South Coast

The region is far older than the national figure, with 31.0% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 7.3 points since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.4%, which is well below the New South Wales average of 18.2%.

The community is predominantly Australian-born, and only 13.0% of people were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language here, with only 3.7% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%. Consequently, very few people (0.4%) speak little or no English.

A large proportion of the community has no religion, accounting for 44.8%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9% and represents a significant increase of 20 points since 2011.

Education levels are generally lower than the state average, with 43.1% of people completing Year 12 compared to 58.9% in New South Wales. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose 5.5 points since 2011 to reach 17.7%.

Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the usual weekly household income being $1,183. Only 10.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is among the lowest for its level.

Long-term health conditions are common, affecting 36.5% of people, which is well above the national figure of 27.7%. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.1% of residents need help with daily activities.

The area has a high rate of volunteerism at 19.5%, well above the national figure. This is alongside a higher-than-usual number of people who have served in the Defence Force (4.2%) and those providing unpaid care (13.4%).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 5.0% of the population, which is a little above the national figure of 3.2%. However, First Nations personal income is much lower than most areas, with a typical weekly amount of $496.

Living arrangements are often small or solo, with 30.8% of people living alone, which is well above the national average. This helps explain why the typical home contains only 2.2 people.

Home ownership is very high, with 49.2% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Most residents live in separate houses (83.9%), and renting is much less common here than elsewhere in the state.

Car dependency is very high, with 63.6% of people driving to work and only 0.4% using public transport. Very few homes are without a motor vehicle, at just 4.2%.

The population is relatively stable, with a lower percentage of people moving in the last five years (37.2%) compared to the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are also among the lowest at this level, at 5.3%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (47.8%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries for those employed are health care, construction, and retail.

Population growth since 2021 has been 2.8%, which is well below the New South Wales rate of 6.1%.

The region is wetter than most of the state, with average annual rainfall of 1,116mm. Temperatures are generally lower, with an average maximum of 21.6 degrees.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.7, far below the state average. Many homes are far from essential services, with only 32.8% within a 15-minute walk of a school.