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Kempsey vs Nelson Bay

Urban Area comparison ≈ 199 km apart · Kempsey profile · Nelson Bay profile

Kempsey Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay and Kempsey are two different New South Wales hubs located about 199 km apart. Nelson Bay is much older, with a typical resident aged 54 and 33.9% of people aged 65 and over. It also has a far higher share of people born overseas (16.8%) and those who work from home (19.5%). In contrast, Kempsey has a much larger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 18.3% and a higher share of one-parent families, at 26.8%. Housing also differs, as separate houses are far more common in Kempsey (90.6%) than in Nelson Bay (67.2%).

Both areas are very similar in that about 29% of their residents live alone. While they share this trait, other gaps are widening. The age difference between the two has grown from 2 to 12 years since 2011, and the gap in typical weekly rents has increased to $105. Nelson Bay's lead in home ownership and higher education has also grown over time, while the difference in their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations has flipped since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 23.4 pts higher in Kempsey Population: 12,764 larger in Nelson Bay Median age: 12 yrs older in Nelson Bay One-parent: 12.8 pts higher in Kempsey Born overseas: 10.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay

Demographics & Identity

Population in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +12,764 larger in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
15,654 18th pct 28,418 47th pct
Median age in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +12 yrs older in Nelson Bay gap widening
42 yrs 57th pct 54 yrs 96th pct
First Nations in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +14.6 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
18.3% 96th pct 3.7% 29th pct
Aged 65+ in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +11.4 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
22.6% 66th pct 33.9% 96th pct
Under 15 in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +4.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
18.3% 53rd pct 13.4% 2nd pct
De facto in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
12.7% 56th pct 9.9% 0th pct

Age structure

22.6% Seniors (65+) +11.4 pts ▸ 33.9%
24.3% Older adults (45–64) +3.4 pts ▸ 27.7%
22.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +6.8 pts 15.9%
18.3% Children (0–14) ◂ +4.8 pts 13.4%
12.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +3.2 pts 9.0%

Marital status

35.9% Married +16.1 pts ▸ 52.0%
41.2% Never married ◂ +16.2 pts 25.0%
10.6% Divorced +1.2 pts ▸ 11.8%
7.6% Widowed +0.3 pts ▸ 7.9%
4.7% Separated ◂ +1.3 pts 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Kempsey Nelson Bay

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +10.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
6.6% 0th pct 16.8% 72nd pct

Country of birth

84.4% Australia ◂ +6.1 pts 78.3%
1.6% England +4.1 pts ▸ 5.7%
0.7% New Zealand +0.9 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.7% Philippines ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.1% South Africa +0.6 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% Italy +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.4% India even 0.3%
0.1% Nepal +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.3% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

38.1% English +7.9 pts ▸ 46.0%
39.6% Australian ◂ +2.5 pts 37.1%
9.7% Irish +3.1 pts ▸ 12.8%
7.6% Scottish +4.7 pts ▸ 12.3%
2.9% German +1.5 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.0% Italian +1.5 pts ▸ 2.5%
0.6% Dutch +0.9 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.9% Filipino ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%
0.3% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.6% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Language

Other language in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
2.9% 2nd pct 5.1% 30th pct
Limited English in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
0.2% 0th pct 0.5% 28th pct

Language used at home

84.4% English only +5.2 pts ▸ 89.6%
0.0% Italian +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Mandarin even 0.2%
0.2% Tagalog even 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
35.5% 15th pct 37.7% 26th pct

Religious affiliation

48.5% Christianity +5.8 pts ▸ 54.3%
35.5% No religion +2.2 pts ▸ 37.7%
14.6% Not stated ◂ +8.4 pts 6.2%
0.4% Buddhism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.2% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +14.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
28.7% 0th pct 43.3% 46th pct
Bachelor+ in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +8.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
7.7% 0th pct 16.3% 58th pct

Highest year of school

28.7% Year 12 +14.6 pts ▸ 43.3%
30.8% Year 10 +0.8 pts ▸ 31.6%
18.0% Year 9 or below ◂ +6.7 pts 11.4%
6.4% Year 11 +0.5 pts ▸ 6.9%

Highest qualification level

37.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.5 pts 34.7%
10.4% Bachelor degree +7.5 pts ▸ 17.9%
10.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +6.9 pts ▸ 17.3%
1.6% Postgraduate degree +3.6 pts ▸ 5.2%
1.7% Graduate diploma / certificate +1.3 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.9% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.7 pts 2.2%

Field of qualification

13.2% Management & commerce +5.6 pts ▸ 18.8%
11.5% Engineering & related +5.7 pts ▸ 17.2%
11.3% Society & culture ◂ +1.4 pts 9.8%
9.3% Health even 9.3%
6.6% Education +2.3 pts ▸ 8.8%
5.3% Architecture & building +1.5 pts ▸ 6.8%
5.1% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.1 pts ▸ 6.2%
1.4% Creative arts +1.2 pts ▸ 2.6%
0.8% Natural & physical sciences +1.6 pts ▸ 2.4%
2.2% Agriculture & environment +0.1 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.9% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%

