Shellharbour - Flinders

The area has a higher proportion of children under 15 than most similar places, though this fell from 24.3% in 2011. The typical resident is 39, and the population of seniors has risen by 5 points over the last decade.

Born-overseas residents make up 16.1% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, together accounting for over 73% of the community.

English is the primary language for 84.1% of residents. Those using another language at home make up 12% of the population, a figure that is far below the New South Wales average.

Christianity is the most common faith at 58.8%. Those reporting no religion make up 33% of the population, a figure that has risen sharply by 18 points since 2011.

The area has a lower rate of Year 12 completion than most similar areas at 49.4%, though this has risen nearly 10 points since 2011. Bachelor degrees or higher are held by 19.1% of adults.

Weekly typical family incomes are a little above the national figure at $2,380. High earners are common, with 29.4% of households earning $3,000 or more a week, up 18 points since 2011.

Residents who need help with daily activities make up 4.7% of the population, which is lower than the national average of 5.8%. Around 27.5% of people live with a long-term health condition.

Unpaid childcare is very common here, with 30.7% of people providing this care, which is well above the national figure. However, volunteering is much lower than in most similar areas at 11.3%.

The First Nations community is larger than in about 86% of similar areas. This group is younger than the national average, with a typical age of 22 and an unemployment rate of 7.0%, which is well below the national figure.

Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per home and a very low 16.4% of people living alone. Most households are couples with children, making up 64.1% of the total.

Large homes dominate the landscape, with 88.5% having three or more bedrooms. Rent is much higher than the national figure at $510 a week, and typical monthly mortgage payments are also high at $2,200.

Car dependency is high, with 53.6% of people driving to work and only 0.4% using public transport. Working from home has become much more common, rising from 2.9% in 2011 to 24.1% in 2021.

About 38.8% of residents moved here in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 5.2% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 14.5%.

More adults are working or looking for work here than in most similar areas, at 63.7%. The unemployment rate is very low at 3.6%, well below the national average of 5.1%.

The area is relatively advantaged, ranking in the top 10% for access to money and resources. It is also growing quickly, with a population increase of 8.2% since 2021, which is higher than the state average.

The region is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,507mm, far above the New South Wales average. Temperatures are generally milder, with a typical minimum of 12.8 degrees.

While 98% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, other amenities are harder to reach. Only 56.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far below the state average.