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Port Macquarie vs Lake Cathie

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 12 km apart · Port Macquarie profile · Lake Cathie profile

Port Macquarie Lake Cathie

Port Macquarie and Lake Cathie are nearby New South Wales areas with very different living patterns. Port Macquarie is more walkable and urban, with 60.8% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' layout and a high 94.3% within 10 minutes of public transport. In contrast, Lake Cathie is mostly car-dependent, where 90.6% of residents live in separate houses and 52.1% own their home outright. Port Macquarie has a larger rental market, with 31.1% of households renting, compared to just 17.5% in Lake Cathie.

These two areas share a very similar typical weekly household income, with Port Macquarie at $1,283 and Lake Cathie at $1,263. They also have almost identical shares of children under 15 and people who speak little or no English. While Lake Cathie has a noticeably older population, with a typical age of 53, both areas sit far above the national figure for age.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 24.4 pts higher in Lake Cathie Population: 43,744 larger in Port Macquarie Renting: 13.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie Owned outright: 12.9 pts higher in Lake Cathie Housework 15h+: 5.3 pts higher in Lake Cathie

Demographics & Identity

Population in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +43,744 larger in Port Macquarie
47,793 86th pct 4,049 84th pct
Median age in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +5 yrs older in Lake Cathie
48 yrs 61st pct 53 yrs 77th pct
First Nations in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
5.2% 57th pct 4.8% 54th pct
Aged 65+ in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +3.4 pts higher in Lake Cathie
28.8% 72nd pct 32.3% 81st pct
Under 15 in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.3 pts higher in Lake Cathie
15.6% 33rd pct 15.9% 36th pct
De facto in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
11.0% 27th pct 10.5% 22nd pct

Age structure

28.8% Seniors (65+) +3.4 pts ▸ 32.3%
25.1% Older adults (45–64) +2.3 pts ▸ 27.4%
19.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +4.1 pts 15.7%
15.6% Children (0–14) +0.3 pts ▸ 15.9%
10.7% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.0 pts 8.7%

Marital status

45.9% Married +9.9 pts ▸ 55.8%
30.4% Never married ◂ +5.9 pts 24.4%
12.0% Divorced ◂ +1.7 pts 10.3%
8.0% Widowed ◂ +1.8 pts 6.3%
3.7% Separated ◂ +0.6 pts 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Port Macquarie Lake Cathie

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +3.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
14.3% 72nd pct 10.8% 50th pct

Country of birth

80.9% Australia +5.4 pts ▸ 86.3%
4.5% England even 4.5%
1.5% New Zealand ◂ +0.2 pts 1.3%
0.6% Philippines ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.5% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.5% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.3% China ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% Nepal ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

45.0% English +0.9 pts ▸ 45.9%
40.1% Australian +4.8 pts ▸ 44.9%
13.5% Irish ◂ +1.4 pts 12.1%
11.3% Scottish +1.6 pts ▸ 12.9%
4.1% German +0.2 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.2% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.5% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.0% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%
0.8% Filipino ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%
0.7% Indian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Language

Other language in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +2.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie
5.2% 68th pct 2.3% 26th pct
Limited English in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie
0.5% 66th pct 0.3% 55th pct

Language used at home

90.2% English only +4.2 pts ▸ 94.4%
0.2% Cantonese +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% Mandarin ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Italian even 0.2%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.3 pts higher in Lake Cathie
37.9% 34th pct 38.3% 35th pct

Religious affiliation

53.4% Christianity +2.1 pts ▸ 55.5%
37.9% No religion +0.3 pts ▸ 38.3%
6.4% Not stated ◂ +1.3 pts 5.1%
0.8% Buddhism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.1%
0.5% Other religions ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.3% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +4.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie
47.9% 75th pct 43.1% 63rd pct
Bachelor+ in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +3.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
19.4% 80th pct 16.1% 72nd pct

Highest year of school

47.9% Year 12 ◂ +4.8 pts 43.1%
27.8% Year 10 +7.0 pts ▸ 34.8%
11.2% Year 9 or below +0.4 pts ▸ 11.6%
6.8% Year 11 even 6.8%

Highest qualification level

32.0% Certificate III / IV +8.2 pts ▸ 40.2%
21.7% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.0 pts 18.7%
16.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.7 pts ▸ 16.7%
6.3% Postgraduate degree ◂ +2.3 pts 3.9%
3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.3 pts 3.1%
2.5% Certificate I / II even 2.5%

