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Central Coast vs Hervey Bay

Urban Area comparison ≈ 909 km apart · Central Coast profile · Hervey Bay profile

Central Coast Hervey Bay

Central Coast and Hervey Bay are both regional areas, but they differ significantly in their accessibility and wealth. Central Coast is somewhat walkable, with 57.2% of homes in a 15-minute-city walkshed and 93.4% within a short walk of public transport. In contrast, Hervey Bay is mostly car-dependent, with 0.0% of homes near public transport. This difference extends to incomes; the typical weekly household income in Central Coast is well higher at $1,499, compared to $1,083 in Hervey Bay.

Everyday life shares several commonalities in both places, such as having nearly identical shares of volunteers and people living alone. However, the gap in age has widened since 2011, with residents now far older in Hervey Bay, where the typical age is 51. This older population is reflected in the fact that Hervey Bay has a well higher share of seniors, at 31.9% compared to 22.2% in Central Coast.

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Where they differ most

Population: 285,458 larger in Central Coast Work from home: 18.6 pts higher in Central Coast Family income: $636 higher in Central Coast Recent movers: 9.2 pts higher in Hervey Bay Household size: 0.2 larger in Central Coast

Demographics & Identity

Population in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +285,458 larger in Central Coast gap widening
343,180 86th pct 57,722 65th pct
Median age in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +8 yrs older in Hervey Bay gap widening
43 yrs 64th pct 51 yrs 91st pct
First Nations in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.2 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
4.9% 45th pct 4.8% 43rd pct
Aged 65+ in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +9.7 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap widening
22.2% 65th pct 31.9% 93rd pct
Under 15 in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +2.6 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
18.0% 46th pct 15.4% 11th pct
De facto in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.8 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
11.8% 28th pct 11.0% 14th pct

Age structure

22.2% Seniors (65+) +9.7 pts ▸ 31.9%
25.6% Older adults (45–64) +0.1 pts ▸ 25.7%
23.0% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +5.0 pts 18.0%
18.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +2.6 pts 15.4%
11.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.2 pts 8.9%

Marital status

44.5% Married +3.4 pts ▸ 47.8%
33.7% Never married ◂ +6.6 pts 27.1%
11.2% Divorced +1.3 pts ▸ 12.5%
6.6% Widowed +1.6 pts ▸ 8.2%
4.0% Separated +0.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Age & sex structure

Central Coast Hervey Bay

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +2.3 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
16.1% 69th pct 18.4% 78th pct

Country of birth

78.9% Australia ◂ +3.5 pts 75.5%
4.6% England +1.2 pts ▸ 5.7%
1.7% New Zealand +1.8 pts ▸ 3.5%
0.7% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.7% India ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%
0.6% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% China ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.3% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Nepal even 0.1%
0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

42.6% English +2.7 pts ▸ 45.3%
39.8% Australian ◂ +2.8 pts 37.0%
12.0% Irish ◂ +1.6 pts 10.5%
10.5% Scottish +0.6 pts ▸ 11.1%
3.3% German +3.8 pts ▸ 7.1%
2.8% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 2.0%
1.5% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.5% Chinese ◂ +0.6 pts 0.9%
1.1% Filipino even 1.1%
1.0% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%
0.8% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Language

Other language in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +2.1 pts higher in Central Coast gap widening
7.1% 57th pct 5.1% 29th pct
Limited English in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.4 pts higher in Central Coast gap steady
0.9% 59th pct 0.4% 19th pct

Language used at home

87.7% English only +1.5 pts ▸ 89.1%
0.6% Mandarin ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.3% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.3% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.3% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Punjabi even 0.1%
0.2% Hindi even 0.1%
0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.4 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap steady
40.0% 37th pct 41.3% 43rd pct

Religious affiliation

50.8% Christianity ◂ +2.5 pts 48.4%
40.0% No religion +1.4 pts ▸ 41.3%
6.5% Not stated +1.5 pts ▸ 8.0%
1.0% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%
0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%
0.5% Other religions even 0.5%
0.4% Islam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +6.4 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
47.2% 63rd pct 40.7% 31st pct
Bachelor+ in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +4.8 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
17.8% 65th pct 13.0% 29th pct

Highest year of school

47.2% Year 12 ◂ +6.4 pts 40.7%
29.2% Year 10 +0.8 pts ▸ 29.9%
10.7% Year 9 or below +2.7 pts ▸ 13.4%
6.4% Year 11 +1.8 pts ▸ 8.2%

Highest qualification level

34.2% Certificate III / IV +3.7 pts ▸ 38.0%
20.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.3 pts 16.2%
15.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.7 pts 15.2%
5.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.9 pts 3.9%
2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.1 pts 2.8%
2.3% Certificate I / II +0.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

