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Murrays Beach vs Awaba

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 14 km apart · Murrays Beach profile · Awaba profile

Murrays Beach Awaba

Murrays Beach (L) and Awaba (L) are two nearby areas in Lake Macquarie with very different profiles. Murrays Beach (L) is a more affluent and educated area, with 33.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 11.3% in Awaba (L). This is consistent with higher earnings, as 20.6% of people in Murrays Beach (L) earn $2,000 or more a week, far higher than the 7% in Awaba (L). Rent is also much higher in Murrays Beach (L), where the typical weekly cost is $565, compared to $300 in Awaba (L).

Many of these gaps have widened since 2011, particularly in education, income, and the share of people born overseas. Despite this, the two areas share a similar proportion of children under 15 and very similar rates of people with long-term health conditions. While both are largely residential, they offer different access to amenities; Awaba (L) has far better access to public transport and schools, while Murrays Beach (L) has more parks within a 15-minute walk.

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Where they differ most

Bachelor+: 21.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach Work from home: 21.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach Year 12: 21.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach Recent movers: 19.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach Separate houses: 13.2 pts higher in Awaba

Demographics & Identity

Population in Murrays Beachin Awaba +660 larger in Murrays Beach gap widening
1,022 57th pct 362 22nd pct
Median age in Murrays Beachin Awaba +7 yrs older in Murrays Beach gap steady
46 yrs 54th pct 39 yrs 29th pct
First Nations in Murrays Beachin Awaba +1.9 pts higher in Awaba gap narrowing
3.3% 39th pct 5.2% 58th pct
Aged 65+ in Murrays Beachin Awaba +12.1 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
24.0% 56th pct 11.9% 16th pct
Under 15 in Murrays Beachin Awaba +1.0 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
21.4% 77th pct 20.4% 72nd pct
De facto in Murrays Beachin Awaba +3.4 pts higher in Awaba gap widening
11.9% 36th pct 15.2% 72nd pct

Age structure

29.0% Older adults (45–64) +0.9 pts ▸ 29.8%
24.0% Seniors (65+) ◂ +12.1 pts 11.9%
21.4% Children (0–14) ◂ +1.0 pts 20.4%
19.9% Young adults (25–44) even 19.9%
5.8% Youth (15–24) +7.8 pts ▸ 13.5%

Marital status

66.8% Married ◂ +20.0 pts 46.8%
15.5% Never married +16.1 pts ▸ 31.7%
12.4% Divorced +2.0 pts ▸ 14.4%
3.1% Widowed ◂ +0.3 pts 2.8%
3.1% Separated ◂ +1.0 pts 2.1%

Age & sex structure

Murrays Beach Awaba

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Murrays Beachin Awaba +13.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
19.3% 88th pct 5.8% 14th pct

Country of birth

78.0% Australia +11.8 pts ▸ 89.8%
5.6% England ◂ +3.6 pts 1.9%
2.1% New Zealand ◂ +2.1 pts 0.0%
2.0% South Africa ◂ +2.0 pts 0.0%
0.9% Philippines ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.6% India ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% China even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%
0.0% Nepal even 0.0%
0.0% Italy even 0.0%

Ancestry

45.5% English +2.6 pts ▸ 48.1%
35.7% Australian +9.3 pts ▸ 45.0%
12.4% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 10.5%
11.4% Scottish ◂ +2.1 pts 9.4%
3.9% German +0.8 pts ▸ 4.7%
2.3% Dutch ◂ +2.3 pts 0.0%
2.1% Italian ◂ +1.2 pts 0.8%
1.8% Filipino ◂ +0.7 pts 1.1%
1.4% Chinese ◂ +0.5 pts 0.8%
0.9% Greek ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.3% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Other language in Murrays Beachin Awaba +4.1 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
4.9% 65th pct 0.8% 7th pct
Limited English in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.4 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap steady
0.4% 58th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Language used at home

91.8% English only +3.0 pts ▸ 94.8%
0.4% Mandarin ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%
0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Italian even 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%
0.0% Tagalog even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Murrays Beachin Awaba +1.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
43.1% 52nd pct 41.2% 45th pct