Field of qualification

19.2% Management & commerce +0.3 pts ▸ 19.5%
12.1% Engineering & related +4.7 pts ▸ 16.8%
13.6% Health ◂ +3.2 pts 10.3%
9.9% Education +2.2 pts ▸ 12.1%
12.1% Society & culture ◂ +1.0 pts 11.0%
5.9% Architecture & building +2.0 pts ▸ 7.9%
6.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.3 pts 5.7%
2.4% Creative arts +0.2 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.8% Agriculture & environment +0.1 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.9% Information technology ◂ +0.7 pts 1.2%
1.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.3 pts 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +$25 higher in Port Macquarie
$679 53rd pct $654 48th pct
Household income in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +$20 higher in Port Macquarie
$1,283 51st pct $1,263 50th pct
Family income in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +$208 higher in Port Macquarie
$1,684 57th pct $1,476 43rd pct
High earners in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +1.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie
8.2% 65th pct 6.5% 52nd pct
High-income homes in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +1.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie
14.1% 64th pct 12.3% 58th pct

Household income distribution

33.4% $650–$1,499 +5.0 pts ▸ 38.4%
25.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 25.4%
20.8% Under $650 ◂ +2.3 pts 18.5%
7.1% $3,000–$3,999 +0.3 pts ▸ 7.4%
6.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 5.0%

Personal income distribution

45.2% Under $650 +2.7 pts ▸ 47.9%
32.1% $650–$1,499 +2.3 pts ▸ 34.4%
13.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.5 pts 11.9%
3.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.2 pts 1.9%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.8 pts higher in Lake Cathie
37.1% 71st pct 37.9% 75th pct
Mental health in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +2.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
11.7% 74th pct 9.4% 44th pct
Needs assistance in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +1.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie
8.5% 75th pct 6.7% 56th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.6% Arthritis +2.3 pts ▸ 15.9%
11.7% Mental health ◂ +2.3 pts 9.4%
9.7% Other condition +0.4 pts ▸ 10.0%
9.6% Asthma ◂ +1.5 pts 8.1%
6.0% Heart disease +0.6 pts ▸ 6.6%
5.5% Diabetes +0.6 pts ▸ 6.1%
4.6% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 5.1%
3.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.3 pts 2.8%
1.6% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.6%
1.5% Dementia ◂ +0.8 pts 0.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

55.7% None +0.4 pts ▸ 56.1%
23.3% One condition +1.4 pts ▸ 24.6%
8.6% Two conditions ◂ +0.1 pts 8.5%
5.2% Three or more ◂ +0.6 pts 4.6%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +2.6 pts higher in Lake Cathie
16.1% 43rd pct 18.7% 60th pct
Unpaid carers in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.7 pts higher in Lake Cathie
13.4% 54th pct 14.1% 65th pct
Unpaid child care in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
23.3% 44th pct 23.0% 43rd pct
Defence service in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.5 pts higher in Lake Cathie
3.9% 59th pct 4.4% 69th pct
Housework 15h+ in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +5.3 pts higher in Lake Cathie
21.4% 27th pct 26.8% 73rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.1 larger in Lake Cathie
2.3 43rd pct 2.4 57th pct
One-parent in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +3.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
16.3% 57th pct 12.7% 35th pct
Living alone in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +7.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
31.6% 59th pct 23.7% 32nd pct

Family composition

47.0% Couples with children ◂ +2.1 pts 45.0%
35.8% Couples without children +5.7 pts ▸ 41.5%
16.3% One-parent families ◂ +3.5 pts 12.7%
0.9% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Household size

38.5% 2 people +7.5 pts ▸ 46.0%
31.6% 1 person ◂ +7.9 pts 23.7%
12.4% 3 people ◂ +1.0 pts 11.4%
11.0% 4 people +0.8 pts ▸ 11.8%
4.5% 5 people +0.6 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.0% 6 or more even 2.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie even
$380 83rd pct $380 83rd pct
Mortgage in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +$90 higher in Lake Cathie
$1,752 78th pct $1,842 83rd pct
People / bedroom in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie even
0.70 14th pct 0.70 14th pct
Renting in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +13.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie
31.1% 75th pct 17.5% 37th pct
Owned outright in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +12.9 pts higher in Lake Cathie
39.2% 49th pct 52.1% 87th pct
Separate houses in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +24.4 pts higher in Lake Cathie
66.2% 3rd pct 90.6% 36th pct
3+ bedrooms in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +4.2 pts higher in Lake Cathie
70.9% 27th pct 75.1% 42nd pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.2% Owned outright +12.9 pts ▸ 52.1%
31.1% Rented ◂ +13.6 pts 17.5%
24.5% Owned with a mortgage +2.4 pts ▸ 26.9%
3.3% Other tenure ◂ +1.5 pts 1.8%
1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 1.5%

Types of homes

66.2% Separate house +24.4 pts ▸ 90.6%
18.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +12.3 pts 5.6%
15.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +11.5 pts 3.7%
0.4% Other dwelling ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

