# Medowie vs Port Macquarie — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Area comparison · about 170 km apart

Port Macquarie and Medowie are two different types of New South Wales hubs. Port Macquarie is a more urbanised centre where the typical resident is older at 47 and many live alone (31.0%). It is somewhat walkable, with a high share of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services (49.0%) and parks (91.5%). In contrast, Medowie is mostly car-dependent and dominated by large family homes, with 86.5% of dwellings having three or more bedrooms and 96.0% being separate houses. Medowie has a younger feel, with a higher share of children under 15 (21.0%) and typical weekly incomes that are well higher at $1,763 compared to $1,306 in Port Macquarie.

Everyday life in both places shares similar patterns in a few areas, such as nearly identical unemployment rates and similar typical monthly mortgage payments. However, the gaps between them are shifting; while Port Macquarie is now significantly more likely to have people living alone and a higher share of renters, these leads have flipped or widened since 2011. Both areas sit above the national figure for the share of people aged 65 and over, though this is much more pronounced in Port Macquarie, where 28.0% of the population are seniors.

## Where they differ most

- Population: 35,173 larger in Port Macquarie
- Separate houses: 28.9 pts higher in Medowie
- Household size: 0.5 larger in Medowie
- 3+ bedrooms: 14.9 pts higher in Medowie
- Living alone: 12.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 15,020 | 50,193 | 35,173 larger in Port Macquarie | gap widening |
| Median age | 40 yrs | 47 yrs | 7 yrs older in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 7.6% | 5.3% | 2.3 pts higher in Medowie | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 18.3% | 28.0% | 9.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 21.0% | 16.1% | 4.9 pts higher in Medowie | gap steady |
| De facto | 12.5% | 11.3% | 1.1 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |

### Age structure

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seniors (65+) | 18.3% | 28.0% | -9.7 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 26.4% | 24.9% | +1.5 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 22.8% | 20.3% | +2.5 |
| Children (0–14) | 21.0% | 16.1% | +4.9 |
| Youth (15–24) | 11.7% | 10.8% | +0.9 |

### Marital status

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 51.4% | 46.1% | +5.3 |
| Never married | 31.4% | 30.7% | +0.7 |
| Divorced | 9.3% | 11.8% | -2.4 |
| Widowed | 4.4% | 7.8% | -3.4 |
| Separated | 3.4% | 3.7% | -0.3 |

### Age profile

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

| Age band | Medowie male | Medowie female | Port Macquarie male | Port Macquarie female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 3.1% | 3.0% | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| 5–9 | 3.9% | 3.5% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| 10–14 | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 2.9% |
| 15–19 | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| 20–24 | 2.8% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% |
| 25–29 | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| 30–34 | 2.5% | 3.0% | 2.4% | 2.6% |
| 35–39 | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| 40–44 | 2.8% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| 45–49 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 3.2% |
| 50–54 | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 3.2% |
| 55–59 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 3.3% |
| 60–64 | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.7% |
| 65–69 | 2.9% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.6% |
| 70–74 | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| 75–79 | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 3.2% |
| 80–84 | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 85+ | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.7% | 2.6% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 9.3% | 14.3% | 5.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap steady |

### Country of birth

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 86.6% | 80.9% | +5.6 |
| England | 3.2% | 4.5% | -1.2 |
| New Zealand | 1.0% | 1.6% | -0.6 |
| Philippines | 0.3% | 0.6% | -0.3 |
| India | 0.2% | 0.6% | -0.5 |
| South Africa | 0.4% | 0.5% | -0.1 |
| China | 0.2% | 0.3% | -0.1 |
| Nepal | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2 |
| Italy | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Vietnam | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australian | 47.0% | 40.2% | +6.9 |
| English | 43.3% | 44.9% | -1.6 |
| Irish | 10.0% | 13.4% | -3.4 |
| Scottish | 10.6% | 11.2% | -0.6 |
| German | 4.1% | 4.1% | 0.0 |
| Italian | 1.8% | 2.2% | -0.4 |
| Dutch | 1.8% | 1.5% | +0.3 |
| Chinese | 0.6% | 1.0% | -0.4 |
| Filipino | 0.7% | 0.9% | -0.2 |
| Indian | 0.3% | 0.8% | -0.5 |
| Greek | 0.5% | 0.5% | +0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 3.4% | 5.3% | 1.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap steady |
| Limited English | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 92.6% | 90.1% | +2.5 |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0 |
| Tagalog | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Italian | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Cantonese | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Punjabi | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2 |
| Arabic | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Hindi | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Greek | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 41.0% | 38.1% | 2.8 pts higher in Medowie | gap steady |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 51.8% | 53.1% | -1.3 |
| No religion | 41.0% | 38.1% | +2.8 |
| Not stated | 5.7% | 6.3% | -0.6 |
| Buddhism | 0.7% | 0.8% | -0.1 |
| Hinduism | 0.2% | 0.7% | -0.5 |
| Other religions | 0.3% | 0.5% | -0.2 |
| Islam | 0.2% | 0.3% | -0.1 |
| Judaism | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 41.4% | 48.2% | 6.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |
| Bachelor+ | 12.7% | 19.5% | 6.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 41.4% | 48.2% | -6.8 |
| Year 10 | 33.0% | 27.8% | +5.3 |
| Year 9 or below | 12.4% | 11.1% | +1.3 |
| Year 11 | 7.8% | 6.8% | +1.0 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 44.8% | 32.3% | +12.5 |
| Bachelor degree | 14.9% | 21.7% | -6.8 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 16.3% | 16.0% | +0.3 |
| Postgraduate degree | 3.5% | 6.3% | -2.8 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 2.5% | 3.4% | -0.9 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.8% | 2.5% | +0.3 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering & related | 23.3% | 12.1% | +11.2 |
| Management & commerce | 17.1% | 19.2% | -2.2 |
| Health | 10.1% | 13.6% | -3.5 |
| Society & culture | 10.5% | 12.0% | -1.6 |
| Education | 7.1% | 9.9% | -2.9 |
| Architecture & building | 6.7% | 5.9% | +0.8 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 5.6% | 6.0% | -0.5 |
| Creative arts | 1.8% | 2.4% | -0.6 |
| Information technology | 1.5% | 1.9% | -0.4 |
| Agriculture & environment | 1.9% | 1.8% | +0.1 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.6% | 1.8% | -0.2 |

