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Nelson Bay vs Port Macquarie

Urban Area comparison ≈ 163 km apart · Nelson Bay profile · Port Macquarie profile

Nelson Bay Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie and Nelson Bay are both regional hubs in New South Wales, but they differ in how people live and move. Port Macquarie is more walkable for daily needs, with 62.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school and 49.0% near health services, compared to 36.4% and 31.1% in Nelson Bay. Port Macquarie also has more residents working or looking for work (53.1% versus 46.9%) and a higher share of people with a bachelor degree or higher (19.5% versus 16.3%). Nelson Bay is older, with a typical resident aged 54 compared to 47 in Port Macquarie, and more people owning their homes outright (47.8% versus 38.5%).

These two areas are very similar in their typical weekly household incomes, which sit around $1,300, and they share the same average of 2.3 people per home. While they have a lot in common, some gaps are growing. The difference in home ownership and the number of people working from home have both widened since 2011. At the same time, the gap in the number of seniors has narrowed, as both areas remain far above the national figure for people aged 65 and over.

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Where they differ most

Population: 21,775 larger in Port Macquarie No car: 2.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie Median age: 7 yrs older in Nelson Bay Housework 15h+: 2.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay Renting: 7.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie

Demographics & Identity

Population in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +21,775 larger in Port Macquarie gap widening
28,418 47th pct 50,193 62nd pct
Median age in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +7 yrs older in Nelson Bay gap widening
54 yrs 96th pct 47 yrs 86th pct
First Nations in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
3.7% 29th pct 5.3% 49th pct
Aged 65+ in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +5.9 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
33.9% 96th pct 28.0% 88th pct
Under 15 in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
13.4% 2nd pct 16.1% 14th pct
De facto in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
9.9% 0th pct 11.3% 20th pct

Age structure

33.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +5.9 pts 28.0%
27.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.9 pts 24.9%
15.9% Young adults (25–44) +4.4 pts ▸ 20.3%
13.4% Children (0–14) +2.6 pts ▸ 16.1%
9.0% Youth (15–24) +1.7 pts ▸ 10.8%

Marital status

52.0% Married ◂ +5.9 pts 46.1%
25.0% Never married +5.7 pts ▸ 30.7%
11.8% Divorced even 11.8%
7.9% Widowed ◂ +0.1 pts 7.8%
3.4% Separated +0.3 pts ▸ 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Nelson Bay Port Macquarie

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.4 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
16.8% 72nd pct 14.3% 59th pct

Country of birth

78.3% Australia +2.7 pts ▸ 80.9%
5.7% England ◂ +1.2 pts 4.5%
1.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 1.6%
0.7% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.4% Philippines +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.3% India +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.3% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

46.0% English ◂ +1.1 pts 44.9%
37.1% Australian +3.1 pts ▸ 40.2%
12.8% Irish +0.6 pts ▸ 13.4%
12.3% Scottish ◂ +1.1 pts 11.2%
4.4% German ◂ +0.3 pts 4.1%
2.5% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%
1.5% Dutch even 1.5%
0.7% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.6% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.8% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.5%
0.3% Indian +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
5.1% 30th pct 5.3% 33rd pct
Limited English in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie even gap steady
0.5% 28th pct 0.5% 29th pct

Language used at home

89.6% English only +0.5 pts ▸ 90.1%
0.4% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.4% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.2% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Hindi even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
37.7% 26th pct 38.1% 28th pct

Religious affiliation

54.3% Christianity ◂ +1.1 pts 53.1%
37.7% No religion +0.5 pts ▸ 38.1%
6.2% Not stated +0.1 pts ▸ 6.3%
0.8% Buddhism even 0.8%
0.5% Hinduism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.3% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +4.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap widening
43.3% 46th pct 48.2% 68th pct
Bachelor+ in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +3.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap widening
16.3% 58th pct 19.5% 72nd pct

Highest year of school

43.3% Year 12 +4.9 pts ▸ 48.2%
31.6% Year 10 ◂ +3.8 pts 27.8%
11.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.3 pts 11.1%
6.9% Year 11 even 6.8%

Highest qualification level

34.7% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.4 pts 32.3%
17.9% Bachelor degree +3.8 pts ▸ 21.7%
17.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.3 pts 16.0%
5.2% Postgraduate degree +1.1 pts ▸ 6.3%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.3 pts ▸ 3.4%
2.2% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

