.9% 12th pct
Full-time in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.2 pts higher in Lake Macquarie gap narrowing
55.6% 24th pct 53.5% 12th pct

Industries people work in

18.7% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.2 pts 14.5%
11.9% Construction ◂ +0.9 pts 11.0%
9.3% Retail trade +0.7 pts ▸ 10.0%
6.0% Accommodation & food +3.3 pts ▸ 9.3%
8.7% Education & training ◂ +1.6 pts 7.1%
5.2% Public administration & safety +2.7 pts ▸ 7.9%
6.3% Manufacturing ◂ +0.1 pts 6.2%
5.1% Professional & technical even 5.0%
4.2% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.9%
4.4% Other services even 4.3%
3.2% Administrative & support +0.7 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.7% Mining ◂ +0.8 pts 1.9%

Occupations people work in

19.2% Professionals ◂ +4.3 pts 14.9%
16.4% Technicians & trades +0.8 pts ▸ 17.2%
13.6% Community & personal service +0.4 pts ▸ 14.1%
12.7% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.3 pts 12.4%
10.8% Managers +0.5 pts ▸ 11.3%
9.6% Labourers +1.6 pts ▸ 11.2%
8.4% Sales workers +1.0 pts ▸ 9.4%
7.6% Machinery operators & drivers even 7.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.2 higher in Port Stephens
4.2 26th pct 4.4 29th pct
Types ≤15 min in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +0.1 more in Port Stephens
4.1 26th pct 4.2 27th pct
15-min city in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +9.9 pts higher in Port Stephens
40.0% 18th pct 49.9% 31st pct
Walk to shops in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +10.9 pts higher in Port Stephens
35.2% 12th pct 46.1% 27th pct
Walk to transit in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +4.4 pts higher in Lake Macquarie
81.7% 40th pct 77.3% 35th pct
Walk to school in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +12.1 pts higher in Lake Macquarie
53.8% 26th pct 41.7% 14th pct
Walk to a park in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +5.7 pts higher in Port Stephens
77.4% 24th pct 83.1% 29th pct
Walk to health in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +2.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie
27.3% 17th pct 24.8% 13th pct
Amenities/1k in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +3.7 more in Port Stephens
13.6 45th pct 17.4 70th pct
Intersections/km² in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +9 higher in Lake Macquarie
17 31st pct 8 26th pct
Mean slope in Lake Macquariein Port Stephens +1.6 pts higher in Lake Macquarie
7.9% 86th pct 6.3% 68th pct

Compare Lake Macquarie with nearby areas

Swansea Wyong Charlestown Wallsend The Entrance Newcastle Maitland Terrigal

Compare Port Stephens with nearby areas

Newcastle Wallsend Charlestown Maitland Swansea Lake Macquarie Wyong The Entrance

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Lake Macquarie vs Port Stephens [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10042/lake-macquarie/vs/SED10069/port-stephens