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Byron Bay vs Central Coast

Name: Byron Bay vs Central Coast — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Urban Area comparison ≈ 561 km apart · Byron Bay profile · Central Coast profile

Byron Bay Central Coast

Central Coast and Byron Bay are two very different New South Wales regions. Byron Bay is a highly educated hub where 33.2% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, compared to 17.8% in Central Coast. It is also much more international, with 27.8% of people born overseas and 29.1% arriving recently, while Central Coast has 16.1% born overseas and 6.9% arriving recently. Byron Bay is more walkable, with 78.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, whereas only 50.8% of Central Coast homes have this access.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of people who speak little or no English. They are also similar in their typical family incomes and the proportion of homes owned outright. Since 2011, the gap in education and overseas births has widened, while Central Coast has become noticeably older than Byron Bay, flipping the trend seen in the previous census.

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Where they differ most

Population: 332,266 larger in Central Coast Recent arrivals: 22.1 pts higher in Byron Bay No religion: 19.7 pts higher in Byron Bay Year 12: 19.6 pts higher in Byron Bay Volunteering: 5.8 pts higher in Byron Bay

Demographics & Identity

Population in Byron Bay in Central Coast +332,266 larger in Central Coast gap widening

10,914 10th pct 343,180 86th pct

Median age in Byron Bay in Central Coast +4 yrs older in Central Coast gap narrowing

39 yrs 43rd pct 43 yrs 64th pct

Age structure

35.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +12.1 pts 23.0%

25.3% Older adults (45–64) +0.3 pts ▸ 25.6%

17.2% Seniors (65+) +5.1 pts ▸ 22.2%

13.7% Children (0–14) +4.3 pts ▸ 18.0%

8.8% Youth (15–24) +2.4 pts ▸ 11.2%

Marital status

51.6% Never married ◂ +17.9 pts 33.7%

30.5% Married +14.0 pts ▸ 44.5%

11.9% Divorced ◂ +0.6 pts 11.2%

3.6% Widowed +3.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

2.4% Separated +1.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

Age & sex structure

Byron Bay Central Coast

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

63.6% Australia +15.3 pts ▸ 78.9%

5.6% England ◂ +1.0 pts 4.6%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.9 pts 1.7%

1.3% Italy ◂ +1.0 pts 0.3%

0.3% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.3% India +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.6% South Africa even 0.6%

0.2% China +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

39.2% English +3.4 pts ▸ 42.6%

27.3% Australian +12.5 pts ▸ 39.8%

14.7% Irish ◂ +2.7 pts 12.0%

11.3% Scottish ◂ +0.8 pts 10.5%

6.0% German ◂ +2.7 pts 3.3%

5.5% Italian ◂ +2.7 pts 2.8%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.5 pts 1.5%

0.8% Chinese +0.7 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.5% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.6% Indian +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

0.2% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +10.1 pts ▸ 87.7%

1.4% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

0.2% Mandarin +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.1% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.0% Cantonese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Greek even 0.2%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

59.7% No religion ◂ +19.7 pts 40.0%

24.9% Christianity +26.0 pts ▸ 50.8%

11.3% Not stated ◂ +4.7 pts 6.5%

2.2% Buddhism ◂ +1.2 pts 1.0%

1.0% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.1%

0.5% Hinduism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Other religions even 0.5%

0.2% Islam +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +19.6 pts 47.2%

14.3% Year 10 +14.9 pts ▸ 29.2%

3.7% Year 9 or below +7.1 pts ▸ 10.7%

5.3% Year 11 +1.1 pts ▸ 6.4%

Highest qualification level

18.2% Certificate III / IV +16.0 pts ▸ 34.2%

33.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +13.1 pts 20.5%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.8 pts ▸ 15.9%

9.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.5 pts 5.8%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate even 2.9%