18.8% Management & commerce +0.5 pts ▸ 19.2%
17.2% Engineering & related ◂ +5.1 pts 12.1%
9.3% Health +4.3 pts ▸ 13.6%
9.8% Society & culture +2.2 pts ▸ 12.0%
8.8% Education +1.1 pts ▸ 9.9%
6.8% Architecture & building ◂ +0.9 pts 5.9%
6.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 6.0%
2.6% Creative arts ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%
2.4% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.6 pts 1.8%
2.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.5 pts 1.8%
1.4% Information technology +0.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +$44 higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
$643 21st pct $687 35th pct
Household income in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +$35 higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
$1,271 30th pct $1,306 35th pct
Family income in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +$114 higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
$1,594 24th pct $1,708 36th pct
High earners in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
8.1% 46th pct 8.3% 48th pct
High-income homes in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
13.5% 39th pct 14.3% 45th pct

Household income distribution

33.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.7 pts 33.0%
25.2% $1,500–$2,999 +0.9 pts ▸ 26.1%
20.5% Under $650 ◂ +0.1 pts 20.3%
6.6% $3,000–$3,999 +0.7 pts ▸ 7.3%
6.8% $4,000 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 7.0%

Personal income distribution

47.0% Under $650 ◂ +2.2 pts 44.8%
30.2% $650–$1,499 +2.1 pts ▸ 32.4%
12.9% $1,500–$2,999 +0.8 pts ▸ 13.6%
3.0% $3,000 or more even 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.9 pts higher in Nelson Bay
37.6% 87th pct 36.7% 82nd pct
Mental health in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
9.8% 37th pct 11.7% 72nd pct
Needs assistance in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
7.1% 60th pct 8.3% 79th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

15.7% Arthritis ◂ +2.3 pts 13.3%
9.8% Mental health +1.9 pts ▸ 11.7%
8.3% Asthma +1.5 pts ▸ 9.7%
8.9% Other condition +0.7 pts ▸ 9.6%
6.5% Heart disease ◂ +0.7 pts 5.8%
6.1% Diabetes ◂ +0.7 pts 5.4%
5.1% Cancer ◂ +0.6 pts 4.5%
2.9% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%
1.3% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.5%
1.0% Dementia +0.4 pts ▸ 1.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

54.5% None +1.6 pts ▸ 56.1%
23.8% One condition ◂ +0.7 pts 23.2%
9.1% Two conditions ◂ +0.6 pts 8.5%
4.7% Three or more +0.4 pts ▸ 5.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie even gap steady
15.9% 60th pct 15.9% 61st pct
Unpaid carers in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
13.2% 56th pct 13.4% 63rd pct
Unpaid child care in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +3.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
20.5% 5th pct 23.9% 25th pct
Defence service in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.9 pts higher in Nelson Bay
5.8% 91st pct 3.9% 74th pct
Housework 15h+ in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
24.1% 86th pct 21.5% 47th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie even gap narrowing
2.3 14th pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
14.0% 20th pct 16.2% 45th pct
Living alone in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
29.0% 56th pct 31.0% 74th pct

Family composition

43.9% Couples with children +3.8 pts ▸ 47.7%
41.3% Couples without children ◂ +6.1 pts 35.2%
14.0% One-parent families +2.2 pts ▸ 16.2%
0.7% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 0.9%

Household size

42.9% 2 people ◂ +4.5 pts 38.4%
29.0% 1 person +2.0 pts ▸ 31.0%
11.4% 3 people +1.2 pts ▸ 12.7%
10.3% 4 people +0.9 pts ▸ 11.2%
4.4% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 4.7%
2.0% 6 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +$5 higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
$390 88th pct $385 86th pct
Mortgage in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +$55 higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
$1,855 80th pct $1,800 76th pct
People / bedroom in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +7.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap widening
23.4% 14th pct 31.1% 53rd pct
Owned outright in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +9.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
47.8% 97th pct 38.5% 76th pct
Separate houses in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie even gap steady
67.2% 9th pct 67.1% 9th pct
3+ bedrooms in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +5.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
76.8% 41st pct 71.6% 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.8% Owned outright ◂ +9.3 pts 38.5%
23.4% Rented +7.7 pts ▸ 31.1%
24.3% Owned with a mortgage +1.2 pts ▸ 25.4%
3.2% Other tenure even 3.2%
1.4% Not stated +0.4 pts ▸ 1.8%