Field of qualification

18.7% Management & commerce ◂ +4.3 pts 14.4%
13.2% Engineering & related +1.8 pts ▸ 15.0%
11.9% Society & culture +0.6 pts ▸ 12.5%
11.0% Health +1.4 pts ▸ 12.5%
8.5% Education +0.3 pts ▸ 8.8%
7.4% Architecture & building ◂ +1.2 pts 6.1%
5.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.2 pts ▸ 6.8%
3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.8 pts 1.9%
2.1% Information technology ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%
1.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.6 pts 1.3%
1.9% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 1.7%

Income

Personal income in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +$174 higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
$726 48th pct $552 2nd pct
Household income in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +$416 higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
$1,499 57th pct $1,083 5th pct
Family income in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +$636 higher in Central Coast gap widening
$1,948 62nd pct $1,312 2nd pct
High earners in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +4.4 pts higher in Central Coast gap widening
9.7% 60th pct 5.2% 12th pct
High-income homes in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +9.3 pts higher in Central Coast gap widening
18.5% 72nd pct 9.2% 11th pct

Household income distribution

28.4% $650–$1,499 +9.0 pts ▸ 37.4%
28.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.9 pts 22.4%
18.4% Under $650 +4.5 pts ▸ 22.9%
9.3% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +4.2 pts 5.1%
9.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +5.2 pts 4.0%

Personal income distribution

42.5% Under $650 +10.0 pts ▸ 52.5%
31.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.1 pts 27.6%
15.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.6 pts 9.9%
3.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 1.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +5.8 pts higher in Hervey Bay
34.0% 62nd pct 39.8% 94th pct
Mental health in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.3 pts higher in Hervey Bay
11.0% 60th pct 12.3% 85th pct
Needs assistance in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.7 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
7.1% 59th pct 10.8% 98th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.5% Arthritis +4.7 pts ▸ 16.2%
11.0% Mental health +1.3 pts ▸ 12.3%
9.0% Other condition +1.7 pts ▸ 10.7%
9.6% Asthma +0.1 pts ▸ 9.8%
5.0% Heart disease +2.5 pts ▸ 7.5%
5.5% Diabetes +1.3 pts ▸ 6.8%
3.7% Cancer +1.4 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.7% Lung condition +2.3 pts ▸ 5.0%
1.3% Stroke +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.1% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

58.1% None ◂ +6.6 pts 51.6%
21.9% One condition +1.1 pts ▸ 23.0%
7.7% Two conditions +2.2 pts ▸ 9.9%
4.4% Three or more +2.6 pts ▸ 7.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.4 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
12.1% 7th pct 12.5% 12th pct
Unpaid carers in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.8 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap widening
12.5% 41st pct 14.2% 87th pct
Unpaid child care in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +5.6 pts higher in Central Coast gap steady
25.7% 51st pct 20.2% 4th pct
Defence service in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +2.7 pts higher in Hervey Bay
2.8% 28th pct 5.5% 90th pct
Housework 15h+ in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.1 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
23.4% 77th pct 23.3% 76th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.2 larger in Central Coast gap narrowing
2.5 71st pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.7 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
17.5% 61st pct 18.1% 71st pct
Living alone in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.3 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
27.4% 34th pct 27.6% 38th pct

Family composition

53.9% Couples with children ◂ +12.6 pts 41.3%
27.7% Couples without children +11.8 pts ▸ 39.5%
17.5% One-parent families +0.7 pts ▸ 18.1%
0.9% Other families +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%

Household size

34.3% 2 people +8.6 pts ▸ 42.9%
27.4% 1 person +0.3 pts ▸ 27.6%
14.9% 3 people ◂ +2.3 pts 12.6%
14.5% 4 people ◂ +4.7 pts 9.7%
6.1% 5 people ◂ +1.6 pts 4.5%
2.9% 6 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +$65 higher in Central Coast gap steady
$400 90th pct $335 66th pct
Mortgage in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +$592 higher in Central Coast gap widening
$2,000 88th pct $1,408 36th pct
People / bedroom in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.10 higher in Central Coast gap widening
0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.1 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
27.6% 32nd pct 27.7% 33rd pct
Owned outright in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +8.8 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap widening
34.5% 55th pct 43.3% 89th pct
Separate houses in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.9 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
78.2% 25th pct 82.2% 38th pct
3+ bedrooms in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.2 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
75.2% 30th pct 78.4% 55th pct

How homes are owned or rented

34.5% Owned outright +8.8 pts ▸ 43.3%
33.9% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +9.3 pts 24.6%
27.6% Rented +0.1 pts ▸ 27.7%
2.5% Other tenure even 2.5%
1.5% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%

Types of homes

78.2% Separate house +3.9 pts ▸ 82.2%
12.0% Townhouse / semi-detached +0.4 pts ▸ 12.5%
8.8% Flat or apartment ◂ +5.8 pts 3.0%
0.7% Other dwelling +1.0 pts ▸ 1.8%