## Income

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $752 | $687 | $65 higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| Household income | $1,763 | $1,306 | $457 higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $2,019 | $1,708 | $311 higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| High earners | 9.7% | 8.3% | 1.3 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| High-income homes | 20.0% | 14.3% | 5.7 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 26.2% | 33.0% | -6.8 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 31.9% | 26.1% | +5.8 |
| Under $650 | 13.5% | 20.3% | -6.8 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 11.8% | 7.3% | +4.5 |
| $4,000 or more | 8.2% | 7.0% | +1.2 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 42.0% | 44.8% | -2.8 |
| $650–$1,499 | 31.7% | 32.4% | -0.6 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 17.8% | 13.6% | +4.1 |
| $3,000 or more | 2.6% | 3.0% | -0.5 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 34.4% | 36.7% | 2.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Mental health | 11.7% | 11.7% |  |  |
| Needs assistance | 6.5% | 8.3% | 1.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 11.6% | 13.3% | -1.7 |
| Mental health | 11.7% | 11.7% | +0.0 |
| Asthma | 10.4% | 9.7% | +0.7 |
| Other condition | 9.6% | 9.6% | 0.0 |
| Heart disease | 4.7% | 5.8% | -1.1 |
| Diabetes | 5.7% | 5.4% | +0.3 |
| Cancer | 3.3% | 4.5% | -1.2 |
| Lung condition | 2.1% | 3.1% | -0.9 |
| Stroke | 1.1% | 1.5% | -0.4 |
| Dementia | 0.5% | 1.5% | -1.0 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 58.3% | 56.1% | +2.3 |
| One condition | 22.3% | 23.2% | -0.9 |
| Two conditions | 8.1% | 8.5% | -0.3 |
| Three or more | 4.0% | 5.1% | -1.1 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 12.7% | 15.9% | 3.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |
| Unpaid carers | 14.2% | 13.4% | 0.8 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| Unpaid child care | 30.7% | 23.9% | 6.8 pts higher in Medowie | gap steady |
| Defence service | 10.1% | 3.9% | 6.2 pts higher in Medowie |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 25.9% | 21.5% | 4.4 pts higher in Medowie | gap widening |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.5 larger in Medowie | gap widening |
| One-parent | 13.8% | 16.2% | 2.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap steady |
| Living alone | 18.9% | 31.0% | 12.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |

### Family composition

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 58.7% | 47.7% | +11.0 |
| Couples without children | 27.1% | 35.2% | -8.1 |
| One-parent families | 13.8% | 16.2% | -2.4 |
| Other families | 0.5% | 0.9% | -0.4 |