Religious affiliation

52.3% Christianity ◂ +2.6 pts 49.7%
43.1% No religion ◂ +1.9 pts 41.2%
3.6% Not stated +4.9 pts ▸ 8.6%
0.5% Buddhism +0.9 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.7% Judaism ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.5% Islam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.0% Hinduism even 0.0%
0.0% Other religions even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Murrays Beachin Awaba +21.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
57.2% 90th pct 35.7% 41st pct
Bachelor+ in Murrays Beachin Awaba +21.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
33.2% 99th pct 11.3% 49th pct

Highest year of school

57.2% Year 12 ◂ +21.5 pts 35.7%
27.2% Year 10 +9.2 pts ▸ 36.4%
5.3% Year 9 or below +5.1 pts ▸ 10.4%
6.8% Year 11 +2.1 pts ▸ 8.9%

Highest qualification level

23.5% Certificate III / IV +24.9 pts ▸ 48.3%
28.2% Bachelor degree ◂ +6.7 pts 21.5%
19.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +6.0 pts 13.4%
10.4% Postgraduate degree ◂ +10.4 pts 0.0%
4.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +4.7 pts 0.0%
1.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%

Field of qualification

15.9% Engineering & related +12.3 pts ▸ 28.2%
22.0% Management & commerce ◂ +5.9 pts 16.1%
10.2% Health +3.9 pts ▸ 14.1%
13.3% Society & culture ◂ +3.9 pts 9.4%
13.1% Education ◂ +3.0 pts 10.1%
7.0% Architecture & building +2.4 pts ▸ 9.4%
3.4% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +3.4 pts 0.0%
2.4% Natural & physical sciences +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%
2.6% Creative arts ◂ +2.6 pts 0.0%
1.0% Agriculture & environment +1.0 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.8% Information technology ◂ +1.8 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Murrays Beachin Awaba +$199 higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
$976 90th pct $777 73rd pct
Household income in Murrays Beachin Awaba +$290 higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
$1,961 86th pct $1,671 75th pct
Family income in Murrays Beachin Awaba +$189 higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
$2,304 87th pct $2,115 81st pct
High earners in Murrays Beachin Awaba +13.6 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
20.6% 96th pct 7.0% 57th pct
High-income homes in Murrays Beachin Awaba +9.1 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
30.3% 92nd pct 21.2% 84th pct

Household income distribution

27.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.3 pts 27.1%
25.9% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.5 pts 25.4%
18.1% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 14.4%
9.6% Under $650 +4.0 pts ▸ 13.6%
12.2% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +5.4 pts 6.8%

Personal income distribution

35.2% Under $650 +7.4 pts ▸ 42.6%
28.5% $650–$1,499 +5.3 pts ▸ 33.8%
24.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +7.4 pts 17.3%
7.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +5.4 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach
31.7% 42nd pct 31.2% 40th pct
Mental health in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.6 pts higher in Awaba
8.8% 37th pct 9.4% 44th pct
Needs assistance in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.4 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
4.3% 25th pct 3.9% 19th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

9.3% Asthma +2.9 pts ▸ 12.2%
10.2% Arthritis even 10.2%
8.8% Mental health +0.6 pts ▸ 9.4%
7.8% Other condition +1.3 pts ▸ 9.1%
3.5% Diabetes +2.0 pts ▸ 5.5%
3.7% Heart disease +1.5 pts ▸ 5.2%
3.9% Cancer ◂ +2.3 pts 1.7%
0.5% Stroke +2.0 pts ▸ 2.5%
2.0% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 1.4%
0.3% Dementia +1.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

