Central Coast

The community is older than the state and national averages, with the typical resident aged 42 and 22.3% of people aged 65 or over. This senior population has grown by 3.2 percentage points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has slightly fallen.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 16.2% of the population. While this is much higher than in similar areas, it is far below the New South Wales and national figures.

English is the primary language for 87.6% of the community. About 7.2% of people use another language at home, which is a higher proportion than in most similar areas but still far below the state average.

A significant number of people report no religion, accounting for 40.0% of the population. This figure is well above the state average and has risen by 21 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels have risen, with the proportion of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher increasing to 17.8% since 2011. This is still well below the national figure, and the area has far fewer people who completed Year 12 compared to the state average.

Typical weekly household income is $1,489, which is higher than in most similar areas but a little below the national figure of $1,746. Higher earners are more common than in 2011, with 18.2% of households now earning $3,000 or more a week.

Health needs are higher than average, with 34.1% of people living with a long-term health condition and 11.1% reporting a mental health condition. Around 7.1% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than in most similar areas.

Volunteer rates have fallen by 3.7 percentage points since 2011 to 12.0%, which is much lower than in most similar areas. About 25.8% of people provide unpaid care for children, a figure consistent with the state and national averages.

Family sizes are typical for Australia, with 2.5 people per home. However, there are more one-parent families here than in most similar areas, and 27.7% of households consist of a single person living alone.

The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 77.3% of dwellings. While typical weekly rents are $400, many residents have stability in tenure, with 34.1% owning their homes outright.

The workforce is shifting away from commuting, as 25.3% of people now work from home—a huge increase from 4.2% in 2011. Because of this, public transport use for commuting has fallen to just 1.4%.

The population is relatively mobile, with 37.8% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 7.0% of the community, which is higher than in most similar areas but well below the state average.

Health care and social assistance is the biggest industry, employing 18.0% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 4.8%, which is about the same as the state and national figures.

Most residents live within a short walk of a park or public transport, but the area is less walkable for daily needs. Far fewer homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services compared to the New South Wales average.