Compare

Byron Bay vs Coffs Harbour

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

Urban Area comparison ≈ 155 km apart · Byron Bay profile · Coffs Harbour profile

Byron Bay Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay are both New South Wales coastal hubs, but they differ sharply in their social and economic profiles. Byron Bay has a much more highly qualified population, with 33.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 18.3% in Coffs Harbour. This contrast extends to the rental market, where the typical weekly rent in Byron Bay is far higher at $620, while Coffs Harbour is $375. Byron Bay also has a significantly larger share of people born overseas (27.8% vs 15.8%) and a much higher proportion of residents who report having no religion (59.7% vs 41.8%).

Daily life in both places shares some common ground, as they have the same typical household size of 2.4 people and very similar unemployment rates. However, the two areas have diverged further since 2011, particularly in work habits; the gap in people working from home has widened to 15.3%. Byron Bay also offers much more walkable access to services, with 70.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services compared to 39.9% in Coffs Harbour. Meanwhile, Coffs Harbour remains a more traditional residential hub with far more detached houses (74.6% vs 61.6%) and a notably older population.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Population: 63,281 larger in Coffs Harbour Year 12: 21.2 pts higher in Byron Bay No religion: 17.9 pts higher in Byron Bay Work from home: 15.3 pts higher in Byron Bay Bachelor+: 14.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

Demographics & Identity

Population in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +63,281 larger in Coffs Harbour gap widening

10,914 10th pct 74,195 71st pct

Median age in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +5 yrs older in Coffs Harbour gap narrowing

39 yrs 43rd pct 44 yrs 71st pct

Age structure

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

25.3% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 25.5%

17.2% Seniors (65+) +6.3 pts ▸ 23.5%

13.7% Children (0–14) +4.0 pts ▸ 17.7%

8.8% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 10.3%

Marital status

51.6% Never married ◂ +18.4 pts 33.2%

30.5% Married +14.4 pts ▸ 44.9%

11.9% Divorced ◂ +0.5 pts 11.4%

3.6% Widowed +3.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

2.4% Separated +1.5 pts ▸ 4.0%

Age & sex structure

Byron Bay Coffs Harbour

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

63.6% Australia +14.7 pts ▸ 78.4%

5.6% England ◂ +2.3 pts 3.3%

2.6% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 1.4%

0.3% India +1.5 pts ▸ 1.8%

1.3% Italy ◂ +1.1 pts 0.2%

0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.3% Philippines +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.1% Nepal even 0.1%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

39.2% English +2.5 pts ▸ 41.7%

27.3% Australian +10.2 pts ▸ 37.6%

14.7% Irish ◂ +2.7 pts 12.0%

11.3% Scottish ◂ +0.4 pts 10.9%

6.0% German ◂ +1.8 pts 4.2%

5.5% Italian ◂ +3.3 pts 2.2%

2.0% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.5%

0.6% Indian +1.1 pts ▸ 1.7%

0.8% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

0.9% Greek ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

0.5% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Language used at home

77.6% English only +7.0 pts ▸ 84.6%

0.1% Punjabi +2.3 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.4% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 0.2%

0.2% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

0.1% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

59.7% No religion ◂ +17.9 pts 41.8%

24.9% Christianity +20.1 pts ▸ 45.0%

11.3% Not stated ◂ +3.7 pts 7.6%

0.5% Other religions +3.0 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.2% Buddhism ◂ +1.1 pts 1.1%

1.0% Judaism ◂ +0.9 pts 0.1%

0.2% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.5% Hinduism even 0.5%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

66.8% Year 12 ◂ +21.2 pts 45.6%

14.3% Year 10 +13.7 pts ▸ 28.0%

3.7% Year 9 or below +8.3 pts ▸ 12.0%

5.3% Year 11 +1.8 pts ▸ 7.1%

Highest qualification level

33.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +12.4 pts 21.1%

18.2% Certificate III / IV +14.8 pts ▸ 33.0%

15.2% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.5 pts ▸ 15.7%

9.2% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.0 pts 5.2%

2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.5 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.4% Certificate I / II +1.0 pts ▸ 2.4%

