Region (SA4) · Area profile
Central Coast
1,681 km²
Most residents in the Central Coast rely on cars for daily life, with a huge 78.4% of homes being separate houses. It is a noticeably older community where the typical resident is 43, and over a fifth of the population are seniors. This creates a distinctive character where many people are retired or older adults, contributing to a higher need for health services. While the population has grown by 11% since 2011, the area remains largely traditional in its identity and heritage.
Explore Central Coast by topic
The area is noticeably older than the national figure, with the typical resident aged 43 and seniors making up 22.2% of the population. First Nations people represent 4.9% of the community, a figure that has risen by 2.0 points since 2011.
The community is predominantly Australian and English in ancestry, with 79.0% of people born in Australia. This explains why the proportion of overseas-born residents is far below the New South Wales figure.
English is the primary language for 87.7% of the population. Only 7.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average.
Religious views are shifting, as the number of people with no religion rose 21 points since 2011 to reach 39.9%. This is well above the state figure.
Education levels have risen since 2011, with Year 12 completion growing by 10 points to 47.2%. However, this remains far below the state and national figures.
Typical household income is $1,507 a week, which is a little below the national figure. While incomes have risen since 2011, only 18.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health needs are much higher than most areas, with 33.9% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is consistent with the older age of the population, and 7.0% of people need help with daily activities.
Unpaid care is common, with 12.5% of people providing support to others. Those doing 15 or more hours of unpaid housework are a little above the national average.
First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, with a typical personal income of $621 per week, which is a little above the national figure.
Families here are often larger than average, with 2.5 people per home. One-parent families make up 17.4% of households, which is well above the national average.
Homes are typically large, with 75.4% having three or more bedrooms. A high proportion of residents—34.5%—own their homes outright, though typical weekly rents have risen by $130 since 2011 to reach $400.
Car use is dominant, but working from home has surged by 21 points since 2011 to reach 25.5%. Very few people—just 1.3%—commute using public transport.
The area is relatively stable, with 37.4% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals are among the lowest for this level of area.
Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer at 17.8%. Full-time employment is well below the national figure at 52.6%.
The population continues to grow, though the growth rate of 2.7% since 2021 is much lower than the state average.
The region is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,408mm, which is far above the state average.
Most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, but many lack easy access to groceries and health services. The overall walkability is somewhat low compared to the state.