Council (LGA) · Area profile
Mid-Coast
10,054 km²
Typical weekly household incomes in Mid-Coast are much lower than the national figure, reflecting a community with a high proportion of retirees. This is an older population, with the typical resident aged 54 and a third of all people aged 65 or over. These factors contribute to a quiet residential character where many homes are owned outright and family sizes are generally small. The area is also distinctive for its high First Nations population, which is well above the state average.
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The community is far older than most Australian areas, with a typical age of 54 and 33.2% of people aged 65 and over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.6%, which is well below the national figure.
Most of the population was born in Australia, and only 10.1% were born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 43.9% and 42.4% respectively.
Language use is very uniform, with 89.9% of people speaking only English at home. This means only 3.2% use another language, which is far below the state and national figures.
Over half of residents identify as Christian, while 36.6% report no religion. The proportion of people with no religion rose by 12 percentage points since 2016.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 34.1% of people completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. Just 12.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Weekly incomes are much lower than the state average, with the typical family earning $1,341. Only 8.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this rose 4.2 percentage points since 2016.
Health challenges are common here, as 39.1% of people have a long-term health condition, far above the national figure. About 9% of residents need help with daily activities, which is among the highest for similar areas.
A high proportion of people provide unpaid care (14.1%) or do significant housework, while 4.1% have served in the Defence Force, which is higher than most areas.
The area has a large First Nations community of 7,016 people. This group is generally younger, with a typical age of 23, but faces higher unemployment (13.1%) and lower Year 12 completion rates than the wider population.
Homes are smaller than usual, with a typical size of 2.2 people. About 30.8% of people live alone, and one-parent families are much more common here than in most other areas.
Home ownership is very high, with 48.1% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure. Most residents live in separate houses, and 22.5% rent, which is well below the state average.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 63.8% of workers driving to work and very few using public transport. While there are many bus stops, the average walk to the nearest one is much longer than in most areas.
About 37.1% of residents moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 6.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure.
Working rates are much lower than most areas, with only 43.9% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate is 6.2%, which is a little above the national figure.
The region ranks low for overall advantage and access to resources compared to other areas. There are 7,518 businesses, which is more than about 83% of similar areas.
The area receives much higher rainfall than the state average, with 1,167mm annually. Temperatures are typical for the region, with an average maximum of 24.0 degrees.
The rate of assault and related crimes is higher than most areas, while the robbery rate is much lower. Overall recorded offences are around the middle for similar areas.
Most of the area is car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 4.0. Residents are far less likely to live within a 15-minute walk of schools, groceries, or health services compared to the state average.