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Nelson Bay vs Sydney

Urban Area comparison ≈ 158 km apart · Nelson Bay profile · Sydney profile

Nelson Bay Sydney

Sydney and Nelson Bay are very different in scale and age. Residents are far older in Nelson Bay, where the typical age is 54 compared to 37 in Sydney. This is reflected in the number of seniors, with 33.9% of Nelson Bay residents aged 65 and over, while Sydney is much lower at 14.7%. Sydney is far more diverse, with 40.6% born overseas and 40% using a language other than English at home, compared to 16.8% and 5.1% in Nelson Bay. Sydney also has a much higher share of university degrees at 34.6% and typical weekly household incomes are far higher at $2,119, whereas Nelson Bay's typical income is $1,271.

Everyday life shares some similarities in both places, such as the share of people in de facto relationships and the unemployment rate. However, many gaps have widened since 2011, including the age difference and the divide in home ownership, as homes owned outright are far more common in Nelson Bay. Sydney remains much more accessible for pedestrians, with a very walkable score of 7.4, while Nelson Bay is somewhat walkable at 5.1.

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Where they differ most

Population: 4,801,629 larger in Sydney Median age: 17 yrs older in Nelson Bay Other language: 34.8 pts higher in Sydney Year 12: 25.3 pts higher in Sydney People / bedroom: 0.20 higher in Sydney

Demographics & Identity

Population in Nelson Bayin Sydney +4,801,629 larger in Sydney gap widening
28,418 47th pct 4,830,047 100th pct
Median age in Nelson Bayin Sydney +17 yrs older in Nelson Bay gap widening
54 yrs 96th pct 37 yrs 21st pct
First Nations in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
3.7% 29th pct 1.5% 4th pct
Aged 65+ in Nelson Bayin Sydney +19.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
33.9% 96th pct 14.7% 16th pct
Under 15 in Nelson Bayin Sydney +5.0 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
13.4% 2nd pct 18.4% 57th pct
De facto in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.4 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
9.9% 0th pct 9.5% 0th pct

Age structure

33.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +19.3 pts 14.7%
15.9% Young adults (25–44) +15.1 pts ▸ 31.0%
27.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.1 pts 23.7%
13.4% Children (0–14) +5.0 pts ▸ 18.4%
9.0% Youth (15–24) +3.2 pts ▸ 12.3%

Marital status

52.0% Married ◂ +3.4 pts 48.6%
25.0% Never married +11.7 pts ▸ 36.7%
11.8% Divorced ◂ +4.3 pts 7.5%
7.9% Widowed ◂ +3.6 pts 4.3%
3.4% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 2.9%

Age & sex structure

Nelson Bay Sydney

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Nelson Bayin Sydney +23.8 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
16.8% 72nd pct 40.6% 100th pct

Country of birth

78.3% Australia ◂ +23.4 pts 54.9%
5.7% England ◂ +2.9 pts 2.8%
0.2% China +4.7 pts ▸ 4.9%
0.3% India +3.5 pts ▸ 3.8%
0.1% Vietnam +1.9 pts ▸ 1.9%
0.4% Philippines +1.4 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.6% New Zealand even 1.6%
0.3% Nepal +0.9 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.4% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.7% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

Ancestry

46.0% English ◂ +23.7 pts 22.3%
37.1% Australian ◂ +16.3 pts 20.8%
12.8% Irish ◂ +5.5 pts 7.3%
12.3% Scottish ◂ +6.6 pts 5.7%
0.7% Chinese +10.6 pts ▸ 11.3%
0.3% Indian +4.5 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.4% German ◂ +2.2 pts 2.3%
2.5% Italian +1.9 pts ▸ 4.4%
0.6% Filipino +2.0 pts ▸ 2.6%
0.8% Greek +1.7 pts ▸ 2.5%
0.1% Vietnamese +2.3 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.5% Dutch ◂ +0.6 pts 0.9%

Language

Other language in Nelson Bayin Sydney +34.8 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
5.1% 30th pct 40.0% 100th pct
Limited English in Nelson Bayin Sydney +6.4 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
0.5% 28th pct 6.9% 100th pct