Field of qualification

16.5% Management & commerce +0.2 pts ▸ 16.7%

13.8% Society & culture ◂ +2.0 pts 11.8%

10.2% Health +1.9 pts ▸ 12.2%

6.7% Engineering & related +5.1 pts ▸ 11.7%

10.7% Creative arts ◂ +7.8 pts 2.8%

6.8% Education +3.2 pts ▸ 10.0%

6.6% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 6.5%

6.1% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.1 pts 6.0%

2.1% Agriculture & environment +1.0 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.9 pts 2.1%

1.2% Information technology +0.5 pts ▸ 1.7%

Income

Personal income in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +$149 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$837 81st pct $688 35th pct

Household income in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +$392 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$1,748 79th pct $1,356 43rd pct

Family income in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +$413 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,091 77th pct $1,678 32nd pct

Household income distribution

23.3% $650–$1,499 +8.5 pts ▸ 31.8%

27.8% $1,500–$2,999 even 27.8%

17.1% Under $650 +2.4 pts ▸ 19.5%

13.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +7.1 pts 6.4%

9.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 7.4%

Personal income distribution

33.5% Under $650 +10.4 pts ▸ 43.9%

35.3% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.3 pts 33.1%

14.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 12.9%

5.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.5 pts 2.4%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

6.2% Arthritis +6.1 pts ▸ 12.2%

7.1% Mental health +3.7 pts ▸ 10.8%

6.7% Other condition +2.0 pts ▸ 8.8%

5.8% Asthma +2.8 pts ▸ 8.6%

2.8% Heart disease +2.6 pts ▸ 5.5%

1.8% Diabetes +2.8 pts ▸ 4.6%

2.7% Cancer +1.1 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.5% Lung condition +1.5 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.8% Stroke +0.4 pts ▸ 1.3%

0.6% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.1% None ◂ +9.1 pts 58.0%

15.9% One condition +5.5 pts ▸ 21.4%

4.1% Two conditions +3.4 pts ▸ 7.5%

1.7% Three or more +2.7 pts ▸ 4.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour even gap narrowing

2.4 43rd pct 2.4 43rd pct

Family composition

50.0% Couples with children +0.1 pts ▸ 50.1%

34.5% Couples without children ◂ +3.2 pts 31.3%

14.5% One-parent families +3.1 pts ▸ 17.6%

0.9% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

Household size

33.6% 2 people +2.8 pts ▸ 36.4%

29.1% 1 person ◂ +1.2 pts 27.9%

16.3% 3 people ◂ +2.1 pts 14.2%

13.9% 4 people ◂ +1.4 pts 12.5%

5.1% 5 people +0.6 pts ▸ 5.7%

1.9% 6 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +$245 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$620 100th pct $375 83rd pct

Mortgage in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +$607 higher in Byron Bay gap widening

$2,340 100th pct $1,733 71st pct

People / bedroom in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +0.10 higher in Byron Bay gap steady

0.90 100th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

34.7% Owned outright +2.5 pts ▸ 37.2%

36.8% Rented ◂ +6.7 pts 30.1%

24.3% Owned with a mortgage +4.7 pts ▸ 29.0%

2.2% Other tenure ◂ +0.3 pts 1.9%

2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 1.7%

Types of homes

61.6% Separate house +12.9 pts ▸ 74.6%

25.2% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +12.8 pts 12.4%

8.0% Flat or apartment +2.9 pts ▸ 10.9%

4.0% Other dwelling ◂ +2.4 pts 1.7%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.6 pts 39.9%

