# Batemans Bay vs Wollongong — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Area comparison · about 156 km apart

Wollongong and Batemans Bay are two different types of New South Wales hubs. Wollongong is a larger center where the typical weekly household income is $1,676, and far more people work from home (24.6% compared to 9.8% in Batemans Bay). It is also more walkable, with 79% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. In contrast, Batemans Bay is a much older area; the typical resident is 53, and 32.2% of the population is aged 65 and over. Home ownership is also more common there, with 45.4% of homes owned outright.

Both areas sit close to the national figure for unemployment, which is 4.7% in Wollongong and 4.9% in Batemans Bay. They are also similar in the share of people who describe themselves as having no religion. However, a gap is widening in how people work; the proportion of people working from home is far higher in Wollongong than in Batemans Bay.

## Where they differ most

- Population: 288,167 larger in Wollongong
- Median age: 14 yrs older in Batemans Bay
- Family income: $694 higher in Wollongong
- Unpaid child care: 7.3 pts higher in Wollongong
- Household size: 0.3 larger in Wollongong

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 17,524 | 305,691 | 288,167 larger in Wollongong |  |
| Median age | 53 yrs | 39 yrs | 14 yrs older in Batemans Bay |  |
| First Nations | 6.9% | 3.6% | 3.3 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Aged 65+ | 32.2% | 19.0% | 13.2 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Under 15 | 14.7% | 17.9% | 3.2 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| De facto | 12.0% | 11.3% | 0.7 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

### Age structure

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seniors (65+) | 32.2% | 19.0% | +13.2 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 27.6% | 24.9% | +2.6 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 17.1% | 25.2% | -8.1 |
| Children (0–14) | 14.7% | 17.9% | -3.2 |
| Youth (15–24) | 8.4% | 13.0% | -4.5 |

### Marital status

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 46.8% | 45.8% | +1.0 |
| Never married | 28.6% | 36.2% | -7.6 |
| Divorced | 12.2% | 9.0% | +3.2 |
| Widowed | 8.1% | 5.8% | +2.3 |
| Separated | 4.3% | 3.1% | +1.2 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Batemans Bay male | Batemans Bay female | Wollongong male | Wollongong female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| 5–9 | 2.4% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| 10–14 | 2.8% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| 15–19 | 2.6% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| 20–24 | 1.9% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| 25–29 | 2.1% | 2.0% | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| 30–34 | 1.9% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| 35–39 | 2.1% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| 40–44 | 2.1% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| 45–49 | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.3% |
| 50–54 | 3.0% | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| 55–59 | 3.1% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| 60–64 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| 65–69 | 4.3% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| 70–74 | 4.7% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| 75–79 | 3.0% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| 80–84 | 1.9% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| 85+ | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 1.6% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 15.4% | 19.5% | 4.1 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### Country of birth

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 76.7% | 76.3% | +0.4 |
| England | 5.0% | 3.9% | +1.0 |
| New Zealand | 1.5% | 1.1% | +0.5 |
| Italy | 0.4% | 0.9% | -0.5 |
| India | 0.5% | 0.9% | -0.3 |
| China | 0.3% | 0.7% | -0.4 |
| Philippines | 0.5% | 0.6% | -0.1 |
| South Africa | 0.4% | 0.4% | +0.1 |
| Vietnam | 0.1% | 0.4% | -0.2 |
| Nepal | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 42.7% | 37.0% | +5.7 |
| Australian | 36.8% | 35.8% | +1.0 |
| Irish | 12.3% | 10.1% | +2.2 |
| Scottish | 11.1% | 9.8% | +1.3 |
| Italian | 2.5% | 5.5% | -3.0 |
| German | 4.2% | 3.9% | +0.3 |
| Dutch | 1.7% | 1.8% | -0.1 |
| Chinese | 0.8% | 1.7% | -0.8 |
| Greek | 0.8% | 1.5% | -0.7 |
| Indian | 0.4% | 1.1% | -0.7 |
| Filipino | 0.7% | 1.0% | -0.2 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.5% | -0.3 |

## Language

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 5.3% | 13.8% | 8.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Limited English | 0.6% | 2.1% | 1.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### Language used at home