Income

Personal income in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +$101 higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
$542 0th pct $643 21st pct
Household income in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +$190 higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
$1,081 5th pct $1,271 30th pct
Family income in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +$254 higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
$1,340 4th pct $1,594 24th pct
High earners in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +4.8 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
3.3% 0th pct 8.1% 46th pct
High-income homes in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +5.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
7.7% 3rd pct 13.5% 39th pct

Household income distribution

36.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.5 pts 33.8%
23.8% $1,500–$2,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 25.2%
23.8% Under $650 ◂ +3.4 pts 20.5%
3.1% $4,000 or more +3.8 pts ▸ 6.8%
4.7% $3,000–$3,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 6.6%

Personal income distribution

48.3% Under $650 ◂ +1.3 pts 47.0%
27.1% $650–$1,499 +3.1 pts ▸ 30.2%
7.2% $1,500–$2,999 +5.6 pts ▸ 12.9%
0.9% $3,000 or more +2.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.8 pts higher in Nelson Bay
36.8% 83rd pct 37.6% 87th pct
Mental health in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.8 pts higher in Kempsey
12.6% 88th pct 9.8% 37th pct
Needs assistance in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
11.0% 100th pct 7.1% 60th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.1% Arthritis +2.6 pts ▸ 15.7%
12.6% Mental health ◂ +2.8 pts 9.8%
10.9% Asthma ◂ +2.7 pts 8.3%
9.3% Other condition ◂ +0.4 pts 8.9%
7.0% Diabetes ◂ +0.9 pts 6.1%
5.9% Heart disease +0.7 pts ▸ 6.5%
3.5% Cancer +1.6 pts ▸ 5.1%
3.6% Lung condition ◂ +0.7 pts 2.9%
2.0% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 1.3%
1.5% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

47.2% None +7.3 pts ▸ 54.5%
21.8% One condition +2.0 pts ▸ 23.8%
8.8% Two conditions +0.3 pts ▸ 9.1%
6.2% Three or more ◂ +1.5 pts 4.7%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
12.1% 7th pct 15.9% 60th pct
Unpaid carers in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.0 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
14.2% 85th pct 13.2% 56th pct
Unpaid child care in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.6 pts higher in Kempsey gap narrowing
22.1% 12th pct 20.5% 5th pct
Defence service in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.5 pts higher in Nelson Bay
3.3% 56th pct 5.8% 91st pct
Housework 15h+ in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
20.8% 37th pct 24.1% 86th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.2 larger in Kempsey gap widening
2.5 71st pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +12.8 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
26.8% 100th pct 14.0% 20th pct
Living alone in Kempseyin Nelson Bay even gap narrowing
28.9% 55th pct 29.0% 56th pct

Family composition

43.4% Couples with children +0.5 pts ▸ 43.9%
28.0% Couples without children +13.3 pts ▸ 41.3%
26.8% One-parent families ◂ +12.8 pts 14.0%
1.8% Other families ◂ +1.1 pts 0.7%

Household size

35.0% 2 people +7.8 pts ▸ 42.9%
28.9% 1 person even 29.0%
14.4% 3 people ◂ +3.0 pts 11.4%
11.0% 4 people ◂ +0.7 pts 10.3%
6.1% 5 people ◂ +1.7 pts 4.4%
4.4% 6 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 2.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +$105 higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
$285 37th pct $390 88th pct
Mortgage in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +$555 higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
$1,300 29th pct $1,855 80th pct
People / bedroom in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.10 higher in Kempsey gap widening
0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +6.1 pts higher in Kempsey gap narrowing
29.5% 42nd pct 23.4% 14th pct
Owned outright in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +10.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
37.1% 71st pct 47.8% 97th pct
Separate houses in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +23.4 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
90.6% 89th pct 67.2% 9th pct
3+ bedrooms in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
75.2% 30th pct 76.8% 41st pct

How homes are owned or rented

37.1% Owned outright +10.7 pts ▸ 47.8%
29.5% Rented ◂ +6.1 pts 23.4%
29.3% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +5.0 pts 24.3%
1.5% Other tenure +1.7 pts ▸ 3.2%
2.7% Not stated ◂ +1.3 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

90.6% Separate house ◂ +23.4 pts 67.2%
2.0% Townhouse / semi-detached +21.0 pts ▸ 23.0%
5.9% Flat or apartment +2.1 pts ▸ 8.0%
1.2% Other dwelling even 1.2%