Language used at home

89.6% English only ◂ +34.9 pts 54.7%
0.2% Mandarin +5.1 pts ▸ 5.3%
0.1% Arabic +4.4 pts ▸ 4.5%
0.1% Cantonese +2.9 pts ▸ 3.0%
0.1% Vietnamese +2.2 pts ▸ 2.3%
0.0% Hindi +1.5 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.4% Greek +1.1 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.4% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Tagalog +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.1% Punjabi +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%

Religion

No religion in Nelson Bayin Sydney +7.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
37.7% 26th pct 30.0% 3rd pct

Religious affiliation

54.3% Christianity ◂ +9.0 pts 45.3%
37.7% No religion ◂ +7.7 pts 30.0%
0.2% Islam +6.6 pts ▸ 6.8%
6.2% Not stated +0.3 pts ▸ 6.5%
0.5% Hinduism +4.7 pts ▸ 5.2%
0.8% Buddhism +3.3 pts ▸ 4.1%
0.3% Other religions +1.1 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.1% Judaism +0.7 pts ▸ 0.8%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Nelson Bayin Sydney +25.3 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
43.3% 46th pct 68.5% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Nelson Bayin Sydney +18.3 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
16.3% 58th pct 34.6% 100th pct

Highest year of school

43.3% Year 12 +25.3 pts ▸ 68.5%
31.6% Year 10 ◂ +18.0 pts 13.6%
11.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +3.3 pts 8.0%
6.9% Year 11 ◂ +3.2 pts 3.7%

Highest qualification level

34.7% Certificate III / IV ◂ +18.0 pts 16.7%
17.9% Bachelor degree +16.3 pts ▸ 34.2%
17.3% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.7 pts 14.6%
5.2% Postgraduate degree +9.7 pts ▸ 14.9%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%
2.2% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%

Field of qualification

18.8% Management & commerce +6.3 pts ▸ 25.1%
17.2% Engineering & related ◂ +5.5 pts 11.7%
9.8% Society & culture +2.4 pts ▸ 12.2%
9.3% Health ◂ +0.7 pts 8.6%
8.8% Education ◂ +2.3 pts 6.5%
6.8% Architecture & building ◂ +2.1 pts 4.7%
6.2% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +2.4 pts 3.8%
1.4% Information technology +4.1 pts ▸ 5.5%
2.6% Creative arts +2.3 pts ▸ 4.9%
2.4% Natural & physical sciences +1.1 pts ▸ 3.5%
2.3% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.3 pts 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Nelson Bayin Sydney +$253 higher in Sydney gap widening
$643 21st pct $896 87th pct
Household income in Nelson Bayin Sydney +$848 higher in Sydney gap widening
$1,271 30th pct $2,119 90th pct
Family income in Nelson Bayin Sydney +$815 higher in Sydney gap widening
$1,594 24th pct $2,409 89th pct
High earners in Nelson Bayin Sydney +8.3 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
8.1% 46th pct 16.4% 90th pct
High-income homes in Nelson Bayin Sydney +17.7 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
13.5% 39th pct 31.1% 92nd pct

Household income distribution

33.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +12.6 pts 21.1%
25.2% $1,500–$2,999 +4.0 pts ▸ 29.2%
20.5% Under $650 ◂ +7.6 pts 12.9%
6.8% $4,000 or more +12.4 pts ▸ 19.3%
6.6% $3,000–$3,999 +5.3 pts ▸ 11.9%

Personal income distribution

47.0% Under $650 ◂ +10.1 pts 36.9%
30.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.0 pts 29.2%
12.9% $1,500–$2,999 +7.1 pts ▸ 20.0%
3.0% $3,000 or more +4.3 pts ▸ 7.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Nelson Bayin Sydney +14.8 pts higher in Nelson Bay
37.6% 87th pct 22.8% 9th pct
Mental health in Nelson Bayin Sydney +3.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay
9.8% 37th pct 6.3% 7th pct
Needs assistance in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
7.1% 60th pct 5.0% 19th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

15.7% Arthritis ◂ +9.3 pts 6.3%
9.8% Mental health ◂ +3.6 pts 6.3%
8.9% Other condition ◂ +1.6 pts 7.3%
8.3% Asthma ◂ +1.7 pts 6.5%
6.5% Heart disease ◂ +3.3 pts 3.2%
6.1% Diabetes ◂ +1.6 pts 4.5%
5.1% Cancer ◂ +2.8 pts 2.3%
2.9% Lung condition ◂ +1.8 pts 1.1%
1.3% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%
1.0% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

