# Lithgow vs Morisset - Cooranbong — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Area comparison · about 130 km apart

Morisset - Cooranbong and Lithgow are two different kinds of New South Wales hubs. Lithgow is a very walkable area where 73.8% of homes are in a 15-minute-city walkshed, while Morisset - Cooranbong is mostly car-dependent at 30.9%. The two areas differ sharply in their housing and workforce; Lithgow has a far higher share of people living alone (38.1% compared to 25.3%), while Morisset - Cooranbong has far more people working from home (20.1% versus 9.7%). Morisset - Cooranbong also sees more movement, with 42.9% of residents having moved in the last five years compared to 31.9% in Lithgow.

These areas have tracked in different directions since 2011, with the gap in people working from home and the difference in typical rents widening. Despite these diverging trends, they share several similarities, including a nearly identical proportion of people aged 65 and over (about 26%). Both areas also have very similar rates of people who served in the Defence Force and those who use another language at home.

## Where they differ most

- Population: 15,443 larger in Morisset - Cooranbong
- Living alone: 12.8 pts higher in Lithgow
- No car: 7.3 pts higher in Lithgow
- Household size: 0.3 larger in Morisset - Cooranbong
- Recent movers: 11.0 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 12,385 | 27,828 | 15,443 larger in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| Median age | 46 yrs | 45 yrs | 1 yrs older in Lithgow | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 8.3% | 5.8% | 2.6 pts higher in Lithgow | gap widening |
| Aged 65+ | 25.5% | 26.1% | 0.6 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 16.0% | 17.1% | 1.0 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 10.2% | 11.0% | 0.8 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |

### Age structure

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seniors (65+) | 25.5% | 26.1% | -0.6 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 26.0% | 24.2% | +1.8 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 22.1% | 21.5% | +0.6 |
| Children (0–14) | 16.0% | 17.1% | -1.0 |
| Youth (15–24) | 10.2% | 11.2% | -0.9 |

### Marital status

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 40.0% | 47.6% | -7.5 |
| Never married | 35.8% | 31.2% | +4.6 |
| Divorced | 12.0% | 10.2% | +1.8 |
| Widowed | 8.1% | 7.5% | +0.6 |
| Separated | 4.1% | 3.6% | +0.6 |

### Age profile

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

| Age band | Lithgow male | Lithgow female | Morisset - Cooranbong male | Morisset - Cooranbong female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| 5–9 | 3.0% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| 10–14 | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| 15–19 | 2.8% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| 20–24 | 2.9% | 2.2% | 3.0% | 2.7% |
| 25–29 | 3.4% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| 30–34 | 3.0% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| 35–39 | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| 40–44 | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| 45–49 | 2.9% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| 50–54 | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 2.9% |
| 55–59 | 3.2% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| 60–64 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| 65–69 | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| 70–74 | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| 75–79 | 2.4% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 2.9% |
| 80–84 | 1.6% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 85+ | 1.1% | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.4% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 10.5% | 13.0% | 2.5 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |

### Country of birth

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 82.2% | 83.0% | -0.9 |
| England | 2.2% | 3.3% | -1.1 |
| New Zealand | 1.1% | 2.3% | -1.2 |
| Philippines | 0.7% | 0.5% | +0.2 |
| South Africa | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.4 |
| India | 0.6% | 0.3% | +0.3 |
| China | 0.4% | 0.1% | +0.3 |
| Italy | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Vietnam | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Nepal | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 40.4% | 45.1% | -4.7 |
| Australian | 41.9% | 42.0% | -0.1 |
| Irish | 11.5% | 10.5% | +1.0 |
| Scottish | 11.3% | 11.1% | +0.3 |
| German | 3.1% | 4.2% | -1.1 |
| Italian | 1.7% | 2.2% | -0.5 |
| Dutch | 0.9% | 1.7% | -0.8 |
| Filipino | 1.1% | 0.7% | +0.4 |
| Chinese | 1.0% | 0.7% | +0.3 |
| Indian | 0.6% | 0.5% | +0.1 |
| Greek | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.2 |