Bedrooms per home

46.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +5.5 pts 41.4%
22.6% 4 bedrooms +5.7 pts ▸ 28.3%
17.6% 2 bedrooms +1.3 pts ▸ 18.9%
5.7% 5 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 7.1%
3.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.8 pts 2.8%
0.6% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

53.2% $200–$349 ◂ +27.9 pts 25.3%
25.1% $350–$549 +27.0 pts ▸ 52.2%
16.6% Under $200 ◂ +7.6 pts 9.0%
0.7% $550–$749 +8.3 pts ▸ 9.0%
0.0% $750 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%

Monthly mortgage distribution

44.9% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +18.0 pts 26.9%
17.4% $1,800–$2,999 +17.7 pts ▸ 35.1%
26.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +8.3 pts 18.5%
3.8% $3,000 or more +9.7 pts ▸ 13.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.0 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
7.4% 79th pct 4.4% 18th pct
Work from home in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +13.8 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
5.8% 30th pct 19.5% 89th pct
PT commute in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
0.4% 30th pct 0.6% 48th pct

How people get to work

69.1% Car (driver) ◂ +16.9 pts 52.1%
5.8% Worked at home +13.8 pts ▸ 19.5%
6.5% Car (passenger) ◂ +2.8 pts 3.7%
2.5% Walked +0.1 pts ▸ 2.6%
0.4% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.6% 1 vehicle +3.7 pts ▸ 41.3%
33.9% 2 vehicles +4.3 pts ▸ 38.2%
13.0% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.5 pts 10.5%
8.1% 4 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 5.6%
7.4% No vehicle ◂ +3.0 pts 4.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +9.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
32.7% 8th pct 42.4% 67th pct
Recent arrivals in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +2.9 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
5.7% 6th pct 8.5% 22nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.9 pts higher in Kempsey gap widening
8.6% 100th pct 4.7% 46th pct
Participation in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.4 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
43.4% 1st pct 46.9% 8th pct
Full-time in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.3 pts higher in Kempsey gap steady
52.5% 13th pct 49.2% 6th pct

Industries people work in

21.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +7.7 pts 13.8%
12.9% Retail trade ◂ +2.3 pts 10.6%
8.2% Accommodation & food +4.2 pts ▸ 12.4%
7.7% Construction +3.2 pts ▸ 10.9%
8.8% Education & training ◂ +0.6 pts 8.2%
7.1% Public administration & safety +0.3 pts ▸ 7.4%
6.5% Manufacturing ◂ +1.8 pts 4.7%
2.3% Professional & technical +3.6 pts ▸ 5.9%
4.3% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.4 pts 3.8%
3.6% Other services +0.3 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.8% Administrative & support +0.1 pts ▸ 3.8%
3.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +2.0 pts 1.0%

Occupations people work in

19.5% Community & personal service ◂ +5.1 pts 14.4%
14.3% Professionals +2.8 pts ▸ 17.1%
12.5% Technicians & trades +4.0 pts ▸ 16.6%
13.8% Labourers ◂ +3.6 pts 10.1%
9.6% Managers +3.2 pts ▸ 12.9%
10.5% Clerical & administrative +1.5 pts ▸ 12.0%
10.5% Sales workers ◂ +0.5 pts 10.0%
7.4% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.5 pts 5.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.0 higher in Nelson Bay
4.1 27th pct 5.1 53rd pct
Types ≤15 min in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +0.7 more in Nelson Bay
3.9 23rd pct 4.6 42nd pct
15-min city in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +8.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay
45.4% 29th pct 54.2% 51st pct
Walk to shops in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.1 pts higher in Kempsey
48.6% 33rd pct 47.4% 30th pct
Walk to transit in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +26.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay
69.7% 28th pct 96.0% 98th pct
Walk to school in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +20.2 pts higher in Kempsey
56.6% 32nd pct 36.4% 10th pct
Walk to a park in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +24.0 pts higher in Nelson Bay
70.6% 12th pct 94.6% 81st pct
Walk to health in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +3.7 pts higher in Kempsey
34.8% 30th pct 31.1% 22nd pct
Amenities/1k in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +10.2 more in Kempsey
30.2 91st pct 20.0 75th pct
Intersections/km² in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +17 higher in Nelson Bay
10 24th pct 27 64th pct
Mean slope in Kempseyin Nelson Bay +1.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay
6.5% 72nd pct 7.6% 88th pct

Compare Kempsey with nearby areas

Port Macquarie Camden Haven Taree Coffs Harbour Forster - Tuncurry Armidale Grafton Nelson Bay Tamworth Medowie Newcastle - Maitland Singleton

Compare Nelson Bay with nearby areas

Medowie Newcastle - Maitland Forster - Tuncurry Morisset - Cooranbong Singleton Taree Central Coast Muswellbrook Camden Haven Port Macquarie Sydney Kempsey

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Kempsey vs Nelson Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1017/kempsey/vs/1024/nelson-bay