State Electorate · Area profile
Gosford
800 km²
A typical resident in Gosford is 44, making this community noticeably older than the national figure. The population has grown by 11% since 2011 to reach 78,537 people, with a significant number of seniors now living here. This shift toward an older demographic is reflected in the higher need for health support and a larger number of people living alone. Overall, it is a well-connected hub where many people work from home and enjoy high walkability.
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Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22.4% of the population, which is well above the national figure. The area also has a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most similar areas, rising to 4.0% in 2021.
Most residents were born in Australia, though the proportion of people born overseas has risen to 20.2%. This is still well below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.
English is the dominant language, with only 10.7% of people using another tongue at home. This is far below the state figure, although the number of people using other languages has risen since 2011.
A large number of residents report no religion, accounting for 41.3% of the community. This figure is a little above the national average and has risen sharply by 22 percentage points since 2011.
The area has a higher number of schools per child than most similar places. However, those who completed Year 12 (50.3%) and those with a bachelor degree or higher (20.6%) are well below the national figures.
Typical household incomes are lower than the national figure, with the usual weekly income sitting at $1,449. Despite this, the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen significantly since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.9% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health and arthritis are the most frequently reported issues.
About 12% of people provide unpaid care, which is typical for its level. However, the number of volunteers has fallen since 2011 and is now lower than in most similar areas.
One-parent families (17.9%) and people living alone (32.1%) are both much more common here than in most other areas. This is consistent with the smaller average household size of 2.3 people.
Renting is more common here than in most areas, with 35.3% of households renting. The area has fewer large homes, as only 66.6% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms.
While 29.3% of people now work from home, the area is highly serviced by public transport. It has one of the largest networks of stops and routes at this level.
Around 39.2% of residents moved in the last five years, which is about the same as the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 9.1% of the population, well below the state average.
The number of people working or looking for work is much lower than in most areas. Full-time employment has also fallen since 2011 and sits well below the national average.
Gosford is very walkable, with 92.2% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Residents have access to more walkable amenities per person than the state average, especially parks and transport.