# Bathurst vs Nowra - Bomaderry — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Area comparison · about 187 km apart

Nowra - Bomaderry and Bathurst are both regional hubs in New South Wales with similar population sizes. The biggest differences are in their layouts and job markets. Bathurst is very walkable, with 68.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to just 35.6% in Nowra - Bomaderry. Residents in Bathurst are also more likely to have a bachelor's degree (19.0% versus 14.1%) and earn higher weekly pay, with 17.0% of households making $3,000 or more compared to 12.5% in Nowra - Bomaderry. Nowra - Bomaderry has a much stronger connection to the military, with 7.9% of people having served in the Defence Force.

The gap in employment has widened since 2011, with a notably higher share of Bathurst residents now working or looking for work. Beyond this, the two areas share many everyday similarities. They have the same typical home-loan payments and the same proportion of children under 15. Both areas also have an identical average of 2.4 people per home, and they are both more likely to have detached houses than the national figure.

## Where they differ most

- Personal income: $130 higher in Bathurst
- Year 12: 8.6 pts higher in Bathurst
- Family income: $361 higher in Bathurst
- Participation: 7.5 pts higher in Bathurst
- Full-time: 4.9 pts higher in Bathurst

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 37,396 | 38,678 | 1,282 larger in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Median age | 37 yrs | 39 yrs | 2 yrs older in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 7.7% | 9.6% | 1.9 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 18.1% | 20.6% | 2.5 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 19.0% | 19.0% |  | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 13.0% | 13.0% |  | gap steady |

### Age structure

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Young adults (25–44) | 25.7% | 25.1% | +0.6 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 23.4% | 23.6% | -0.2 |
| Seniors (65+) | 18.1% | 20.6% | -2.5 |
| Children (0–14) | 19.0% | 19.0% | +0.1 |
| Youth (15–24) | 13.8% | 11.8% | +2.0 |

### Marital status

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 41.9% | 42.1% | -0.2 |
| Never married | 39.3% | 37.3% | +2.1 |
| Divorced | 9.2% | 10.8% | -1.5 |
| Widowed | 5.6% | 6.1% | -0.5 |
| Separated | 4.0% | 3.8% | +0.2 |

### Age profile

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

| Age band | Bathurst male | Bathurst female | Nowra - Bomaderry male | Nowra - Bomaderry female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| 5–9 | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| 10–14 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| 15–19 | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| 20–24 | 3.7% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 2.8% |
| 25–29 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| 30–34 | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| 35–39 | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| 40–44 | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| 45–49 | 2.9% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| 50–54 | 2.9% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| 55–59 | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| 60–64 | 2.8% | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 65–69 | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| 70–74 | 2.1% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| 75–79 | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| 80–84 | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.4% |
| 85+ | 0.9% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.6% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 10.3% | 13.0% | 2.6 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |

### Country of birth

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 84.6% | 80.2% | +4.5 |
| England | 1.8% | 3.6% | -1.8 |
| India | 0.9% | 1.1% | -0.2 |
| New Zealand | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.0 |
| Philippines | 0.7% | 0.8% | -0.1 |
| Nepal | 0.5% | 0.3% | +0.2 |
| China | 0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1 |
| South Africa | 0.3% | 0.3% | +0.1 |
| Vietnam | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Italy | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australian | 42.0% | 41.3% | +0.7 |
| English | 40.9% | 40.4% | +0.5 |
| Irish | 14.2% | 10.2% | +3.9 |
| Scottish | 10.5% | 9.2% | +1.3 |
| German | 3.3% | 3.6% | -0.3 |
| Italian | 1.9% | 2.1% | -0.2 |
| Dutch | 1.4% | 1.3% | +0.1 |
| Filipino | 0.9% | 1.1% | -0.2 |
| Indian | 0.9% | 1.1% | -0.2 |
| Chinese | 1.0% | 0.9% | +0.1 |
| Greek | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.2 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.2% | +0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 6.0% | 6.1% | 0.1 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Limited English | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.1 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 87.4% | 85.2% | +2.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.4% | 0.3% | +0.2 |
| Tagalog | 0.3% | 0.4% | -0.1 |
| Arabic | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.2 |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.3% | +0.0 |
| Hindi | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0 |
| Cantonese | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Italian | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Greek | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 33.0% | 40.7% | 7.7 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap widening |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 55.5% | 46.1% | +9.4 |
| No religion | 33.0% | 40.7% | -7.7 |
| Not stated | 8.1% | 10.0% | -1.9 |
| Hinduism | 1.1% | 1.0% | +0.1 |
| Buddhism | 0.7% | 0.9% | -0.2 |
| Other religions | 0.8% | 0.7% | +0.1 |
| Islam | 0.7% | 0.4% | +0.3 |
| Judaism | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 48.7% | 40.1% | 8.6 pts higher in Bathurst | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 19.0% | 14.1% | 4.9 pts higher in Bathurst | gap steady |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 48.7% | 40.1% | +8.6 |
| Year 10 | 26.2% | 29.5% | -3.3 |
| Year 9 or below | 10.2% | 13.6% | -3.4 |
| Year 11 | 6.4% | 6.6% | -0.3 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 33.5% | 36.1% | -2.7 |
| Bachelor degree | 21.1% | 15.6% | +5.5 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 13.3% | 14.4% | -1.1 |
| Postgraduate degree | 6.3% | 4.5% | +1.8 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 3.3% | 3.0% | +0.4 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.4% | 2.7% | -0.3 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 17.0% | 15.0% | +2.0 |
| Engineering & related | 13.8% | 15.4% | -1.6 |
| Society & culture | 12.1% | 11.7% | +0.4 |
| Health | 11.1% | 10.7% | +0.4 |
| Education | 10.0% | 7.2% | +2.8 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 5.2% | 6.1% | -0.8 |
| Architecture & building | 5.3% | 5.7% | -0.4 |
| Creative arts | 3.1% | 2.4% | +0.7 |
| Agriculture & environment | 2.3% | 2.0% | +0.3 |
| Information technology | 1.9% | 1.7% | +0.2 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.7% | 1.8% | -0.1 |

