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Kiama vs Shoalhaven Heads

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 24 km apart · Kiama profile · Shoalhaven Heads profile

Kiama Shoalhaven Heads

Kiama and Shoalhaven Heads are two nearby New South Wales areas with very different profiles. Kiama is more affluent and highly qualified, with 29.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and a typical weekly household income of $1,752. In contrast, residents in Shoalhaven Heads are far older, with a typical age of 56 compared to 48 in Kiama. Shoalhaven Heads also has a much higher proportion of people living alone at 35.7%, while Kiama has more large homes, with 80.5% having three or more bedrooms.

Both areas sit close to the national figure for the share of households that rent, which is around 18%. While they share similar unemployment rates and an equal share of people with no religion, their trends are diverging. Since 2011, the gap in typical incomes has grown significantly, and Kiama has become far more likely to have residents working from home. Shoalhaven Heads remains more walkable for groceries and schools, though Kiama has much better access to health services.

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Where they differ most

Population: 11,497 larger in Kiama Year 12: 17.9 pts higher in Kiama 3+ bedrooms: 17.6 pts higher in Kiama PT commute: 0.4 pts higher in Kiama Median age: 8 yrs older in Shoalhaven Heads

Demographics & Identity

Population in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +11,497 larger in Kiama gap narrowing
14,761 86th pct 3,264 79th pct
Median age in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +8 yrs older in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
48 yrs 61st pct 56 yrs 86th pct
First Nations in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.3 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap steady
2.3% 27th pct 3.6% 43rd pct
Aged 65+ in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +8.6 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
27.7% 68th pct 36.3% 89th pct
Under 15 in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.9 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
16.5% 40th pct 14.6% 26th pct
De facto in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +2.3 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
10.2% 20th pct 12.5% 43rd pct

Age structure

27.7% Seniors (65+) +8.6 pts ▸ 36.3%
26.5% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.5 pts 25.0%
20.1% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +2.5 pts 17.6%
16.5% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.9 pts 14.6%
9.3% Youth (15–24) ◂ +2.9 pts 6.4%

Marital status

56.6% Married ◂ +8.1 pts 48.4%
26.0% Never married ◂ +2.1 pts 23.8%
8.7% Divorced +6.2 pts ▸ 14.9%
6.2% Widowed +2.6 pts ▸ 8.8%
2.5% Separated +1.6 pts ▸ 4.2%

Age & sex structure

Kiama Shoalhaven Heads

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +2.6 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
15.9% 79th pct 13.2% 66th pct

Country of birth

80.3% Australia ◂ +0.6 pts 79.8%
5.5% England even 5.5%
1.4% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 1.3%
0.6% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.5% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%
0.2% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.3% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% India even 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

44.9% English +2.0 pts ▸ 46.9%
38.4% Australian +1.0 pts ▸ 39.3%
14.8% Irish ◂ +1.7 pts 13.1%
13.1% Scottish ◂ +1.6 pts 11.5%
4.1% German ◂ +0.4 pts 3.7%
3.0% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 1.9%
1.7% Dutch ◂ +0.1 pts 1.5%
1.1% Chinese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
1.0% Greek ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%
0.4% Filipino +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.2% Vietnamese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Language

Other language in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +2.2 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
5.0% 66th pct 2.8% 34th pct
Limited English in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.1 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
0.5% 64th pct 0.4% 57th pct

Language used at home

90.4% English only +0.8 pts ▸ 91.2%
0.4% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.4% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.3% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.3% Cantonese even 0.3%
0.2% Arabic ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads even gap narrowing
41.5% 46th pct 41.5% 47th pct

Religious affiliation

51.1% Christianity ◂ +1.0 pts 50.0%
41.5% No religion +0.1 pts ▸ 41.5%
6.0% Not stated +1.6 pts ▸ 7.5%
0.7% Buddhism ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%
0.2% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.3% Hinduism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% Islam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.1% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +17.9 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
55.5% 89th pct 37.6% 47th pct
Bachelor+ in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +13.2 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
29.5% 95th pct 16.3% 73rd pct

Highest year of school

55.5% Year 12 ◂ +17.9 pts 37.6%
25.9% Year 10 +7.9 pts ▸ 33.8%
7.6% Year 9 or below +6.6 pts ▸ 14.2%
5.8% Year 11 +0.7 pts ▸ 6.5%

Highest qualification level

25.7% Certificate III / IV +10.3 pts ▸ 36.0%
26.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +8.0 pts 18.8%
17.1% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.8 pts 15.3%
9.1% Postgraduate degree ◂ +4.4 pts 4.8%
5.2% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.4 pts 2.8%
1.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 1.6%

