Federal Electorate · Area profile
Mackellar
213 km²
An older and wealthier population defines Mackellar, where the typical resident is 43. This community is notably affluent, with a high proportion of well-qualified professionals and families. It has become significantly more aged over the last decade, with seniors now making up 20.5% of the population. The area is marked by high home ownership and very strong household incomes, creating a stable, established feel in the Northern Beaches region.
An affluent area whose schools serve an equally well-off community.
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The area is noticeably older than the national figure, with 20.5% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown by 11 percentage points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 18.2%.
English and Australian are the most common ancestries, and 27.8% of residents were born overseas. This overseas-born population has risen by 8 percentage points since 2011.
English is the dominant tongue, with 81.7% of people using it only. The proportion of people using another language at home is 14.7%, which is well below the New South Wales figure of 26.6%.
Nearly half of residents identify as Christian, but there has been a large shift toward having no religion. This group rose by 29 percentage points since 2011 to reach 41.8%.
Mackellar is highly qualified, with 32.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is well above the national average, and 69.5% of residents have completed Year 12.
Weekly household incomes are among the highest in the region, typically reaching $2,420. This is well above the national figure of $1,746, and 38.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Residents generally report better health than most areas, with only 6.5% having a mental health condition. Those needing help with daily activities are at 4.3%, which is lower than the state average.
Participation in unpaid work is high, as 22.9% of people do 15 or more hours of housework weekly. Volunteering is also more common here than in most areas, at 16.1%.
The area is mostly made up of couples with children, who represent 64.4% of families. One-parent families are much less common here than in the rest of the state.
Home ownership is strong, with 37% of homes owned outright. However, the typical monthly mortgage payment is $3,033, which is far above the national figure.
Working from home is very common at 39.6%, which is far above the national figure. While most homes have cars, the area has a high number of weekly public transport departures per 1,000 people.
The community is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is much lower than in most areas. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much less common than the state average.
More adults are working or looking for work here than in most areas, with a very low unemployment rate of 3.2%. Professional and manager roles are the most common occupations.
The area is very walkable, with a score of 6.9. Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park (97.2%) and groceries (78.7%), despite the terrain being steeper than the state average.