Region (SA4) · Area profile
Illawarra
1,539 km²
Typical family incomes in Illawarra have risen sharply to $2,109 a week, keeping pace with national figures. This is a growing region of over 313,000 people where the workforce is increasingly well-qualified and a large number of people now work from home. The community is ageing slightly, with a higher proportion of seniors than most areas. This shift towards an older population is mirrored by a rise in the number of people who need help with daily activities.
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The population grew by 14% since 2011, and the typical resident is now 40. Seniors make up 19.2% of the community, which is a little above the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a well below national proportion of overseas-born people at 19.3%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 82% of people, and those using another language at home (13.5%) are far below the New South Wales average.
About 38.5% of people report having no religion, a figure that rose 19 points since 2011 and is well above the state average.
More people have a bachelor degree or higher (22.3%) than in most similar areas. Year 12 completion has also risen 10 points since 2011 to 50.9%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,684. Higher earners are more common here than in most areas, with 11.5% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Long-term health conditions are more common than in most areas, affecting 31.2% of people. This includes a mental health rate of 10.1%, which is a little above the national figure.
Many residents provide unpaid care (13.2%), a rate much higher than most areas. However, the proportion of people who volunteer fell 3.8 points since 2011.
First Nations people make up 3.6% of the population. This community is a little younger than the national average, with a typical age of 22.
Families with children are common, and homes typically hold 2.5 people, which is slightly higher than most areas.
Outright home ownership is well above the national figure at 35.1%. However, typical weekly rents of $400 and monthly mortgage payments of $2,167 are much higher than in most similar areas.
Working from home has surged to 24.7%, while commuting by public transport fell to 1.2%. Most households own two vehicles.
The area is less mobile than most, with a much lower proportion of recent overseas arrivals (9.5%) compared to the national figure.
Full-time employment is much lower than in most areas at 54.3%. The most common industries are health care, social assistance, and education.
The population is estimated at 330,469, with a recent growth rate of 5.2%, which is about the same as the New South Wales average.
The region is much wetter than the state average, with annual rainfall of 1,349mm. Temperatures are generally a little lower than the state average.
Most homes are within a short walk of a park (94.1%) or public transport (93.4%), although access to health services is far below the state average.