## Language

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 4.9% | 4.6% | 0.3 pts higher in Lithgow | gap steady |
| Limited English | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.1 pts higher in Lithgow | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 86.5% | 91.3% | -4.8 |
| Italian | 0.3% | 0.1% | +0.2 |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Cantonese | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Tagalog | 0.2% | 0.2% | +0.0 |
| Arabic | 0.2% | 0.2% | +0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Greek | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Punjabi | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Hindi | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 34.9% | 38.3% | 3.4 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 52.6% | 54.1% | -1.5 |
| No religion | 34.9% | 38.3% | -3.4 |
| Not stated | 10.0% | 6.1% | +3.9 |
| Buddhism | 0.8% | 0.6% | +0.2 |
| Hinduism | 0.6% | 0.3% | +0.4 |
| Other religions | 0.6% | 0.3% | +0.3 |
| Islam | 0.4% | 0.3% | +0.1 |
| Judaism | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.1 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 34.0% | 40.3% | 6.3 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| Bachelor+ | 10.8% | 15.7% | 4.9 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 34.0% | 40.3% | -6.3 |
| Year 10 | 33.0% | 33.4% | -0.4 |
| Year 9 or below | 14.9% | 13.2% | +1.8 |
| Year 11 | 6.9% | 7.4% | -0.4 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 37.9% | 38.8% | -1.0 |
| Bachelor degree | 13.3% | 17.2% | -3.9 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 12.8% | 15.4% | -2.7 |
| Postgraduate degree | 3.2% | 5.8% | -2.6 |
| Certificate I / II | 3.0% | 2.6% | +0.4 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 2.7% | 2.8% | -0.1 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering & related | 19.3% | 17.1% | +2.3 |
| Management & commerce | 13.0% | 17.0% | -3.9 |
| Health | 9.7% | 12.4% | -2.7 |
| Society & culture | 9.6% | 11.0% | -1.4 |
| Education | 7.3% | 9.2% | -1.8 |
| Architecture & building | 4.2% | 7.5% | -3.3 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 6.1% | 5.3% | +0.8 |
| Creative arts | 2.5% | 2.6% | -0.1 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.3% | 1.9% | -0.6 |
| Agriculture & environment | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.0 |
| Information technology | 1.5% | 1.8% | -0.3 |

## Income

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $610 | $677 | $67 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| Household income | $1,088 | $1,420 | $332 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $1,510 | $1,772 | $262 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| High earners | 7.5% | 7.7% | 0.2 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| High-income homes | 11.7% | 15.8% | 4.1 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 31.7% | 30.4% | +1.3 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 22.5% | 28.2% | -5.7 |
| Under $650 | 27.1% | 18.5% | +8.5 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 5.7% | 8.7% | -3.0 |
| $4,000 or more | 6.0% | 7.2% | -1.1 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 46.8% | 44.9% | +1.9 |
| $650–$1,499 | 27.4% | 31.4% | -4.0 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 12.1% | 14.1% | -2.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 2.7% | 2.3% | +0.4 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 37.0% | 38.1% | 1.1 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong |  |
| Mental health | 11.8% | 12.5% | 0.7 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong |  |
| Needs assistance | 8.5% | 8.8% | 0.3 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 14.7% | 13.3% | +1.4 |
| Mental health | 11.8% | 12.5% | -0.7 |
| Asthma | 10.3% | 10.3% | +0.1 |
| Other condition | 8.7% | 10.2% | -1.5 |
| Diabetes | 7.2% | 6.4% | +0.8 |
| Heart disease | 6.0% | 6.4% | -0.4 |
| Cancer | 3.5% | 4.4% | -0.9 |
| Lung condition | 3.1% | 2.9% | +0.2 |
| Dementia | 1.3% | 1.7% | -0.4 |
| Stroke | 1.4% | 1.7% | -0.3 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 51.3% | 54.7% | -3.4 |
| One condition | 22.4% | 23.4% | -1.0 |
| Two conditions | 9.0% | 9.3% | -0.3 |
| Three or more | 5.7% | 5.5% | +0.2 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 13.5% | 15.0% | 1.5 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |
| Unpaid carers | 12.9% | 13.4% | 0.5 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 22.0% | 24.9% | 2.9 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| Defence service | 2.9% | 3.1% | 0.2 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 22.2% | 24.3% | 2.1 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 larger in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| One-parent | 21.2% | 16.0% | 5.3 pts higher in Lithgow | gap widening |
| Living alone | 38.1% | 25.3% | 12.8 pts higher in Lithgow | gap widening |

### Family composition

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 46.5% | 52.0% | -5.5 |
| Couples without children | 30.9% | 31.0% | -0.1 |
| One-parent families | 21.2% | 16.0% | +5.3 |
| Other families | 1.3% | 0.9% | +0.4 |