Number of long-term health conditions

62.5% None ◂ +3.4 pts 59.1%
23.6% One condition ◂ +1.5 pts 22.1%
6.1% Two conditions +0.6 pts ▸ 6.6%
2.6% Three or more +2.3 pts ▸ 5.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Murrays Beachin Awaba +2.0 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
16.8% 48th pct 14.8% 35th pct
Unpaid carers in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.9 pts higher in Awaba gap narrowing
15.3% 80th pct 16.2% 87th pct
Unpaid child care in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.4 pts higher in Awaba gap narrowing
34.1% 86th pct 34.5% 87th pct
Defence service in Murrays Beachin Awaba +1.1 pts higher in Murrays Beach
3.6% 51st pct 2.5% 23rd pct
Housework 15h+ in Murrays Beachin Awaba +6.4 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
33.2% 99th pct 26.8% 73rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.2 larger in Awaba gap narrowing
2.6 71st pct 2.8 81st pct
One-parent in Murrays Beachin Awaba +2.6 pts higher in Awaba gap narrowing
7.3% 9th pct 9.9% 19th pct
Living alone in Murrays Beachin Awaba +11.6 pts higher in Awaba gap widening
13.0% 8th pct 24.6% 35th pct

Family composition

54.3% Couples with children +11.5 pts ▸ 65.8%
37.5% Couples without children ◂ +12.9 pts 24.6%
7.3% One-parent families +2.6 pts ▸ 9.9%
0.0% Other families even 0.0%

Household size

46.6% 2 people ◂ +19.5 pts 27.1%
13.0% 1 person +11.6 pts ▸ 24.6%
13.2% 3 people +5.4 pts ▸ 18.6%
18.1% 4 people ◂ +3.7 pts 14.4%
7.0% 5 people +6.6 pts ▸ 13.6%
1.8% 6 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 4.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Murrays Beachin Awaba +$265 higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
$565 100th pct $300 59th pct
Mortgage in Murrays Beachin Awaba +$462 higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
$2,200 93rd pct $1,738 77th pct
People / bedroom in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.20 higher in Awaba gap steady
0.70 14th pct 0.90 88th pct
Renting in Murrays Beachin Awaba +3.6 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
10.4% 14th pct 6.8% 6th pct
Owned outright in Murrays Beachin Awaba +7.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
44.8% 67th pct 37.3% 43rd pct
Separate houses in Murrays Beachin Awaba +13.2 pts higher in Awaba gap widening
86.8% 23rd pct 100.0% 100th pct
3+ bedrooms in Murrays Beachin Awaba +1.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap narrowing
85.8% 77th pct 83.9% 72nd pct

How homes are owned or rented

45.3% Owned with a mortgage +5.5 pts ▸ 50.8%
44.8% Owned outright ◂ +7.5 pts 37.3%
10.4% Rented ◂ +3.6 pts 6.8%
0.0% Other tenure even 0.0%
0.0% Not stated even 0.0%

Types of homes

86.8% Separate house +14.9 pts ▸ 101.7%
12.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +12.4 pts 0.0%
0.0% Flat or apartment even 0.0%
0.0% Other dwelling even 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

30.3% 3 bedrooms +23.1 pts ▸ 53.4%
47.4% 4 bedrooms ◂ +22.8 pts 24.6%
11.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.8 pts 9.3%
8.0% 5 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 5.9%
0.0% 1 bedroom +3.4 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.0% Studio / none even 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

0.0% $200–$349 +87.5 pts ▸ 87.5%
45.0% $550–$749 ◂ +45.0 pts 0.0%
37.5% $350–$549 ◂ +37.5 pts 0.0%
0.0% Under $200 even 0.0%
0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

17.1% $1,000–$1,799 +29.5 pts ▸ 46.7%
41.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +8.4 pts 33.3%
23.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +16.8 pts 6.7%
12.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.0 pts 5.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Murrays Beachin Awaba +2.5 pts higher in Awaba gap steady
0.0% 0th pct 2.5% 36th pct
Work from home in Murrays Beachin Awaba +21.5 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
37.3% 100th pct 15.8% 83rd pct
PT commute in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap steady
0.9% 74th pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

42.1% Car (driver) +24.0 pts ▸ 66.1%
37.3% Worked at home ◂ +21.5 pts 15.8%
0.9% Car (passenger) +4.4 pts ▸ 5.3%
0.9% Train ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.0% Bus even 0.0%
0.0% Bicycle even 0.0%
0.0% Walked even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

