Urban Area · Area profile
Central Coast
1,334 km²
A population growth of nearly 1,600% since 2011 has transformed Central Coast into a major hub of 343,180 people. This is a noticeably older community, where the typical resident is 43 and seniors make up over 22% of the population. Residents generally live in large, separate houses, with many people working from home. It is a place where traditional Australian roots remain strong, though the number of people born overseas has risen significantly in recent years.
Explore Central Coast by topic
The area is older than most, with a typical age of 43 and a senior population well above the national figure. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 4.9% of the community, which is a little above the New South Wales average.
English and Australian ancestries are most common, though the share of people born overseas rose 10 points since 2011 to 16.1%. This remains far below the state and national figures.
English is the main language for 87.7% of residents. While the number of people using another language at home rose to 7.1% since 2011, this is still far below the national figure.
People with no religion now make up 40% of the population, a rise of 23 points since 2011. This is well above the New South Wales average.
Education levels have climbed since 2011, with the share of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher rising 13 points to 17.8%. However, this is still well below the national average.
Typical family incomes are a little below the national figure at $1,948 per week. Higher earners are more common than in most similar areas, with 18.5% of households earning $3,000 or more weekly.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 34% of residents. This includes mental health conditions, which are a little above the national figure.
Unpaid housework is more common here than in most areas, while 12.1% of people volunteer. This volunteer rate is among the lowest for similar areas.
Families with one parent are well above the national figure at 17.5%. Homes are generally larger than usual, with an average of 2.5 people per household.
Separate houses are very common, making up 78.2% of all dwellings. While 34.5% of homes are owned outright, typical monthly mortgage payments are among the highest for similar areas at $2,000.
Working from home is very common at 25.4%, a huge increase from 2011. Most people rely on cars, as only 1.3% of the workforce commutes using public transport.
The area has seen a steady number of people moving in, though recent arrivals from overseas have fallen 4.6 points since 2011 to 6.9%.
Health care and social assistance are the biggest employers. Full-time employment is much lower than in most similar areas and fell 7.4 points since 2011.
Most homes are within a short walk of parks and public transport, but far fewer are near schools, groceries, or health services compared to the state average.