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Wollongong vs Appin

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 29 km apart · Wollongong profile · Appin profile

Wollongong Appin

Wollongong and Appin are nearby New South Wales areas with very different profiles. Appin is a younger, wealthier area where 28.5% of people are children and the typical weekly household income is $2,447. It is dominated by large, detached houses, with 96.6% being separate dwellings and 92.4% having three or more bedrooms. In contrast, Wollongong has a more diverse housing mix and a larger proportion of residents living alone (25.5%). It is also much more walkable; for example, while 62.6% of Wollongong homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, Appin has no homes within that distance.

Both areas share similar levels of volunteering and roughly the same share of people with no religion. However, many other gaps have shifted since 2016. Appin has seen a significant increase in the share of high-earning households and children, while Wollongong has become more distinct in its share of renters and people born overseas. The typical age gap has also narrowed, with Wollongong residents now just 6 years older than those in Appin.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 25.8 pts higher in Appin Population: 277,284 larger in Wollongong 3+ bedrooms: 17.8 pts higher in Appin Renting: 14.1 pts higher in Wollongong Unpaid child care: 13.4 pts higher in Appin

Demographics & Identity

Population in Wollongongin Appin +277,284 larger in Wollongong gap steady
280,153 87th pct 2,869 77th pct
Median age in Wollongongin Appin +6 yrs older in Wollongong gap narrowing
39 yrs 29th pct 33 yrs 11th pct
First Nations in Wollongongin Appin +1.0 pts higher in Appin gap steady
3.7% 44th pct 4.7% 53rd pct
Aged 65+ in Wollongongin Appin +9.8 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
18.7% 37th pct 8.9% 10th pct
Under 15 in Wollongongin Appin +10.7 pts higher in Appin gap widening
17.9% 52nd pct 28.5% 95th pct
De facto in Wollongongin Appin +2.2 pts higher in Appin gap narrowing
11.3% 29th pct 13.5% 56th pct

Age structure

25.5% Young adults (25–44) +5.7 pts ▸ 31.2%
17.9% Children (0–14) +10.7 pts ▸ 28.5%
24.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.4 pts 20.4%
18.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +9.8 pts 8.9%
13.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.9 pts 11.2%

Marital status

44.9% Married +9.7 pts ▸ 54.5%
36.9% Never married ◂ +5.1 pts 31.8%
9.1% Divorced ◂ +2.3 pts 6.9%
5.9% Widowed ◂ +2.7 pts 3.2%
3.2% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.3%

Age & sex structure

Wollongong Appin

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Wollongongin Appin +9.7 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
20.0% 89th pct 10.3% 45th pct

Country of birth

75.7% Australia +11.3 pts ▸ 87.0%
3.8% England ◂ +1.0 pts 2.8%
1.0% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%
1.0% Italy ◂ +0.8 pts 0.1%
0.9% India ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.7% China ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.6% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.4% Vietnam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.3% South Africa ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

35.4% Australian +12.1 pts ▸ 47.5%
36.4% English +2.7 pts ▸ 39.1%
9.8% Irish ◂ +0.6 pts 9.2%
9.5% Scottish ◂ +1.0 pts 8.6%
5.7% Italian ◂ +1.9 pts 3.8%
3.9% German +0.5 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.8% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
1.7% Chinese ◂ +1.1 pts 0.6%
1.6% Greek ◂ +1.0 pts 0.6%
1.0% Filipino +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.2% Indian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%
0.5% Vietnamese ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Language

Other language in Wollongongin Appin +8.9 pts higher in Wollongong gap narrowing
14.6% 87th pct 5.6% 72nd pct
Limited English in Wollongongin Appin +1.7 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
2.3% 87th pct 0.6% 70th pct

Language used at home

80.9% English only +10.4 pts ▸ 91.3%
1.2% Arabic even 1.2%
1.2% Italian ◂ +1.0 pts 0.2%
0.9% Mandarin ◂ +0.7 pts 0.1%
0.7% Greek ◂ +0.5 pts 0.2%
0.5% Vietnamese ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.2% Hindi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% Cantonese even 0.2%
0.1% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Wollongongin Appin +0.6 pts higher in Appin gap narrowing
38.1% 34th pct 38.7% 36th pct