54.5% None +15.4 pts ▸ 69.9%
23.8% One condition ◂ +7.6 pts 16.3%
9.1% Two conditions ◂ +4.7 pts 4.4%
4.7% Three or more ◂ +2.6 pts 2.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Nelson Bayin Sydney +4.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
15.9% 60th pct 11.6% 0th pct
Unpaid carers in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
13.2% 56th pct 10.5% 14th pct
Unpaid child care in Nelson Bayin Sydney +4.6 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
20.5% 5th pct 25.1% 41st pct
Defence service in Nelson Bayin Sydney +4.3 pts higher in Nelson Bay
5.8% 91st pct 1.5% 0th pct
Housework 15h+ in Nelson Bayin Sydney +4.0 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
24.1% 86th pct 20.1% 28th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.4 larger in Sydney gap widening
2.3 14th pct 2.7 93rd pct
One-parent in Nelson Bayin Sydney +1.2 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap steady
14.0% 20th pct 12.8% 11th pct
Living alone in Nelson Bayin Sydney +6.0 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
29.0% 56th pct 22.9% 9th pct

Family composition

43.9% Couples with children +19.1 pts ▸ 63.1%
41.3% Couples without children ◂ +18.4 pts 22.9%
14.0% One-parent families ◂ +1.2 pts 12.8%
0.7% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

42.9% 2 people ◂ +12.5 pts 30.4%
29.0% 1 person ◂ +6.0 pts 22.9%
10.3% 4 people +7.2 pts ▸ 17.5%
11.4% 3 people +6.0 pts ▸ 17.4%
4.4% 5 people +3.0 pts ▸ 7.4%
2.0% 6 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Nelson Bayin Sydney +$85 higher in Sydney gap widening
$390 88th pct $475 100th pct
Mortgage in Nelson Bayin Sydney +$645 higher in Sydney gap widening
$1,855 80th pct $2,500 100th pct
People / bedroom in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.20 higher in Sydney gap widening
0.70 0th pct 0.90 100th pct
Renting in Nelson Bayin Sydney +13.5 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
23.4% 14th pct 36.8% 83rd pct
Owned outright in Nelson Bayin Sydney +20.7 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
47.8% 97th pct 27.2% 17th pct
Separate houses in Nelson Bayin Sydney +13.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
67.2% 9th pct 53.6% 0th pct
3+ bedrooms in Nelson Bayin Sydney +13.9 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap widening
76.8% 41st pct 62.9% 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.8% Owned outright ◂ +20.7 pts 27.2%
23.4% Rented +13.5 pts ▸ 36.8%
24.3% Owned with a mortgage +8.8 pts ▸ 33.1%
3.2% Other tenure ◂ +1.6 pts 1.6%
1.4% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%

Types of homes

67.2% Separate house ◂ +13.6 pts 53.6%
8.0% Flat or apartment +24.8 pts ▸ 32.8%
23.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.1 pts 13.0%
1.2% Other dwelling ◂ +0.8 pts 0.4%

Bedrooms per home

41.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +11.0 pts 30.3%
28.3% 4 bedrooms ◂ +4.8 pts 23.6%
18.9% 2 bedrooms +7.4 pts ▸ 26.4%
7.1% 5 or more +1.9 pts ▸ 9.0%
2.8% 1 bedroom +5.7 pts ▸ 8.5%
0.2% Studio / none +0.8 pts ▸ 0.9%

Weekly rent distribution

52.2% $350–$549 ◂ +9.8 pts 42.4%
25.3% $200–$349 ◂ +13.2 pts 12.1%
9.0% $550–$749 +13.9 pts ▸ 22.9%
0.7% $750 or more +10.8 pts ▸ 11.4%
9.0% Under $200 ◂ +1.0 pts 8.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

13.5% $3,000 or more +21.7 pts ▸ 35.2%
35.1% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +3.2 pts 31.9%
26.9% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +11.3 pts 15.6%
18.5% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.9 pts 10.6%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Nelson Bayin Sydney +7.4 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
4.4% 18th pct 11.7% 100th pct
Work from home in Nelson Bayin Sydney +20.4 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
19.5% 89th pct 39.9% 100th pct
PT commute in Nelson Bayin Sydney +3.4 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
0.6% 48th pct 4.0% 96th pct