## Income

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $795 | $665 | $130 higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| Household income | $1,562 | $1,330 | $232 higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| Family income | $2,006 | $1,645 | $361 higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| High earners | 9.3% | 6.3% | 3.0 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| High-income homes | 17.0% | 12.5% | 4.5 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 28.6% | 32.9% | -4.3 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 31.1% | 28.1% | +3.0 |
| Under $650 | 16.4% | 19.7% | -3.3 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 9.3% | 7.1% | +2.2 |
| $4,000 or more | 7.7% | 5.4% | +2.3 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 38.1% | 44.0% | -5.9 |
| $650–$1,499 | 33.3% | 31.2% | +2.1 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 17.3% | 12.7% | +4.6 |
| $3,000 or more | 2.5% | 1.8% | +0.7 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 33.5% | 35.1% | 1.6 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry |  |
| Mental health | 11.4% | 12.9% | 1.5 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry |  |
| Needs assistance | 6.8% | 8.7% | 1.9 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health | 11.4% | 12.9% | -1.5 |
| Arthritis | 10.3% | 12.2% | -1.8 |
| Asthma | 11.5% | 9.9% | +1.5 |
| Other condition | 9.1% | 9.6% | -0.5 |
| Diabetes | 5.1% | 6.2% | -1.1 |
| Heart disease | 4.0% | 5.1% | -1.1 |
| Cancer | 3.2% | 3.7% | -0.5 |
| Lung condition | 2.1% | 3.1% | -1.0 |
| Stroke | 1.1% | 1.4% | -0.3 |
| Dementia | 1.0% | 1.2% | -0.2 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 56.8% | 53.6% | +3.2 |
| One condition | 22.2% | 21.2% | +1.0 |
| Two conditions | 7.5% | 8.4% | -1.0 |
| Three or more | 3.8% | 5.4% | -1.6 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 14.4% | 13.2% | 1.3 pts higher in Bathurst | gap steady |
| Unpaid carers | 12.4% | 13.0% | 0.6 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Unpaid child care | 27.3% | 25.6% | 1.7 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| Defence service | 2.9% | 7.9% | 5.0 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 20.5% | 21.6% | 1.1 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.4 | 2.4 |  | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 18.3% | 18.9% | 0.7 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |
| Living alone | 28.5% | 28.0% | 0.6 pts higher in Bathurst | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 53.3% | 51.1% | +2.1 |
| Couples without children | 27.3% | 28.6% | -1.4 |
| One-parent families | 18.3% | 18.9% | -0.7 |
| Other families | 1.1% | 1.2% | -0.1 |