21.9% 4 bedrooms +5.4 pts ▸ 27.3%

18.0% 2 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 19.3%

9.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +5.1 pts 4.2%

6.0% 5 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 7.1%

1.8% Studio / none ◂ +1.3 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

16.2% $350–$549 +31.7 pts ▸ 47.9%

30.6% $750 or more ◂ +29.6 pts 1.0%

11.8% $200–$349 +16.9 pts ▸ 28.7%

28.6% $550–$749 ◂ +19.8 pts 8.8%

7.6% Under $200 +2.5 pts ▸ 10.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

27.6% $1,800–$2,999 +7.0 pts ▸ 34.6%

18.3% $1,000–$1,799 +14.7 pts ▸ 33.0%

32.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +23.1 pts 9.3%

14.7% Under $1,000 +2.6 pts ▸ 17.3%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

44.2% Car (driver) +21.8 pts ▸ 66.0%

25.8% Worked at home ◂ +15.3 pts 10.5%

2.5% Car (passenger) +3.1 pts ▸ 5.6%

5.2% Walked ◂ +2.9 pts 2.3%

4.0% Bicycle ◂ +3.3 pts 0.7%

0.2% Bus +0.5 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle even 38.5%

36.7% 2 vehicles +0.8 pts ▸ 37.5%

12.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.6 pts 11.9%

7.0% 4 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 6.4%

5.3% No vehicle +0.4 pts ▸ 5.7%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

20.1% Accommodation & food ◂ +10.9 pts 9.2%

12.1% Health care & social assistance +7.3 pts ▸ 19.4%

8.6% Retail trade +2.2 pts ▸ 10.8%

8.0% Construction +1.7 pts ▸ 9.8%

9.6% Professional & technical ◂ +5.0 pts 4.5%

7.3% Education & training +1.9 pts ▸ 9.2%

2.2% Public administration & safety +4.1 pts ▸ 6.3%

1.6% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +3.8 pts ▸ 5.3%

4.5% Administrative & support ◂ +0.9 pts 3.6%

3.3% Other services +0.7 pts ▸ 4.0%

3.3% Manufacturing ◂ +0.4 pts 2.9%

1.9% Transport & warehousing +1.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +5.3 pts 19.9%

17.7% Managers ◂ +5.5 pts 12.2%

13.8% Community & personal service +0.7 pts ▸ 14.4%

13.7% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.6 pts 13.0%

7.3% Clerical & administrative +4.9 pts ▸ 12.2%

9.1% Labourers +3.0 pts ▸ 12.2%

8.3% Sales workers +1.5 pts ▸ 9.8%

2.3% Machinery operators & drivers +2.3 pts ▸ 4.6%

Walkability

Walk score in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +1.8 higher in Byron Bay

6.6 96th pct 4.8 45th pct

Types ≤15 min in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +1.6 more in Byron Bay

6.3 94th pct 4.7 45th pct

15-min city in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +21.0 pts higher in Byron Bay

72.7% 87th pct 51.7% 45th pct

Walk to shops in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +25.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

78.7% 95th pct 52.8% 46th pct

Walk to transit in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +16.7 pts higher in Byron Bay

92.5% 87th pct 75.9% 36th pct

Walk to school in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +5.7 pts higher in Byron Bay

61.0% 41st pct 55.2% 29th pct

Walk to a park in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +10.9 pts higher in Byron Bay

94.8% 82nd pct 83.9% 33rd pct

Walk to health in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +30.4 pts higher in Byron Bay

70.3% 98th pct 39.9% 48th pct

Amenities/1k in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +12.8 more in Byron Bay

26.8 88th pct 13.9 43rd pct

Intersections/km² in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +17 higher in Byron Bay

33 72nd pct 15 39th pct

Mean slope in Byron Bay in Coffs Harbour +1.9 pts higher in Coffs Harbour

4.7% 41st pct 6.6% 75th 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 Coffs Harbour with nearby areas

Grafton Kempsey Ballina Lismore Byron Bay Port Macquarie Armidale Camden Haven Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Taree Warwick Forster - Tuncurry

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Byron Bay vs Coffs Harbour [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1008/byron-bay/vs/1011/coffs-harbour