54.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +22.6 pts 31.4%
30.7% 1 vehicle ◂ +2.7 pts 28.0%
10.6% 3 vehicles +7.2 pts ▸ 17.8%
7.1% 4 or more +9.8 pts ▸ 16.9%
0.0% No vehicle +2.5 pts ▸ 2.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Murrays Beachin Awaba +19.9 pts higher in Murrays Beach gap widening
49.2% 93rd pct 29.3% 25th pct
Recent arrivals in Murrays Beachin Awaba even gap steady
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Murrays Beachin Awaba +2.9 pts higher in Awaba gap widening
2.5% 15th pct 5.4% 60th pct
Participation in Murrays Beachin Awaba +5.4 pts higher in Awaba gap widening
60.1% 71st pct 65.5% 86th pct
Full-time in Murrays Beachin Awaba +3.5 pts higher in Awaba gap narrowing
57.3% 57th pct 60.8% 74th pct

Industries people work in

18.2% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.2 pts 14.0%
6.9% Retail trade +7.8 pts ▸ 14.6%
9.4% Construction +4.0 pts ▸ 13.5%
12.7% Education & training ◂ +4.5 pts 8.2%
7.7% Manufacturing +3.4 pts ▸ 11.1%
7.5% Professional & technical ◂ +5.2 pts 2.3%
1.1% Mining +5.9 pts ▸ 7.0%
6.2% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.0 pts 5.3%
4.7% Accommodation & food +1.1 pts ▸ 5.8%
5.2% Finance & insurance ◂ +3.4 pts 1.8%
2.6% Transport & warehousing +2.1 pts ▸ 4.7%
1.7% Electricity, gas & water +2.4 pts ▸ 4.1%

Occupations people work in

28.8% Professionals ◂ +12.4 pts 16.4%
13.7% Clerical & administrative +3.2 pts ▸ 17.0%
14.4% Managers ◂ +5.6 pts 8.8%
13.7% Community & personal service ◂ +3.2 pts 10.5%
12.7% Technicians & trades +0.2 pts ▸ 12.9%
3.4% Labourers +8.8 pts ▸ 12.3%
8.4% Sales workers +3.3 pts ▸ 11.7%
3.0% Machinery operators & drivers +6.9 pts ▸ 9.9%

Walkability

Walk score in Murrays Beachin Awaba even
2.2 22nd pct 2.2 22nd pct
Types ≤15 min in Murrays Beachin Awaba +0.2 more in Awaba
2.2 21st pct 2.4 22nd pct
15-min city in Murrays Beachin Awaba even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to shops in Murrays Beachin Awaba even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Murrays Beachin Awaba +57.4 pts higher in Awaba
10.1% 33rd pct 67.5% 61st pct
Walk to school in Murrays Beachin Awaba +88.5 pts higher in Awaba
0.0% 0th pct 88.5% 76th pct
Walk to a park in Murrays Beachin Awaba +35.4 pts higher in Murrays Beach
90.5% 44th pct 55.0% 18th pct
Walk to health in Murrays Beachin Awaba even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Amenities/1k in Murrays Beachin Awaba +10.7 more in Awaba
5.9 12th pct 16.6 45th pct
Intersections/km² in Murrays Beachin Awaba +73 higher in Murrays Beach
96 90th pct 23 36th pct
Mean slope in Murrays Beachin Awaba +3.1 pts higher in Awaba
9.1% 88th pct 12.3% 96th pct

Compare Murrays Beach with nearby areas

Nords Wharf Catherine Hill Bay Summerland Point - Gwandalan Wyee Point Awaba Morisset - Cooranbong Wyee Newcastle

Compare Awaba with nearby areas

Killingworth Morisset - Cooranbong Mulbring Murrays Beach Summerland Point - Gwandalan Seahampton Wyee Point Nords Wharf

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Murrays Beach vs Awaba [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL121085/murrays-beach/vs/UCL122010/awaba