### Household size

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 person | 38.1% | 25.3% | +12.8 |
| 2 people | 34.2% | 36.7% | -2.5 |
| 3 people | 11.1% | 15.3% | -4.2 |
| 4 people | 10.5% | 12.9% | -2.4 |
| 5 people | 4.1% | 6.1% | -2.0 |
| 6 or more | 2.2% | 3.7% | -1.5 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $270 | $390 | $120 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| Mortgage | $1,462 | $1,950 | $488 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.80 | 0.10 higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| Renting | 29.8% | 22.9% | 6.8 pts higher in Lithgow | gap narrowing |
| Owned outright | 39.0% | 37.7% | 1.3 pts higher in Lithgow | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 85.4% | 88.1% | 2.7 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| 3+ bedrooms | 70.8% | 77.9% | 7.1 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 39.0% | 37.7% | +1.3 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 26.0% | 32.8% | -6.7 |
| Rented | 29.8% | 22.9% | +6.8 |
| Other tenure | 2.6% | 4.8% | -2.2 |
| Not stated | 2.6% | 1.7% | +0.9 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 85.4% | 88.1% | -2.7 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 11.6% | 8.1% | +3.4 |
| Flat or apartment | 2.3% | 2.0% | +0.3 |
| Other dwelling | 0.4% | 1.3% | -0.9 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 45.4% | 34.2% | +11.2 |
| 4 bedrooms | 20.7% | 34.6% | -13.9 |
| 2 bedrooms | 22.8% | 16.9% | +5.9 |
| 5 or more | 4.6% | 9.0% | -4.3 |
| 1 bedroom | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.1 |
| Studio / none | 0.4% | 0.3% | +0.1 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $350–$549 | 16.2% | 58.1% | -41.9 |
| $200–$349 | 55.9% | 25.0% | +31.0 |
| Under $200 | 23.3% | 6.8% | +16.5 |
| $550–$749 | 0.7% | 5.4% | -4.7 |
| $750 or more | 0.0% | 0.6% | -0.6 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 42.3% | 26.8% | +15.5 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 24.0% | 38.6% | -14.7 |
| Under $1,000 | 21.9% | 15.1% | +6.8 |
| $3,000 or more | 6.3% | 13.4% | -7.1 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 11.6% | 4.3% | 7.3 pts higher in Lithgow | gap steady |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 20.1% | 10.4 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap widening |
| PT commute | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |

### How people get to work

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 63.9% | 55.2% | +8.7 |
| Worked at home | 9.7% | 20.1% | -10.4 |
| Car (passenger) | 4.6% | 3.2% | +1.4 |
| Walked | 4.5% | 1.4% | +3.1 |
| Train | 0.2% | 0.5% | -0.3 |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Bus | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 41.6% | 34.3% | +7.3 |
| 2 vehicles | 30.2% | 36.9% | -6.7 |
| 3 vehicles | 10.3% | 14.1% | -3.8 |
| No vehicle | 11.6% | 4.3% | +7.3 |
| 4 or more | 6.3% | 10.4% | -4.1 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 31.9% | 42.9% | 11.0 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap steady |
| Recent arrivals | 6.4% | 5.9% | 0.6 pts higher in Lithgow | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 5.4% | 1.1 pts higher in Lithgow | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 47.8% | 52.6% | 4.9 pts higher in Morisset - Cooranbong | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 56.6% | 53.7% | 3.0 pts higher in Lithgow | gap narrowing |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 13.6% | 18.4% | -4.7 |
| Construction | 6.2% | 13.4% | -7.2 |
| Public administration & safety | 10.7% | 4.4% | +6.4 |
| Retail trade | 10.3% | 9.2% | +1.1 |
| Accommodation & food | 9.3% | 5.5% | +3.8 |
| Education & training | 7.1% | 8.7% | -1.5 |
| Mining | 8.3% | 2.1% | +6.2 |
| Manufacturing | 4.9% | 6.3% | -1.4 |
| Transport & warehousing | 4.5% | 4.8% | -0.4 |
| Other services | 4.0% | 4.8% | -0.8 |
| Professional & technical | 3.1% | 4.5% | -1.5 |
| Administrative & support | 3.4% | 3.1% | +0.4 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Lithgow % | Morisset - Cooranbong % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 13.7% | 18.2% | -4.5 |
| Technicians & trades | 15.9% | 16.9% | -0.9 |
| Community & personal service | 14.3% | 12.9% | +1.5 |
| Clerical & administrative | 13.3% | 12.2% | +1.0 |
| Labourers | 11.5% | 10.6% | +1.0 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 11.2% | 8.1% | +3.1 |
| Managers | 9.2% | 11.1% | -1.9 |
| Sales workers | 8.7% | 8.0% | +0.7 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Lithgow | Morisset - Cooranbong | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 6.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 higher in Lithgow |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 6.1 | 3.3 | 2.8 more in Lithgow |  |
| 15-min city | 73.8% | 30.9% | 42.9 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Walk to shops | 71.5% | 29.5% | 42.1 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Walk to transit | 92.4% | 71.5% | 20.9 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Walk to school | 69.0% | 32.6% | 36.3 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Walk to a park | 97.5% | 61.0% | 36.4 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Walk to health | 52.3% | 25.8% | 26.5 pts higher in Lithgow |  |
| Amenities/1k | 37.3 | 11.1 | 26.2 more in Lithgow |  |
| Intersections/km² | 20 | 10 | 9 higher in Lithgow |  |
| Mean slope | 7.0% | 6.5% | 0.5 pts higher in Lithgow |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1019/lithgow/vs/1021/morisset-cooranbong