Religious affiliation

51.4% Christianity +3.0 pts ▸ 54.4%
38.1% No religion +0.6 pts ▸ 38.7%
5.9% Not stated ◂ +1.6 pts 4.3%
2.3% Islam ◂ +1.2 pts 1.2%
1.0% Buddhism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%
0.8% Hinduism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%
0.4% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Wollongongin Appin +4.3 pts higher in Wollongong gap narrowing
50.3% 80th pct 46.0% 71st pct
Bachelor+ in Wollongongin Appin +7.7 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
21.5% 84th pct 13.8% 63rd pct

Highest year of school

50.3% Year 12 ◂ +4.3 pts 46.0%
26.5% Year 10 +7.5 pts ▸ 34.0%
11.6% Year 9 or below ◂ +2.4 pts 9.2%
5.9% Year 11 +1.4 pts ▸ 7.4%

Highest qualification level

32.7% Certificate III / IV +14.0 pts ▸ 46.7%
22.6% Bachelor degree ◂ +4.8 pts 17.8%
15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.7 pts ▸ 16.7%
8.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +5.6 pts 3.2%
3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.4 pts 1.9%
2.2% Certificate I / II +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

17.1% Engineering & related +2.0 pts ▸ 19.0%
17.8% Management & commerce ◂ +0.4 pts 17.4%
8.8% Education +3.9 pts ▸ 12.7%
12.6% Society & culture ◂ +1.4 pts 11.2%
10.3% Health ◂ +1.9 pts 8.4%
6.3% Architecture & building +3.5 pts ▸ 9.9%
5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.0 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.6% Creative arts ◂ +1.6 pts 2.0%
2.6% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.3 pts 1.3%
2.5% Information technology ◂ +1.4 pts 1.1%
1.4% Agriculture & environment +0.8 pts ▸ 2.2%

Income

Personal income in Wollongongin Appin +$265 higher in Appin gap widening
$740 66th pct $1,005 91st pct
Household income in Wollongongin Appin +$803 higher in Appin gap widening
$1,644 74th pct $2,447 94th pct
Family income in Wollongongin Appin +$433 higher in Appin gap narrowing
$2,077 79th pct $2,510 91st pct
High earners in Wollongongin Appin +4.2 pts higher in Appin gap widening
11.0% 81st pct 15.3% 90th pct
High-income homes in Wollongongin Appin +11.9 pts higher in Appin gap widening
21.2% 84th pct 33.1% 94th pct

Household income distribution

28.8% $1,500–$2,999 +6.8 pts ▸ 35.6%
26.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +10.6 pts 15.8%
10.6% $3,000–$3,999 +6.9 pts ▸ 17.6%
17.4% Under $650 ◂ +10.9 pts 6.5%
10.6% $4,000 or more +4.9 pts ▸ 15.5%

Personal income distribution

42.6% Under $650 ◂ +10.3 pts 32.3%
30.5% $650–$1,499 +2.8 pts ▸ 33.3%
17.4% $1,500–$2,999 +8.9 pts ▸ 26.3%
3.6% $3,000 or more even 3.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Wollongongin Appin +6.9 pts higher in Wollongong
31.3% 41st pct 24.4% 14th pct
Mental health in Wollongongin Appin +3.8 pts higher in Wollongong
10.4% 57th pct 6.6% 17th pct
Needs assistance in Wollongongin Appin +1.6 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
6.9% 58th pct 5.3% 38th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.4% Arthritis ◂ +3.5 pts 6.9%
10.4% Mental health ◂ +3.8 pts 6.6%
8.8% Asthma +0.3 pts ▸ 9.1%
8.8% Other condition ◂ +2.0 pts 6.8%
5.3% Diabetes ◂ +1.8 pts 3.5%
4.2% Heart disease ◂ +1.8 pts 2.4%
3.2% Cancer ◂ +0.7 pts 2.4%
2.2% Lung condition ◂ +0.4 pts 1.7%
1.1% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%
0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.4% None +6.6 pts ▸ 68.0%
20.7% One condition ◂ +2.6 pts 18.1%
6.9% Two conditions ◂ +2.8 pts 4.1%
3.7% Three or more ◂ +1.5 pts 2.3%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Wollongongin Appin +0.6 pts higher in Wollongong gap narrowing
12.1% 18th pct 11.6% 15th pct
Unpaid carers in Wollongongin Appin +0.5 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
13.2% 51st pct 12.7% 42nd pct
Unpaid child care in Wollongongin Appin +13.4 pts higher in Appin gap widening
26.4% 61st pct 39.8% 90th pct
Defence service in Wollongongin Appin +0.2 pts higher in Wollongong
2.1% 15th pct 1.9% 13th pct
Housework 15h+ in Wollongongin Appin +2.1 pts higher in Appin gap narrowing
22.6% 36th pct 24.7% 56th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Wollongongin Appin +0.7 larger in Appin gap widening
2.5 64th pct 3.2 89th pct
One-parent in Wollongongin Appin +4.9 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
15.6% 53rd pct 10.7% 24th pct
Living alone in Wollongongin Appin +13.3 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
25.5% 38th pct 12.2% 7th pct

