Shellharbour

The population is growing, with 76,271 people and a typical age of 39. It is a relatively young community, as the proportion of children under 15 is higher than most areas, while the number of seniors has risen to 18.3% since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, with only 16.1% born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, both at around 38%.

English is the dominant language, spoken by 85.4% of people at home. Only 9.8% of residents use another language, which is far below the state and national figures.

Over half of the community identifies as Christian, while 37% report no religion. This last group has seen a significant increase of 20 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels have risen, with Year 12 completion increasing by nearly 10 percentage points since 2011 to 41.2%. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree is far below the national figure.

Household incomes are generally strong and have risen since 2011, with the typical family now earning $1,977 a week. This is higher than in most similar areas, though still a little below the state average.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 32.3% of people living with a long-term condition. Mental health conditions are also much more frequent than in other similar regions.

Unpaid care and housework are common, with a much higher rate of people caring for children than in most areas. Conversely, volunteering is much lower than the national figure.

The First Nations community is larger than in 91% of similar areas. It is a notably young population with a typical age of 21 and an unemployment rate lower than the national average.

Families tend to be larger here, with 2.6 people per home and a high proportion of couples with children. One-parent families are also much more common than in most other areas.

Large homes are the norm, with 84.6% having three or more bedrooms, far above the state average. While detached houses are common, typical weekly rents are among the highest for this level at $420.

Most people rely on cars for work, though working from home has jumped to 18.5% since 2011. Public transport use is very low, with only 0.8% of people commuting this way.

The area is seeing a fair amount of movement, with 36.9% of people moving house in the last five years. However, new arrivals from overseas remain much lower than in most other areas.

Full-time employment is much lower than in most similar areas. The most common industries for local workers are health care and social assistance, followed by construction and retail.

The region shows a general advantage over 60% of similar areas, with a strong number of local businesses. Population growth has remained much higher than the state average since 2021.

The area is very wet, with annual rainfall far above the New South Wales average. It is generally cooler than the state average in summer but warmer in winter.

Overall crime is lower than in most areas, particularly for burglary and robbery. However, motor vehicle theft and sexual offences are higher than in similar regions.

Most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, but fewer residents can easily walk to groceries or health services. The overall walkability is about the same as the state average.