Urban Centre · Area profile
Shoalhaven Heads
4 km²
A far older population than the national average defines Shoalhaven Heads, where the typical resident is now 56. The community has grown rapidly, adding over 2,000 people since 2011. It is a place where many people have retired, with a high number of residents owning their homes outright and a significant amount of people living alone. This shift toward an older demographic is reflected in the falling number of children and a rise in long-term health conditions.
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The area has aged significantly, with the typical age rising 13 years since 2011 to 56. Seniors make up 36.3% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%, while children under 15 have fallen to 14.6%.
Most residents were born in Australia (79.8%), and the area is far less diverse than the state average, with only 13.2% born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 91.2% of the community. Only 2.8% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
About half of the population is Christian, while 41.5% report having no religion. This last figure has risen by 12 points since 2011 and is well above the New South Wales average.
Education levels have risen, with those holding a bachelor degree or higher increasing to 16.3% since 2011. However, this is still well below the national average of 26.3%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,070, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes are also lower than average, though the number of households earning over $3,000 a week rose by 11 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 37.7% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 17.1% of residents.
Volunteering is more common than in the state average at 17.9%, and there is a much higher proportion of former Defence Force members (5.5%) compared to the rest of the country.
The area has a high number of people living alone (35.7%), which is far above the national figure of 25.6%. This is consistent with the older population and smaller typical household sizes of 2.1 people.
Home ownership is very high, with 54.4% of homes owned outright—far above the national average. While 67.2% of homes are separate houses, the number of large homes with three or more bedrooms has fallen since 2011.
Cars are the main way to get around, with 64.2% of workers driving and no one commuting by public transport. Working from home is more common here than in most similar areas at 14.1%.
About 33.7% of people moved in the last five years, which is lower than the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are very rare, making up only 0.9% of the population.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (43.9%) compared to the national average of 61.1%, likely due to the high number of retirees. The unemployment rate is 3.7%, which is slightly lower than the national figure.
The area is somewhat walkable, with almost every home within a short walk of a park and public transport. However, there are no health services within a 15-minute walk.