1.4% Certificate I / II +0.9 pts ▸ 2.3%

Field of qualification

16.5% Management & commerce +2.2 pts ▸ 18.7%

13.8% Society & culture ◂ +2.0 pts 11.9%

6.7% Engineering & related +6.5 pts ▸ 13.2%

10.2% Health +0.8 pts ▸ 11.0%

10.7% Creative arts ◂ +7.0 pts 3.6%

6.8% Education +1.7 pts ▸ 8.5%

6.6% Architecture & building +0.8 pts ▸ 7.4%

6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.4 pts 5.6%

2.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.0 pts 1.9%

1.2% Information technology +1.0 pts ▸ 2.1%

2.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Byron Bay in Central Coast +$111 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$837 81st pct $726 48th pct

Household income in Byron Bay in Central Coast +$249 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$1,748 79th pct $1,499 57th pct

Family income in Byron Bay in Central Coast +$143 higher in Byron Bay gap narrowing

$2,091 77th pct $1,948 62nd pct

Household income distribution

23.3% $650–$1,499 +5.1 pts ▸ 28.4%

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 +0.5 pts ▸ 28.3%

17.1% Under $650 +1.3 pts ▸ 18.4%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +4.3 pts 9.2%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 +0.2 pts ▸ 9.3%

Personal income distribution

33.5% Under $650 +9.0 pts ▸ 42.5%

35.3% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.7 pts 31.7%

14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 15.5%

5.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 3.4%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

6.2% Arthritis +5.3 pts ▸ 11.5%

7.1% Mental health +3.9 pts ▸ 11.0%

5.8% Asthma +3.8 pts ▸ 9.6%

6.7% Other condition +2.3 pts ▸ 9.0%

1.8% Diabetes +3.7 pts ▸ 5.5%

2.8% Heart disease +2.2 pts ▸ 5.0%

2.7% Cancer +1.0 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.5% Lung condition +1.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.8% Stroke +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.6% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +8.9 pts 58.1%

15.9% One condition +6.0 pts ▸ 21.9%

4.1% Two conditions +3.6 pts ▸ 7.7%

1.7% Three or more +2.7 pts ▸ 4.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Byron Bay in Central Coast +0.1 larger in Central Coast gap narrowing

2.4 43rd pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

50.0% Couples with children +3.8 pts ▸ 53.9%

34.5% Couples without children ◂ +6.8 pts 27.7%

14.5% One-parent families +3.0 pts ▸ 17.5%

0.9% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Household size

33.6% 2 people +0.7 pts ▸ 34.3%

29.1% 1 person ◂ +1.7 pts 27.4%

16.3% 3 people ◂ +1.4 pts 14.9%

13.9% 4 people +0.5 pts ▸ 14.5%

5.1% 5 people +1.0 pts ▸ 6.1%

1.9% 6 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 2.9%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Byron Bay in Central Coast +$220 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$620 100th pct $400 90th pct

Mortgage in Byron Bay in Central Coast +$340 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,340 100th pct $2,000 88th pct

People / bedroom in Byron Bay in Central Coast +0.10 higher in Byron Bay gap steady

0.90 100th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

36.8% Rented ◂ +9.2 pts 27.6%

34.7% Owned outright ◂ +0.2 pts 34.5%

24.3% Owned with a mortgage +9.6 pts ▸ 33.9%

2.2% Other tenure +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.5%

Types of homes

61.6% Separate house +16.6 pts ▸ 78.2%

25.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +13.2 pts 12.0%

8.0% Flat or apartment +0.7 pts ▸ 8.8%

4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +3.3 pts 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.8 pts 38.8%

21.9% 4 bedrooms +6.2 pts ▸ 28.1%

18.0% 2 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 19.3%

9.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +5.8 pts 3.6%

6.0% 5 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 8.4%

1.8% Studio / none ◂ +1.4 pts 0.4%

Weekly rent distribution

16.2% $350–$549 +37.5 pts ▸ 53.7%

30.6% $750 or more ◂ +28.3 pts 2.3%

28.6% $550–$749 ◂ +18.4 pts 10.2%

11.8% $200–$349 +9.1 pts ▸ 20.9%

7.6% Under $200 +2.2 pts ▸ 9.8%

Monthly mortgage distribution

27.6% $1,800–$2,999 +10.3 pts ▸ 37.9%

32.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +16.2 pts 16.2%

18.3% $1,000–$1,799 +7.9 pts ▸ 26.2%

14.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +0.9 pts 13.8%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