### Household size

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 34.2% | 35.3% | -1.1 |
| 1 person | 28.5% | 28.0% | +0.6 |
| 3 people | 14.6% | 14.7% | 0.0 |
| 4 people | 13.7% | 12.8% | +0.9 |
| 5 people | 6.1% | 5.9% | +0.3 |
| 6 or more | 2.8% | 3.3% | -0.5 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $320 | $332 | $12 higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Mortgage | $1,733 | $1,733 |  | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.70 |  | gap steady |
| Renting | 33.5% | 33.8% | 0.2 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Owned outright | 31.9% | 33.5% | 1.6 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 82.7% | 86.1% | 3.3 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap narrowing |
| 3+ bedrooms | 80.8% | 80.4% | 0.4 pts higher in Bathurst | gap steady |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rented | 33.5% | 33.8% | -0.2 |
| Owned outright | 31.9% | 33.5% | -1.6 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 32.0% | 29.9% | +2.1 |
| Not stated | 1.3% | 1.7% | -0.4 |
| Other tenure | 1.3% | 1.1% | +0.2 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 82.7% | 86.1% | -3.3 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 11.8% | 10.2% | +1.5 |
| Flat or apartment | 5.1% | 2.7% | +2.4 |
| Other dwelling | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.4 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 37.1% | 39.0% | -1.8 |
| 4 bedrooms | 35.4% | 33.7% | +1.7 |
| 2 bedrooms | 14.2% | 14.1% | +0.1 |
| 5 or more | 8.3% | 7.7% | +0.5 |
| 1 bedroom | 3.3% | 3.7% | -0.3 |
| Studio / none | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $200–$349 | 44.5% | 38.3% | +6.2 |
| $350–$549 | 37.9% | 41.9% | -4.0 |
| Under $200 | 12.8% | 12.8% | +0.1 |
| $550–$749 | 1.2% | 2.9% | -1.8 |
| $750 or more | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.4 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 39.0% | 33.3% | +5.8 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 33.7% | 32.8% | +1.0 |
| Under $1,000 | 14.2% | 18.6% | -4.4 |
| $3,000 or more | 8.2% | 10.0% | -1.8 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 6.6% | 6.4% | 0.2 pts higher in Bathurst | gap steady |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 8.6% | 2.0 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| PT commute | 0.3% | 0.3% |  | gap steady |

### How people get to work

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 66.2% | 66.9% | -0.7 |
| Worked at home | 10.6% | 8.6% | +2.0 |
| Car (passenger) | 5.7% | 5.5% | +0.2 |
| Walked | 3.3% | 2.6% | +0.7 |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.6% | -0.3 |
| Bus | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Train | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 36.6% | 37.4% | -0.8 |
| 2 vehicles | 37.0% | 36.9% | +0.1 |
| 3 vehicles | 12.7% | 12.1% | +0.7 |
| 4 or more | 7.0% | 7.3% | -0.2 |
| No vehicle | 6.6% | 6.4% | +0.2 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 43.7% | 38.7% | 5.0 pts higher in Bathurst | gap narrowing |
| Recent arrivals | 15.0% | 11.3% | 3.7 pts higher in Bathurst | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 5.3% | 1.0 pts higher in Nowra - Bomaderry | gap steady |
| Participation | 60.1% | 52.6% | 7.5 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |
| Full-time | 61.0% | 56.1% | 4.9 pts higher in Bathurst | gap widening |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 17.2% | 18.5% | -1.3 |
| Public administration & safety | 8.9% | 12.0% | -3.1 |
| Education & training | 11.5% | 7.2% | +4.3 |
| Retail trade | 10.1% | 11.5% | -1.4 |
| Construction | 8.7% | 9.2% | -0.4 |
| Accommodation & food | 7.2% | 9.0% | -1.8 |
| Manufacturing | 7.7% | 5.7% | +2.0 |
| Other services | 3.9% | 4.1% | -0.3 |
| Professional & technical | 3.6% | 3.8% | -0.2 |
| Transport & warehousing | 3.5% | 3.5% | +0.0 |
| Administrative & support | 2.8% | 3.5% | -0.7 |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 1.7% | 1.4% | +0.3 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Bathurst % | Nowra - Bomaderry % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 19.3% | 16.6% | +2.7 |
| Community & personal service | 15.9% | 16.9% | -1.0 |
| Technicians & trades | 14.0% | 16.0% | -2.0 |
| Clerical & administrative | 11.8% | 10.5% | +1.3 |
| Labourers | 10.9% | 11.4% | -0.6 |
| Managers | 10.7% | 10.7% | 0.0 |
| Sales workers | 9.1% | 10.3% | -1.2 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 6.7% | 5.9% | +0.8 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Bathurst | Nowra - Bomaderry | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 6.1 | 4.6 | 1.5 higher in Bathurst |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.6 | 4.5 | 1.1 more in Bathurst |  |
| 15-min city | 66.0% | 50.5% | 15.5 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Walk to shops | 68.2% | 35.6% | 32.6 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Walk to transit | 92.2% | 87.1% | 5.2 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Walk to school | 76.5% | 60.5% | 16.0 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Walk to a park | 92.7% | 87.5% | 5.2 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Walk to health | 52.0% | 40.8% | 11.2 pts higher in Bathurst |  |
| Amenities/1k | 19.7 | 12.3 | 7.3 more in Bathurst |  |
| Intersections/km² | 19 | 16 | 4 higher in Bathurst |  |
| Mean slope | 5.4% | 4.8% | 0.6 pts higher in Bathurst |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1005/bathurst/vs/1026/nowra-bomaderry