Bedrooms per home

38.8% 3 bedrooms +0.3 pts ▸ 39.0%
28.1% 4 bedrooms +6.2 pts ▸ 34.3%
19.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +3.1 pts 16.2%
8.4% 5 or more ◂ +3.3 pts 5.1%
3.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.5 pts 3.1%
0.4% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

53.7% $350–$549 ◂ +11.6 pts 42.1%
20.9% $200–$349 +22.2 pts ▸ 43.1%
10.2% $550–$749 ◂ +8.5 pts 1.7%
9.8% Under $200 ◂ +0.1 pts 9.7%
2.3% $750 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 0.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

26.2% $1,000–$1,799 +19.9 pts ▸ 46.1%
37.9% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +17.2 pts 20.7%
13.8% Under $1,000 +8.2 pts ▸ 22.0%
16.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +11.2 pts 5.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.3 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
6.5% 57th pct 6.3% 52nd pct
Work from home in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +18.6 pts higher in Central Coast gap widening
25.4% 98th pct 6.9% 39th pct
PT commute in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.0 pts higher in Central Coast gap steady
1.3% 76th pct 0.4% 32nd pct

How people get to work

49.3% Car (driver) +19.7 pts ▸ 69.0%
25.4% Worked at home ◂ +18.6 pts 6.9%
3.3% Car (passenger) +2.6 pts ▸ 5.8%
1.3% Walked +0.9 pts ▸ 2.2%
0.2% Bicycle +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.8% Train ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.6% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

38.2% 1 vehicle +5.0 pts ▸ 43.3%
36.4% 2 vehicles ◂ +1.9 pts 34.5%
11.9% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.2 pts 10.7%
6.9% 4 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 5.3%
6.5% No vehicle ◂ +0.3 pts 6.3%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +9.2 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
37.5% 30th pct 46.7% 88th pct
Recent arrivals in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +0.3 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
6.9% 13th pct 7.2% 15th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.3 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap steady
4.7% 48th pct 8.0% 97th pct
Participation in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +11.9 pts higher in Central Coast gap narrowing
55.6% 38th pct 43.6% 2nd pct
Full-time in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.4 pts higher in Hervey Bay gap narrowing
52.6% 13th pct 54.0% 20th pct

Industries people work in

17.8% Health care & social assistance +6.2 pts ▸ 24.0%
10.2% Retail trade +1.4 pts ▸ 11.6%
11.5% Construction ◂ +2.4 pts 9.1%
7.0% Accommodation & food +2.4 pts ▸ 9.4%
8.2% Education & training +0.9 pts ▸ 9.1%
6.1% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.4 pts 5.7%
6.0% Professional & technical ◂ +2.5 pts 3.5%
5.9% Manufacturing ◂ +2.3 pts 3.6%
3.8% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 4.3%
3.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.7 pts 3.1%
3.3% Administrative & support even 3.2%
3.3% Finance & insurance ◂ +2.1 pts 1.1%

Occupations people work in

20.4% Professionals ◂ +1.4 pts 19.0%
13.0% Community & personal service +5.0 pts ▸ 18.0%
14.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.9 pts 13.7%
13.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.3 pts 10.8%
12.2% Managers ◂ +2.9 pts 9.3%
9.7% Labourers +1.4 pts ▸ 11.1%
9.2% Sales workers +1.5 pts ▸ 10.7%
6.0% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.5 pts 5.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +2.4 higher in Central Coast
5.4 66th pct 3.0 10th pct
Types ≤15 min in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +1.8 more in Central Coast
5.1 62nd pct 3.3 11th pct
15-min city in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +24.8 pts higher in Central Coast
57.2% 58th pct 32.4% 9th pct
Walk to shops in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.2 pts higher in Hervey Bay
50.8% 40th pct 54.0% 49th pct
Walk to transit in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +93.4 pts higher in Central Coast
93.4% 89th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to school in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +10.8 pts higher in Central Coast
61.6% 43rd pct 50.9% 24th pct
Walk to a park in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +6.8 pts higher in Central Coast
92.9% 71st pct 86.1% 39th pct
Walk to health in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +20.6 pts higher in Central Coast
38.9% 43rd pct 18.3% 9th pct
Amenities/1k in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +12.0 more in Central Coast
16.9 62nd pct 4.9 0th pct
Intersections/km² in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +35 higher in Hervey Bay
21 56th pct 56 89th pct
Mean slope in Central Coastin Hervey Bay +3.5 pts higher in Central Coast
7.8% 89th pct 4.3% 33rd pct

Compare Central Coast with nearby areas

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

Compare Hervey Bay with nearby areas

Maryborough Bundaberg Gympie Sunshine Coast Kingaroy Gladstone Brisbane Toowoomba Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Yeppoon Warwick Rockhampton

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Central Coast vs Hervey Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1010/central-coast/vs/3009/hervey-bay