44.2% Car (driver) +5.2 pts ▸ 49.3%

25.8% Worked at home ◂ +0.3 pts 25.4%

5.2% Walked ◂ +3.9 pts 1.3%

4.0% Bicycle ◂ +3.8 pts 0.2%

2.5% Car (passenger) +0.8 pts ▸ 3.3%

0.0% Train +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.2% Bus +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.3 pts 38.2%

36.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.3 pts 36.4%

12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.6 pts 11.9%

7.0% 4 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 6.9%

5.3% No vehicle +1.3 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +13.1 pts 7.0%

12.1% Health care & social assistance +5.7 pts ▸ 17.8%

8.0% Construction +3.5 pts ▸ 11.5%

8.6% Retail trade +1.6 pts ▸ 10.2%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +3.6 pts 6.0%

7.3% Education & training +0.9 pts ▸ 8.2%

2.2% Public administration & safety +3.9 pts ▸ 6.1%

3.3% Manufacturing +2.6 pts ▸ 5.9%

4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +1.2 pts 3.3%

3.3% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.9% Transport & warehousing +1.8 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.7% Finance & insurance +1.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +4.8 pts 20.4%

17.7% Managers ◂ +5.5 pts 12.2%

13.7% Technicians & trades +0.9 pts ▸ 14.6%

13.8% Community & personal service ◂ +0.8 pts 13.0%

7.3% Clerical & administrative +5.8 pts ▸ 13.1%

9.1% Labourers +0.6 pts ▸ 9.7%

8.3% Sales workers +0.9 pts ▸ 9.2%

2.3% Machinery operators & drivers +3.7 pts ▸ 6.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Byron Bay in Central Coast +1.3 higher in Byron Bay

6.6 96th pct 5.4 66th pct

Types ≤15 min in Byron Bay in Central Coast +1.2 more in Byron Bay

6.3 94th pct 5.1 62nd pct

15-min city in Byron Bay in Central Coast +15.5 pts higher in Byron Bay

72.7% 87th pct 57.2% 58th pct

Walk to shops in Byron Bay in Central Coast +27.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

78.7% 95th pct 50.8% 40th pct

Walk to transit in Byron Bay in Central Coast +0.9 pts higher in Central Coast

92.5% 87th pct 93.4% 89th pct

Walk to school in Byron Bay in Central Coast +0.7 pts higher in Central Coast

61.0% 41st pct 61.6% 43rd pct

Walk to a park in Byron Bay in Central Coast +1.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

94.8% 82nd pct 92.9% 71st pct

Walk to health in Byron Bay in Central Coast +31.4 pts higher in Byron Bay

70.3% 98th pct 38.9% 43rd pct

Amenities/1k in Byron Bay in Central Coast +9.9 more in Byron Bay

26.8 88th pct 16.9 62nd pct

Intersections/km² in Byron Bay in Central Coast +11 higher in Byron Bay

33 72nd pct 21 56th pct

Mean slope in Byron Bay in Central Coast +3.1 pts higher in Central Coast

4.7% 41st pct 7.8% 89th pct

Compare Byron Bay with nearby areas

Ballina Lismore Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Brisbane Grafton Coffs Harbour Warwick Toowoomba Sunshine Coast Kempsey Armidale Gympie

Compare Central Coast with nearby areas

Morisset - Cooranbong Sydney Newcastle - Maitland Singleton Medowie Nelson Bay Muswellbrook Lithgow Wollongong Bowral - Mittagong Bathurst Nowra - Bomaderry

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Byron Bay vs Central Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1008/byron-bay/vs/1010/central-coast