Urban Centre · Area profile
Old Erowal Bay
1 km²
A far older population than most similar areas defines Old Erowal Bay, where the typical resident is 62. It is a community in transition, having lost about a third of its population since 2011. This shift has seen a significant rise in seniors, who now make up nearly 47% of the area. This creates a quiet, residential character where many people live alone or in couples without children, situated in a setting that is heavily dependent on cars.
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The area is far older than the national figure, with 46.7% of residents aged 65 and over. This is a sharp increase from 2011, which helps explain why the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 12.4%, well below the state average.
While 73.6% of people were born in Australia, the proportion of overseas-born residents has risen to 17.0% since 2011. English and Australian ancestries are the most common, making up 45.5% and 33.2% respectively.
English is the main language for 87.5% of the community. The number of people using another language at home rose slightly to 4.4%, though this remains far below the state and national figures.
About 50.7% of residents identify as Christian. Those with no religion make up 37.8% of the population, a figure that rose 26 points since 2011.
Educational qualifications are lower than the state average, with only 30.8% of residents completing Year 12. Around 10.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%.
Incomes are much lower than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly household income of $939. Only 4.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 25.2%.
Health challenges are high here, with 47.2% of people reporting a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure, and 12.5% of residents need help with daily activities, among the highest for its level.
A higher-than-average 6.3% of residents have served in the Defence Force. However, volunteering has fallen to 11.7%, which is a little below the national figure.
The community is often small, with 33.4% of people living alone and an average of 2.1 people per home. Couples without children are the most common household type at 50.5%.
Home ownership is strong, with 37.3% of houses owned outright. While separate houses make up 55.1% of dwellings, this is far below the national average, and there has been a notable shift toward townhouses since 2011.
The area is almost entirely reliant on cars, as 0.0% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 72.7% of workers drive themselves to work.
Movement into the area is high, with 40.7% of residents moving in over the last five years. Conversely, the number of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen to 0.0% since 2011.
The workforce is much smaller than in most areas, with only 31.2% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate is 7.0%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.
Old Erowal Bay is very car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.4. No homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, health services, or schools, far below state levels.