40.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +8.0 pts 32.7%
24.2% 4 bedrooms +11.8 pts ▸ 35.9%
22.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.0 pts 21.8%
6.0% 5 or more +0.5 pts ▸ 6.4%
4.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +3.0 pts 1.4%
0.2% Studio / none ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

52.5% $350–$549 ◂ +0.3 pts 52.3%
26.8% $200–$349 +5.3 pts ▸ 32.1%
8.9% Under $200 ◂ +2.6 pts 6.3%
7.7% $550–$749 ◂ +1.8 pts 5.9%
1.0% $750 or more ◂ +1.0 pts 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

35.6% $1,800–$2,999 +5.3 pts ▸ 40.9%
31.1% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +1.8 pts 29.3%
17.9% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.1 pts 16.8%
11.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.6 pts 8.9%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +4.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
7.1% 76th pct 2.2% 32nd pct
Work from home in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.4 pts higher in Lake Cathie
12.5% 73rd pct 12.9% 74th pct
PT commute in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.6 pts higher in Lake Cathie
0.5% 66th pct 1.1% 77th pct

How people get to work

64.4% Car (driver) +2.3 pts ▸ 66.7%
12.5% Worked at home +0.4 pts ▸ 12.9%
5.3% Car (passenger) ◂ +1.4 pts 3.9%
2.6% Walked ◂ +1.2 pts 1.5%
0.4% Bus +0.3 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.5% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%

Motor vehicles per home

43.4% 1 vehicle ◂ +5.2 pts 38.2%
34.9% 2 vehicles +6.9 pts ▸ 41.9%
10.1% 3 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 10.8%
7.1% No vehicle ◂ +4.9 pts 2.2%
4.4% 4 or more +1.8 pts ▸ 6.2%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie
43.8% 86th pct 43.6% 86th pct
Recent arrivals in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +4.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
9.5% 69th pct 4.6% 49th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.4 pts higher in Lake Cathie
4.9% 53rd pct 5.2% 58th pct
Participation in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +3.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
52.4% 48th pct 48.5% 36th pct
Full-time in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
53.8% 37th pct 53.5% 36th pct

Industries people work in

22.4% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.9 pts 17.5%
8.9% Construction +4.1 pts ▸ 13.0%
10.5% Education & training +1.4 pts ▸ 11.9%
11.0% Retail trade ◂ +0.5 pts 10.4%
9.8% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.8 pts 8.0%
5.6% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.9 pts 4.7%
3.0% Manufacturing +1.8 pts ▸ 4.8%
4.3% Professional & technical ◂ +0.1 pts 4.2%
3.7% Other services +0.5 pts ▸ 4.2%
3.4% Administrative & support even 3.5%
3.4% Electricity, gas & water ◂ +1.1 pts 2.4%
2.9% Transport & warehousing even 2.9%

Occupations people work in

23.5% Professionals ◂ +2.8 pts 20.7%
15.6% Community & personal service ◂ +0.9 pts 14.7%
12.9% Technicians & trades +1.7 pts ▸ 14.6%
12.4% Clerical & administrative +1.4 pts ▸ 13.7%
11.1% Managers ◂ +0.9 pts 10.3%
9.0% Labourers +1.2 pts ▸ 10.2%
9.9% Sales workers ◂ +1.3 pts 8.7%
3.9% Machinery operators & drivers +1.5 pts ▸ 5.4%

Walkability

Walk score in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +2.3 higher in Port Macquarie
5.7 78th pct 3.4 36th pct
Types ≤15 min in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +1.7 more in Port Macquarie
5.5 65th pct 3.7 37th pct
15-min city in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +23.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie
60.8% 51st pct 37.6% 39th pct
Walk to shops in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +8.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
46.5% 42nd pct 37.6% 39th pct
Walk to transit in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +62.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie
94.3% 90th pct 32.1% 41st pct
Walk to school in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +18.8 pts higher in Port Macquarie
63.1% 45th pct 44.3% 33rd pct
Walk to a park in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +0.2 pts higher in Lake Cathie
93.8% 54th pct 94.0% 54th pct
Walk to health in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +15.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
52.6% 63rd pct 37.1% 55th pct
Amenities/1k in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +5.8 more in Port Macquarie
13.7 35th pct 7.9 17th pct
Intersections/km² in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +27 higher in Port Macquarie
111 93rd pct 84 88th pct
Mean slope in Port Macquariein Lake Cathie +1.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
7.0% 76th pct 5.7% 64th pct

Compare Port Macquarie with nearby areas

North Shore Riverside Thrumster Lake Cathie Bonny Hills Bonny Hills - West King Creek Telegraph Point

Compare Lake Cathie with nearby areas

Bonny Hills - West Bonny Hills Thrumster Camden Haven King Creek Port Macquarie Kew Kendall

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Port Macquarie vs Lake Cathie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL112017/port-macquarie/vs/UCL115096/lake-cathie