Family composition

56.9% Couples with children +15.8 pts ▸ 72.8%
26.4% Couples without children ◂ +10.1 pts 16.3%
15.6% One-parent families ◂ +4.9 pts 10.7%
1.1% Other families ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

Household size

33.7% 2 people ◂ +8.6 pts 25.1%
25.5% 1 person ◂ +13.3 pts 12.2%
15.7% 4 people +8.0 pts ▸ 23.8%
15.8% 3 people +3.3 pts ▸ 19.2%
6.4% 5 people +5.9 pts ▸ 12.3%
2.9% 6 or more +3.9 pts ▸ 6.8%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Wollongongin Appin +$50 higher in Appin gap widening
$400 87th pct $450 92nd pct
Mortgage in Wollongongin Appin +$333 higher in Appin gap narrowing
$2,167 92nd pct $2,500 100th pct
People / bedroom in Wollongongin Appin even gap steady
0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Wollongongin Appin +14.1 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
30.4% 73rd pct 16.3% 33rd pct
Owned outright in Wollongongin Appin +10.7 pts higher in Wollongong gap narrowing
34.1% 34th pct 23.4% 14th pct
Separate houses in Wollongongin Appin +25.8 pts higher in Appin gap widening
70.8% 6th pct 96.6% 67th pct
3+ bedrooms in Wollongongin Appin +17.8 pts higher in Appin gap widening
74.6% 40th pct 92.4% 91st pct

How homes are owned or rented

32.7% Owned with a mortgage +26.2 pts ▸ 58.9%
34.1% Owned outright ◂ +10.7 pts 23.4%
30.4% Rented ◂ +14.1 pts 16.3%
1.5% Other tenure ◂ +1.1 pts 0.5%
1.3% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%

Types of homes

70.8% Separate house +25.8 pts ▸ 96.6%
15.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.8 pts 0.3%
13.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +11.5 pts 1.5%
0.8% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%

Bedrooms per home

25.9% 4 bedrooms +32.1 pts ▸ 58.1%
41.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +21.6 pts 20.1%
19.5% 2 bedrooms ◂ +14.9 pts 4.6%
7.0% 5 or more +7.3 pts ▸ 14.2%
4.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +2.9 pts 1.5%
0.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

43.5% $350–$549 +5.1 pts ▸ 48.6%
20.7% $200–$349 ◂ +0.2 pts 20.4%
13.8% $550–$749 +5.9 pts ▸ 19.7%
16.5% Under $200 ◂ +13.7 pts 2.8%
2.2% $750 or more ◂ +2.2 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

39.0% $1,800–$2,999 +9.3 pts ▸ 48.3%
19.7% $3,000 or more +4.6 pts ▸ 24.4%
23.2% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +9.2 pts 14.0%
12.6% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.0 pts 7.6%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Wollongongin Appin +5.7 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
7.8% 80th pct 2.1% 31st pct
Work from home in Wollongongin Appin +1.8 pts higher in Appin gap narrowing
24.1% 93rd pct 25.8% 94th pct
PT commute in Wollongongin Appin +0.6 pts higher in Wollongong gap narrowing
1.3% 80th pct 0.7% 72nd pct

