Shellharbour - Oak Flats

The typical resident is 43, making the area noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22.2% of the population, a figure that has risen by 7.3 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and about 19.6% were born overseas, which is well below the New South Wales figure of 29.3%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 82.6% of the community. Those using another language at home make up 12.5%, which is far below the state average of 26.6%.

Over half of residents identify as Christian, while 37.3% report no religion. This last group has seen a significant increase of 19 points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than in most similar areas, with only 13.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure, though it has risen by 7.5 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,478, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. However, there has been a steady increase in earnings, with typical household income rising $349 since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%.

Unpaid care is a common part of life, as 14.6% of people provide unpaid care—a rate much higher than most areas. Conversely, volunteering has fallen to 9.5% since 2011.

First Nations people make up 4.1% of the population, which is higher than most similar areas. Median personal income for this group is $630, a little above the national figure.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, representing 17.4% of households. About 24.1% of people live alone.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, and 40.1% of homes are owned outright, which is well above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is $425, a little above the national average.

The area is very dependent on cars, with 56.5% of workers driving to work. While public transport stops are plentiful, only 1.3% of people use them to commute.

The community is relatively stable, with 33.4% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.

Full-time employment is much lower than in most similar areas at 53.6%. The most common industries for local workers are health care, construction, and retail.

The area has an overall advantage score of 957, which is smaller than about 66% of similar areas. Job skills and education ranks are particularly low compared to other regions.

The area receives much more rainfall than most other parts of the state, averaging 1,396mm annually. Minimum temperatures are also well above the New South Wales average.

This is a very walkable area, with 89.5% of homes within a 15-minute walk of the city's amenities. Nearly every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park and school.