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 87.6% | 81.7% | +5.9 |
| Italian | 0.5% | 1.1% | -0.7 |
| Arabic | 0.1% | 1.1% | -1.0 |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.8% | -0.6 |
| Greek | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.3 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.3 |
| Tagalog | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Cantonese | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Hindi | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 39.4% | 38.5% | 1.0 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 49.9% | 51.3% | -1.4 |
| No religion | 39.4% | 38.5% | +1.0 |
| Not stated | 8.7% | 5.9% | +2.9 |
| Islam | 0.2% | 2.1% | -2.0 |
| Buddhism | 0.8% | 1.0% | -0.2 |
| Hinduism | 0.4% | 0.7% | -0.3 |
| Other religions | 0.5% | 0.4% | +0.1 |
| Judaism | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 40.0% | 50.7% | 10.7 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Bachelor+ | 14.6% | 22.1% | 7.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 40.0% | 50.7% | -10.7 |
| Year 10 | 31.1% | 26.5% | +4.5 |
| Year 9 or below | 13.0% | 11.2% | +1.8 |
| Year 11 | 7.1% | 5.9% | +1.1 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 34.5% | 32.2% | +2.2 |
| Bachelor degree | 15.3% | 22.9% | -7.6 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 14.9% | 15.2% | -0.3 |
| Postgraduate degree | 5.4% | 8.8% | -3.4 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 3.6% | 3.5% | +0.2 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.5% | 2.1% | +0.4 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 16.5% | 17.7% | -1.2 |
| Engineering & related | 12.3% | 16.9% | -4.6 |
| Society & culture | 12.1% | 12.5% | -0.4 |
| Health | 10.0% | 10.4% | -0.4 |
| Education | 8.2% | 9.1% | -0.9 |
| Architecture & building | 7.9% | 6.5% | +1.4 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 6.2% | 4.9% | +1.3 |
| Creative arts | 2.1% | 3.7% | -1.5 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.8% | 2.7% | -0.8 |
| Agriculture & environment | 2.4% | 1.5% | +1.0 |
| Information technology | 1.6% | 2.4% | -0.8 |

## Income

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $617 | $751 | $134 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Household income | $1,170 | $1,676 | $506 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Family income | $1,410 | $2,104 | $694 higher in Wollongong |  |
| High earners | 5.4% | 11.4% | 6.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| High-income homes | 9.4% | 21.8% | 12.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 38.0% | 26.2% | +11.7 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 24.1% | 28.9% | -4.7 |
| Under $650 | 21.7% | 17.0% | +4.6 |
| $4,000 or more | 4.1% | 11.0% | -6.9 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 5.2% | 10.8% | -5.5 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 47.7% | 42.2% | +5.5 |
| $650–$1,499 | 31.5% | 30.5% | +1.0 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 9.8% | 17.8% | -8.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 2.1% | 3.8% | -1.7 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 38.3% | 31.2% | 7.0 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Mental health | 11.4% | 10.2% | 1.2 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Needs assistance | 8.3% | 6.8% | 1.5 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 15.3% | 10.4% | +4.8 |
| Mental health | 11.4% | 10.2% | +1.2 |
| Other condition | 9.7% | 8.8% | +0.8 |
| Asthma | 9.3% | 8.7% | +0.6 |
| Heart disease | 6.3% | 4.2% | +2.1 |
| Diabetes | 6.1% | 5.2% | +0.9 |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 3.2% | +1.7 |
| Lung condition | 3.3% | 2.1% | +1.2 |
| Stroke | 1.6% | 1.1% | +0.5 |
| Dementia | 1.4% | 0.9% | +0.5 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 51.8% | 61.6% | -9.8 |
| One condition | 23.7% | 20.7% | +2.9 |
| Two conditions | 9.1% | 6.8% | +2.2 |
| Three or more | 5.5% | 3.7% | +1.9 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 15.0% | 12.7% | 2.3 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Unpaid carers | 12.9% | 13.2% | 0.4 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Unpaid child care | 19.3% | 26.7% | 7.3 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Defence service | 4.6% | 2.2% | 2.4 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 24.3% | 22.9% | 1.4 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 larger in Wollongong |  |
| One-parent | 18.1% | 15.1% | 3.1 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Living alone | 31.4% | 25.1% | 6.4 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

### Family composition

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 39.2% | 57.2% | -18.0 |
| Couples without children | 41.9% | 26.7% | +15.2 |
| One-parent families | 18.1% | 15.1% | +3.1 |
| Other families | 0.8% | 1.0% | -0.2 |