How people get to work

52.1% Car (driver) ◂ +19.1 pts 33.0%
19.5% Worked at home +20.4 pts ▸ 39.9%
3.7% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.1 pts 2.6%
0.0% Train +2.6 pts ▸ 2.6%
2.6% Walked ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%
0.6% Bus +0.7 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.4% Bicycle even 0.4%

Motor vehicles per home

41.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.9 pts 40.4%
38.2% 2 vehicles ◂ +5.8 pts 32.4%
4.4% No vehicle +7.4 pts ▸ 11.7%
10.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.6 pts 9.9%
5.6% 4 or more even 5.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Nelson Bayin Sydney +1.1 pts higher in Nelson Bay gap narrowing
42.4% 67th pct 41.3% 58th pct
Recent arrivals in Nelson Bayin Sydney +7.0 pts higher in Sydney gap narrowing
8.5% 22nd pct 15.5% 64th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.4 pts higher in Sydney gap narrowing
4.7% 46th pct 5.1% 58th pct
Participation in Nelson Bayin Sydney +13.4 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
46.9% 8th pct 60.3% 64th pct
Full-time in Nelson Bayin Sydney +9.7 pts higher in Sydney gap widening
49.2% 6th pct 58.9% 61st pct

Industries people work in

13.8% Health care & social assistance ◂ +0.6 pts 13.1%
12.4% Accommodation & food ◂ +7.0 pts 5.4%
5.9% Professional & technical +5.4 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.9% Construction ◂ +3.1 pts 7.8%
10.6% Retail trade ◂ +1.9 pts 8.7%
8.2% Education & training +0.3 pts ▸ 8.5%
7.4% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.0 pts 5.4%
2.1% Finance & insurance +5.1 pts ▸ 7.3%
4.7% Manufacturing +0.6 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.8% Transport & warehousing +1.3 pts ▸ 5.1%
3.9% Other services ◂ +0.8 pts 3.1%
3.8% Administrative & support ◂ +0.6 pts 3.2%

Occupations people work in

17.1% Professionals +12.9 pts ▸ 30.0%
16.6% Technicians & trades ◂ +6.5 pts 10.1%
12.9% Managers +2.5 pts ▸ 15.4%
14.4% Community & personal service ◂ +5.4 pts 9.0%
12.0% Clerical & administrative +1.8 pts ▸ 13.8%
10.1% Labourers ◂ +3.6 pts 6.5%
10.0% Sales workers ◂ +2.3 pts 7.7%
5.0% Machinery operators & drivers +0.6 pts ▸ 5.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.4 higher in Sydney
5.1 53rd pct 7.4 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.3 more in Sydney
4.6 42nd pct 6.8 100th pct
15-min city in Nelson Bayin Sydney +32.5 pts higher in Sydney
54.2% 51st pct 86.7% 100th pct
Walk to shops in Nelson Bayin Sydney +35.5 pts higher in Sydney
47.4% 30th pct 82.9% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.6 pts higher in Sydney
96.0% 98th pct 96.6% 100th pct
Walk to school in Nelson Bayin Sydney +54.3 pts higher in Sydney
36.4% 10th pct 90.7% 100th pct
Walk to a park in Nelson Bayin Sydney +2.9 pts higher in Sydney
94.6% 81st pct 97.4% 95th pct
Walk to health in Nelson Bayin Sydney +40.7 pts higher in Sydney
31.1% 22nd pct 71.8% 99th pct
Amenities/1k in Nelson Bayin Sydney +6.8 more in Nelson Bay
20.0 75th pct 13.2 32nd pct
Intersections/km² in Nelson Bayin Sydney +59 higher in Sydney
27 64th pct 86 100th pct
Mean slope in Nelson Bayin Sydney +0.6 pts higher in Nelson Bay
7.6% 88th pct 7.1% 86th 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 Sydney with nearby areas

Central Coast Wollongong Lithgow Bowral - Mittagong Morisset - Cooranbong Nowra - Bomaderry Singleton Newcastle - Maitland Bathurst Muswellbrook St Georges Basin - Sanctuary Point Medowie

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Nelson Bay vs Sydney [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1024/nelson-bay/vs/1031/sydney