Types of homes

67.2% Separate house ◂ +0.1 pts 67.1%
23.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +5.5 pts 17.6%
8.0% Flat or apartment +6.7 pts ▸ 14.7%
1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

41.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.2 pts 40.1%
28.3% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.9 pts 25.5%
18.9% 2 bedrooms +3.3 pts ▸ 22.2%
7.1% 5 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 6.0%
2.8% 1 bedroom +1.5 pts ▸ 4.3%
0.2% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

52.2% $350–$549 +0.8 pts ▸ 52.9%
25.3% $200–$349 +0.8 pts ▸ 26.1%
9.0% Under $200 ◂ +0.3 pts 8.7%
9.0% $550–$749 ◂ +0.8 pts 8.2%
0.7% $750 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 1.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

35.1% $1,800–$2,999 +2.0 pts ▸ 37.2%
26.9% $1,000–$1,799 +3.4 pts ▸ 30.2%
18.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.4 pts 17.1%
13.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.2 pts 11.3%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
4.4% 18th pct 6.9% 66th pct
Work from home in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +7.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
19.5% 89th pct 12.5% 75th pct
PT commute in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
0.6% 48th pct 0.4% 36th pct

How people get to work

52.1% Car (driver) +12.6 pts ▸ 64.7%
19.5% Worked at home ◂ +7.1 pts 12.5%
3.7% Car (passenger) +1.5 pts ▸ 5.2%
2.6% Walked even 2.6%
0.6% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.4% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

41.3% 1 vehicle +1.6 pts ▸ 42.9%
38.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.8 pts 35.5%
10.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.3 pts 10.2%
4.4% No vehicle +2.5 pts ▸ 6.9%
5.6% 4 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 4.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +2.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
42.4% 67th pct 45.2% 83rd pct
Recent arrivals in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
8.5% 22nd pct 9.4% 27th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
4.7% 46th pct 4.8% 49th pct
Participation in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +6.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
46.9% 8th pct 53.1% 25th pct
Full-time in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +5.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
49.2% 6th pct 54.1% 21st pct

Industries people work in

13.8% Health care & social assistance +8.7 pts ▸ 22.5%
12.4% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.6 pts 9.8%
10.6% Retail trade +0.4 pts ▸ 11.0%
10.9% Construction ◂ +2.0 pts 9.0%
8.2% Education & training +2.2 pts ▸ 10.4%
7.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.8 pts 5.6%
5.9% Professional & technical ◂ +1.6 pts 4.3%
4.7% Manufacturing ◂ +1.7 pts 3.1%
3.9% Other services ◂ +0.2 pts 3.7%
3.8% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.0 pts 2.9%
3.8% Administrative & support ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%
0.8% Electricity, gas & water +2.6 pts ▸ 3.4%

Occupations people work in

17.1% Professionals +6.3 pts ▸ 23.5%
16.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +3.6 pts 13.0%
14.4% Community & personal service +1.2 pts ▸ 15.6%
12.9% Managers ◂ +1.6 pts 11.2%
12.0% Clerical & administrative +0.4 pts ▸ 12.4%
10.1% Labourers ◂ +1.3 pts 8.9%
10.0% Sales workers even 10.0%
5.0% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.1 pts 3.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.4 higher in Port Macquarie
5.1 53rd pct 5.5 71st pct
Types ≤15 min in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.7 more in Port Macquarie
4.6 42nd pct 5.3 71st pct
15-min city in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +3.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie
54.2% 51st pct 57.8% 59th pct
Walk to shops in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +1.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay
47.4% 30th pct 46.2% 28th pct
Walk to transit in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +7.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay
96.0% 98th pct 88.9% 75th pct
Walk to school in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +26.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
36.4% 10th pct 62.9% 47th pct
Walk to a park in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +3.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay
94.6% 81st pct 91.5% 60th pct
Walk to health in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +17.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
31.1% 22nd pct 49.0% 72nd pct
Amenities/1k in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +6.5 more in Nelson Bay
20.0 75th pct 13.5 37th pct
Intersections/km² in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +31 higher in Port Macquarie
27 64th pct 58 90th pct
Mean slope in Nelson Bayin Port Macquarie +0.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay
7.6% 88th pct 7.0% 85th pct

Compare Nelson Bay with nearby areas

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

Compare Port Macquarie with nearby areas

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

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Nelson Bay vs Port Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1024/nelson-bay/vs/1028/port-macquarie