Field of qualification

17.1% Management & commerce ◂ +2.3 pts 14.7%
14.5% Engineering & related +2.0 pts ▸ 16.5%
14.2% Education ◂ +4.0 pts 10.2%
11.8% Health ◂ +1.7 pts 10.2%
11.7% Society & culture ◂ +0.7 pts 11.1%
7.2% Architecture & building +2.4 pts ▸ 9.5%
3.9% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.5 pts ▸ 5.5%
3.5% Creative arts ◂ +0.7 pts 2.8%
2.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.3 pts 1.5%
1.8% Agriculture & environment +0.3 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.2% Information technology ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +$212 higher in Kiama gap widening
$825 79th pct $613 39th pct
Household income in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +$682 higher in Kiama gap widening
$1,752 78th pct $1,070 31st pct
Family income in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +$621 higher in Kiama gap widening
$2,154 83rd pct $1,533 47th pct
High earners in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +7.5 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
14.2% 88th pct 6.8% 55th pct
High-income homes in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +11.4 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
23.8% 87th pct 12.4% 58th pct

Household income distribution

27.3% $650–$1,499 +5.1 pts ▸ 32.4%
28.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +5.8 pts 22.8%
14.4% Under $650 +12.4 pts ▸ 26.7%
13.2% $4,000 or more ◂ +7.6 pts 5.6%
10.6% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.8 pts 6.8%

Personal income distribution

38.8% Under $650 +10.1 pts ▸ 48.8%
30.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.1 pts 28.1%
20.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.6 pts 13.3%
5.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 2.2%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +5.9 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
31.8% 43rd pct 37.7% 74th pct
Mental health in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.2 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
8.1% 30th pct 9.3% 43rd pct
Needs assistance in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
5.6% 42nd pct 6.7% 56th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

11.8% Arthritis +5.3 pts ▸ 17.1%
9.3% Other condition ◂ +0.9 pts 8.4%
8.1% Mental health +1.2 pts ▸ 9.3%
8.2% Asthma +0.5 pts ▸ 8.7%
5.6% Heart disease +1.4 pts ▸ 7.0%
4.3% Diabetes +2.3 pts ▸ 6.6%
4.3% Cancer +1.1 pts ▸ 5.4%
2.0% Lung condition +2.3 pts ▸ 4.3%
1.1% Stroke +0.6 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.1% Dementia ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

61.6% None ◂ +8.2 pts 53.5%
21.0% One condition +2.2 pts ▸ 23.2%
7.0% Two conditions +1.3 pts ▸ 8.4%
3.7% Three or more +2.5 pts ▸ 6.2%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.3 pts higher in Kiama gap steady
19.2% 64th pct 17.9% 55th pct
Unpaid carers in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.6 pts higher in Kiama gap steady
13.2% 51st pct 11.6% 28th pct
Unpaid child care in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +6.1 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
26.9% 63rd pct 20.8% 31st pct
Defence service in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.8 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
3.7% 53rd pct 5.5% 84th pct
Housework 15h+ in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.2 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
25.5% 63rd pct 24.3% 53rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.4 larger in Kiama gap widening
2.5 64th pct 2.1 29th pct
One-parent in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +3.3 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap widening
10.0% 20th pct 13.3% 39th pct
Living alone in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +12.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap widening
23.6% 32nd pct 35.7% 74th pct

Family composition

53.6% Couples with children ◂ +12.5 pts 41.1%
35.7% Couples without children +9.1 pts ▸ 44.8%
10.0% One-parent families +3.3 pts ▸ 13.3%
0.8% Other families +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

Household size

40.5% 2 people ◂ +0.2 pts 40.4%
23.6% 1 person +12.1 pts ▸ 35.7%
14.3% 4 people ◂ +4.8 pts 9.5%
13.3% 3 people ◂ +3.4 pts 9.8%
6.1% 5 people ◂ +2.8 pts 3.4%
2.0% 6 or more ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +$115 higher in Kiama gap narrowing
$480 95th pct $365 79th pct
Mortgage in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +$250 higher in Kiama gap narrowing
$2,200 93rd pct $1,950 87th pct
People / bedroom in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads even gap steady
0.70 14th pct 0.70 14th pct
Renting in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.3 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
18.5% 40th pct 18.1% 39th pct
Owned outright in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +8.0 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
46.4% 73rd pct 54.4% 90th pct
Separate houses in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +3.5 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
70.7% 6th pct 67.2% 4th pct
3+ bedrooms in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +17.6 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
80.5% 61st pct 62.9% 12th pct

How homes are owned or rented

46.4% Owned outright +8.0 pts ▸ 54.4%
30.7% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +6.9 pts 23.8%
18.5% Rented ◂ +0.3 pts 18.1%
3.3% Other tenure ◂ +1.3 pts 2.0%
1.1% Not stated +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%

Types of homes

70.7% Separate house ◂ +3.5 pts 67.2%
16.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +2.7 pts 14.0%
0.6% Other dwelling +13.5 pts ▸ 14.1%
11.8% Flat or apartment ◂ +10.7 pts 1.1%