### Household size

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 35.5% | 38.4% | -2.9 |
| 1 person | 18.9% | 31.0% | -12.1 |
| 3 people | 16.4% | 12.7% | +3.7 |
| 4 people | 16.2% | 11.2% | +4.9 |
| 5 people | 8.5% | 4.7% | +3.8 |
| 6 or more | 4.6% | 2.1% | +2.5 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $400 | $385 | $15 higher in Medowie | gap steady |
| Mortgage | $1,900 | $1,800 | $100 higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.80 | 0.70 | 0.10 higher in Medowie | gap widening |
| Renting | 20.6% | 31.1% | 10.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |
| Owned outright | 35.6% | 38.5% | 2.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 96.0% | 67.1% | 28.9 pts higher in Medowie | gap widening |
| 3+ bedrooms | 86.5% | 71.6% | 14.9 pts higher in Medowie | gap widening |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned with a mortgage | 41.5% | 25.4% | +16.1 |
| Owned outright | 35.6% | 38.5% | -2.9 |
| Rented | 20.6% | 31.1% | -10.5 |
| Other tenure | 1.1% | 3.2% | -2.1 |
| Not stated | 1.2% | 1.8% | -0.6 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 96.0% | 67.1% | +28.9 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 2.0% | 17.6% | -15.6 |
| Flat or apartment | 0.5% | 14.7% | -14.2 |
| Other dwelling | 1.6% | 0.5% | +1.1 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4 bedrooms | 45.3% | 25.5% | +19.8 |
| 3 bedrooms | 30.5% | 40.1% | -9.7 |
| 2 bedrooms | 9.5% | 22.2% | -12.7 |
| 5 or more | 10.8% | 6.0% | +4.8 |
| 1 bedroom | 2.3% | 4.3% | -2.0 |
| Studio / none | 0.6% | 0.3% | +0.4 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $350–$549 | 47.9% | 52.9% | -5.1 |
| $200–$349 | 28.1% | 26.1% | +2.0 |
| $550–$749 | 12.6% | 8.2% | +4.5 |
| Under $200 | 5.1% | 8.7% | -3.6 |
| $750 or more | 1.7% | 1.1% | +0.6 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 37.4% | 37.2% | +0.3 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 29.5% | 30.2% | -0.7 |
| Under $1,000 | 14.7% | 17.1% | -2.4 |
| $3,000 or more | 13.0% | 11.3% | +1.7 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 1.9% | 6.9% | 5.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap widening |
| Work from home | 19.7% | 12.5% | 7.3 pts higher in Medowie | gap widening |
| PT commute | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |

### How people get to work

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 55.7% | 64.7% | -9.0 |
| Worked at home | 19.7% | 12.5% | +7.3 |
| Car (passenger) | 3.0% | 5.2% | -2.2 |
| Walked | 1.3% | 2.6% | -1.2 |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.5% | -0.3 |
| Bus | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.1 |
| Train | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 26.5% | 42.9% | -16.4 |
| 2 vehicles | 40.8% | 35.5% | +5.4 |
| 3 vehicles | 17.9% | 10.2% | +7.7 |
| 4 or more | 13.0% | 4.6% | +8.4 |
| No vehicle | 1.9% | 6.9% | -5.0 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 41.2% | 45.2% | 4.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |
| Recent arrivals | 7.3% | 9.4% | 2.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 4.8% | 0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 60.7% | 53.1% | 7.6 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 57.6% | 54.1% | 3.5 pts higher in Medowie | gap narrowing |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 13.9% | 22.5% | -8.6 |
| Public administration & safety | 11.4% | 5.6% | +5.8 |
| Construction | 11.2% | 9.0% | +2.3 |
| Retail trade | 8.5% | 11.0% | -2.5 |
| Education & training | 6.5% | 10.4% | -3.9 |
| Accommodation & food | 7.2% | 9.8% | -2.6 |
| Manufacturing | 7.1% | 3.1% | +4.1 |
| Transport & warehousing | 5.1% | 2.9% | +2.3 |
| Professional & technical | 5.0% | 4.3% | +0.7 |
| Other services | 4.4% | 3.7% | +0.7 |
| Administrative & support | 3.4% | 3.4% | +0.0 |
| Electricity, gas & water | 1.2% | 3.4% | -2.2 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Medowie % | Port Macquarie % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 14.7% | 23.5% | -8.8 |
| Technicians & trades | 18.6% | 13.0% | +5.6 |
| Community & personal service | 13.5% | 15.6% | -2.1 |
| Clerical & administrative | 13.3% | 12.4% | +0.9 |
| Managers | 10.9% | 11.2% | -0.3 |
| Labourers | 10.3% | 8.9% | +1.4 |
| Sales workers | 8.7% | 10.0% | -1.3 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 8.1% | 3.8% | +4.3 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Medowie | Port Macquarie | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 2.9 | 5.5 | 2.6 higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 2.8 | 5.3 | 2.5 more in Port Macquarie |  |
| 15-min city | 24.6% | 57.8% | 33.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Walk to shops | 26.6% | 46.2% | 19.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Walk to transit | 60.0% | 88.9% | 28.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Walk to school | 34.8% | 62.9% | 28.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Walk to a park | 57.1% | 91.5% | 34.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Walk to health | 0.0% | 49.0% | 49.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Amenities/1k | 17.8 | 13.5 | 4.3 more in Medowie |  |
| Intersections/km² | 5 | 58 | 53 higher in Port Macquarie |  |
| Mean slope | 5.3% | 7.0% | 1.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1020/medowie/vs/1028/port-macquarie