### Household size

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 41.9% | 34.0% | +8.0 |
| 1 person | 31.4% | 25.1% | +6.4 |
| 4 people | 9.4% | 15.9% | -6.5 |
| 3 people | 10.9% | 15.8% | -4.9 |
| 5 people | 4.1% | 6.4% | -2.4 |
| 6 or more | 2.2% | 2.8% | -0.6 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $350 | $400 | $50 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Mortgage | $1,560 | $2,167 | $607 higher in Wollongong |  |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.80 | 0.10 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Renting | 27.8% | 29.3% | 1.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Owned outright | 45.4% | 34.8% | 10.7 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Separate houses | 77.7% | 71.3% | 6.5 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| 3+ bedrooms | 77.2% | 75.3% | 1.9 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 45.4% | 34.8% | +10.7 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 23.2% | 33.0% | -9.8 |
| Rented | 27.8% | 29.3% | -1.5 |
| Other tenure | 2.0% | 1.6% | +0.4 |
| Not stated | 1.7% | 1.3% | +0.5 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 77.7% | 71.3% | +6.5 |
| Flat or apartment | 10.1% | 14.8% | -4.7 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 10.4% | 12.9% | -2.5 |
| Other dwelling | 1.4% | 0.8% | +0.6 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 42.8% | 41.6% | +1.2 |
| 4 bedrooms | 27.4% | 26.4% | +0.9 |
| 2 bedrooms | 17.8% | 19.1% | -1.3 |
| 5 or more | 7.0% | 7.2% | -0.2 |
| 1 bedroom | 2.9% | 4.2% | -1.3 |
| Studio / none | 0.3% | 0.3% | +0.0 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $350–$549 | 45.2% | 43.5% | +1.7 |
| $200–$349 | 36.5% | 20.3% | +16.2 |
| Under $200 | 10.8% | 16.0% | -5.2 |
| $550–$749 | 2.6% | 14.6% | -12.0 |
| $750 or more | 0.5% | 2.4% | -2.0 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 28.8% | 38.7% | -9.8 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 35.3% | 22.7% | +12.7 |
| Under $1,000 | 22.5% | 12.5% | +10.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 7.7% | 20.7% | -13.0 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 5.5% | 7.4% | 2.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 24.6% | 14.8 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| PT commute | 0.7% | 1.2% | 0.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 66.0% | 50.7% | +15.3 |
| Worked at home | 9.8% | 24.6% | -14.8 |
| Car (passenger) | 5.5% | 3.0% | +2.5 |
| Walked | 2.3% | 1.8% | +0.6 |
| Bus | 0.6% | 0.6% | +0.0 |
| Train | 0.1% | 0.6% | -0.5 |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.4% | +0.1 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 41.2% | 35.1% | +6.1 |
| 2 vehicles | 37.4% | 37.5% | -0.1 |
| 3 vehicles | 10.8% | 12.5% | -1.6 |
| 4 or more | 5.1% | 7.5% | -2.4 |
| No vehicle | 5.5% | 7.4% | -2.0 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 41.9% | 36.1% | 5.8 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Recent arrivals | 6.0% | 9.6% | 3.6 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 4.9% | 4.7% | 0.2 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Participation | 44.7% | 58.1% | 13.4 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Full-time | 50.2% | 54.3% | 4.1 pts higher in Wollongong |  |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 15.9% | 17.3% | -1.3 |
| Retail trade | 13.5% | 9.0% | +4.6 |
| Construction | 12.5% | 10.0% | +2.5 |
| Accommodation & food | 11.0% | 6.9% | +4.0 |
| Education & training | 6.9% | 10.5% | -3.7 |
| Public administration & safety | 8.1% | 7.3% | +0.9 |
| Professional & technical | 3.9% | 6.1% | -2.2 |
| Manufacturing | 3.0% | 6.0% | -3.0 |
| Transport & warehousing | 2.9% | 4.5% | -1.6 |
| Other services | 4.5% | 3.8% | +0.7 |
| Administrative & support | 4.1% | 3.1% | +1.0 |
| Finance & insurance | 1.4% | 3.3% | -1.9 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Batemans Bay % | Wollongong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 14.6% | 23.1% | -8.5 |
| Technicians & trades | 15.4% | 14.7% | +0.7 |
| Community & personal service | 14.9% | 13.2% | +1.7 |
| Clerical & administrative | 12.3% | 12.6% | -0.4 |
| Sales workers | 12.0% | 8.2% | +3.8 |
| Managers | 12.0% | 11.3% | +0.7 |
| Labourers | 11.8% | 8.7% | +3.2 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 5.0% | 6.6% | -1.6 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Batemans Bay | Wollongong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.5 | 5.9 | 1.5 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.2 | 5.7 | 1.5 more in Wollongong |  |
| 15-min city | 45.4% | 70.7% | 25.3 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to shops | 46.8% | 60.8% | 14.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to transit | 84.7% | 93.8% | 9.2 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to school | 33.0% | 79.0% | 46.0 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to a park | 81.9% | 94.5% | 12.5 pts higher in Wollongong |  |
| Walk to health | 44.2% | 41.5% | 2.6 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |
| Amenities/1k | 23.9 | 12.0 | 11.9 more in Batemans Bay |  |
| Intersections/km² | 17 | 47 | 30 higher in Wollongong |  |
| Mean slope | 9.2% | 6.9% | 2.3 pts higher in Batemans Bay |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1004/batemans-bay/vs/1036/wollongong