Bedrooms per home

40.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.4 pts 39.1%
31.4% 4 bedrooms ◂ +11.4 pts 20.0%
15.6% 2 bedrooms +12.8 pts ▸ 28.4%
8.6% 5 or more ◂ +4.8 pts 3.8%
2.8% 1 bedroom +4.2 pts ▸ 6.9%
0.3% Studio / none +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

47.4% $350–$549 ◂ +1.0 pts 46.4%
13.0% $200–$349 +16.8 pts ▸ 29.8%
28.9% $550–$749 ◂ +21.8 pts 7.2%
4.3% Under $200 +4.7 pts ▸ 9.1%
3.9% $750 or more ◂ +2.8 pts 1.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

36.2% $1,800–$2,999 +5.2 pts ▸ 41.4%
18.7% $1,000–$1,799 +7.7 pts ▸ 26.4%
26.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +12.3 pts 13.8%
13.1% Under $1,000 +0.6 pts ▸ 13.8%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.2 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
3.8% 49th pct 5.0% 60th pct
Work from home in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +13.0 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
27.1% 95th pct 14.1% 78th pct
PT commute in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.4 pts higher in Kiama gap steady
0.4% 65th pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

50.6% Car (driver) +13.6 pts ▸ 64.2%
27.1% Worked at home ◂ +13.0 pts 14.1%
2.2% Walked +0.7 pts ▸ 3.0%
2.6% Car (passenger) +0.3 pts ▸ 2.9%
0.3% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.4% Train ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.1% Bus ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

33.7% 1 vehicle +12.9 pts ▸ 46.6%
42.6% 2 vehicles ◂ +7.7 pts 34.8%
12.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +4.1 pts 8.6%
7.1% 4 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 4.6%
3.8% No vehicle +1.2 pts ▸ 5.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +2.2 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
35.9% 55th pct 33.7% 44th pct
Recent arrivals in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +5.2 pts higher in Kiama gap widening
6.2% 57th pct 0.9% 32nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads gap narrowing
3.6% 32nd pct 3.7% 33rd pct
Participation in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +9.7 pts higher in Kiama gap steady
53.6% 51st pct 43.9% 25th pct
Full-time in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +1.2 pts higher in Kiama gap narrowing
53.9% 38th pct 52.7% 32nd pct

Industries people work in

15.8% Health care & social assistance +0.9 pts ▸ 16.7%
12.0% Construction +3.6 pts ▸ 15.6%
13.1% Education & training ◂ +3.4 pts 9.6%
7.7% Accommodation & food +3.3 pts ▸ 10.9%
9.6% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.8 pts 8.7%
7.1% Retail trade ◂ +0.1 pts 7.0%
6.8% Professional & technical ◂ +1.6 pts 5.2%
5.0% Manufacturing ◂ +0.3 pts 4.7%
2.4% Administrative & support +1.3 pts ▸ 3.6%
3.1% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.9 pts 2.2%
2.9% Other services even 2.9%
2.7% Finance & insurance ◂ +2.0 pts 0.7%

Occupations people work in

28.9% Professionals ◂ +6.9 pts 21.9%
14.7% Technicians & trades +3.9 pts ▸ 18.6%
14.6% Managers ◂ +2.8 pts 11.8%
12.2% Community & personal service +1.5 pts ▸ 13.6%
11.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.2 pts 10.9%
6.0% Labourers +3.7 pts ▸ 9.7%
6.7% Sales workers +0.2 pts ▸ 6.9%
4.5% Machinery operators & drivers +0.4 pts ▸ 4.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.5 higher in Kiama
5.6 75th pct 5.0 64th pct
Types ≤15 min in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.1 more in Shoalhaven Heads
5.1 59th pct 5.3 61st pct
15-min city in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +20.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
51.5% 44th pct 71.6% 61st pct
Walk to shops in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +27.6 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
52.3% 45th pct 79.8% 69th pct
Walk to transit in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +4.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
95.6% 92nd pct 99.7% 100th pct
Walk to school in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +20.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
51.9% 38th pct 71.9% 53rd pct
Walk to a park in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +4.1 pts higher in Shoalhaven Heads
95.6% 60th pct 99.7% 87th pct
Walk to health in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +52.5 pts higher in Kiama
52.5% 63rd pct 0.0% 0th pct
Amenities/1k in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +0.3 more in Shoalhaven Heads
15.9 43rd pct 16.2 44th pct
Intersections/km² in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +60 higher in Kiama
114 93rd pct 53 75th pct
Mean slope in Kiamain Shoalhaven Heads +6.7 pts higher in Kiama
9.4% 89th pct 2.7% 14th pct

Compare Kiama with nearby areas

Jamberoo Gerringong Gerroa Wollongong Berry Shoalhaven Heads Robertson Culburra Beach - Orient Point

Compare Shoalhaven Heads with nearby areas

Greenwell Point Culburra Beach - Orient Point Berry Gerroa Gerringong Nowra - Bomaderry Callala Bay Cambewarra Village

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Kiama vs Shoalhaven Heads [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL113007/kiama/vs/UCL115125/shoalhaven-heads