How people get to work

51.0% Car (driver) ◂ +0.4 pts 50.6%
24.1% Worked at home +1.8 pts ▸ 25.8%
3.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.7 pts 2.3%
1.7% Walked ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
0.7% Bus ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.6% Train ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.4% Bicycle ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.0% 2 vehicles +7.5 pts ▸ 44.4%
35.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +16.1 pts 19.6%
12.3% 3 vehicles +8.1 pts ▸ 20.4%
7.3% 4 or more +6.1 pts ▸ 13.4%
7.8% No vehicle ◂ +5.7 pts 2.1%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Wollongongin Appin +0.9 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
36.4% 57th pct 35.4% 53rd pct
Recent arrivals in Wollongongin Appin +6.1 pts higher in Wollongong gap widening
9.9% 71st pct 3.7% 44th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Wollongongin Appin +2.4 pts higher in Wollongong gap steady
4.8% 52nd pct 2.4% 14th pct
Participation in Wollongongin Appin +12.5 pts higher in Appin gap steady
58.0% 65th pct 70.5% 93rd pct
Full-time in Wollongongin Appin +4.7 pts higher in Appin gap narrowing
54.3% 40th pct 59.1% 66th pct

Industries people work in

17.5% Health care & social assistance ◂ +6.8 pts 10.7%
9.8% Construction +5.2 pts ▸ 14.9%
10.4% Education & training +0.5 pts ▸ 10.9%
9.2% Retail trade +0.4 pts ▸ 9.6%
6.1% Manufacturing +1.6 pts ▸ 7.7%
7.1% Public administration & safety +0.5 pts ▸ 7.7%
7.0% Accommodation & food ◂ +2.7 pts 4.3%
4.6% Transport & warehousing +2.2 pts ▸ 6.8%
5.9% Professional & technical ◂ +1.0 pts 4.9%
3.7% Other services even 3.7%
3.3% Finance & insurance +0.4 pts ▸ 3.7%
3.2% Administrative & support ◂ +0.8 pts 2.3%

Occupations people work in

22.8% Professionals ◂ +6.9 pts 15.9%
14.6% Technicians & trades +4.4 pts ▸ 19.0%
12.7% Clerical & administrative +3.0 pts ▸ 15.7%
13.3% Community & personal service ◂ +2.9 pts 10.4%
11.0% Managers +0.8 pts ▸ 11.7%
6.8% Machinery operators & drivers +2.2 pts ▸ 9.0%
8.9% Labourers ◂ +0.7 pts 8.3%
8.3% Sales workers +0.4 pts ▸ 8.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Wollongongin Appin +2.0 higher in Wollongong
6.1 86th pct 4.1 47th pct
Types ≤15 min in Wollongongin Appin +1.4 more in Wollongong
5.9 73rd pct 4.4 47th pct
15-min city in Wollongongin Appin +14.2 pts higher in Wollongong
73.5% 63rd pct 59.3% 50th pct
Walk to shops in Wollongongin Appin +62.6 pts higher in Wollongong
62.6% 53rd pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Wollongongin Appin +2.2 pts higher in Wollongong
95.0% 91st pct 92.8% 87th pct
Walk to school in Wollongongin Appin +12.2 pts higher in Wollongong
82.2% 66th pct 70.0% 51st pct
Walk to a park in Wollongongin Appin +2.7 pts higher in Wollongong
95.4% 60th pct 92.8% 51st pct
Walk to health in Wollongongin Appin +41.5 pts higher in Wollongong
41.5% 57th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Amenities/1k in Wollongongin Appin +3.9 more in Wollongong
11.6 28th pct 7.7 17th pct
Intersections/km² in Wollongongin Appin +29 higher in Wollongong
103 91st pct 75 87th pct
Mean slope in Wollongongin Appin +1.1 pts higher in Wollongong
6.6% 74th pct 5.5% 62nd pct

Compare Wollongong with nearby areas

Kiama Jamberoo Stanwell Park Appin Stanwell Tops Wilton Robertson Gerringong

Compare Appin with nearby areas

Douglas Park Menangle Wilton Menangle Park Stanwell Tops Picton Stanwell Park Tahmoor

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Wollongong vs Appin [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL102005/wollongong/vs/UCL115003/appin