Urban Centre · Area profile
Moruya Heads
12 km²
A car-dependent setting defines Moruya Heads, where almost no homes are within walking distance of shops, schools, or public transport. The area has grown by 37% since 2011 and is now far older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 51. It is a community of high home ownership and spacious living, where many people have retired or moved in during the last five years. This shift toward an older population is seen in the high number of seniors and a strong trend toward people identifying as having no religion.
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This is an older community where the typical resident is 51, far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 28.5% of the population, a figure that rose nearly 10 points since 2011.
The area is predominantly Australian or British in heritage, with 77.2% born in Australia. The proportion of people born overseas has fallen to 11.0%, which is far below the state and national averages.
English is the primary language here, with only 1.6% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%, and the proportion has fallen since 2011.
A large number of residents identify as having no religion, at 47.7%, which is well above the national average. This figure has risen by 18 points since 2011.
Education levels are higher than in most similar areas, with 23.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is slightly below the national figure of 26.3%.
Typical household income is $1,357 a week, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose by 9 points since 2011.
More people report long-term health conditions here than in the rest of the state, with 31.0% affected. Arthritis is the most common, affecting 11.8% of residents.
Volunteering is very common here, with 22.9% of people helping out, which is well above the national average. The area also has a higher number of former Defence Force members than most other areas.
Homes are generally smaller than average with 2.3 people per dwelling. About 29.6% of people live alone, though this is lower than it was in 2011.
Housing is spacious, with 83.6% of homes having three or more bedrooms, far above the national figure. Outright home ownership is also very high at 44.6%.
Reliance on cars is almost total, as 0% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 39.5% have two.
The community is quite mobile, with 38.5% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are few, making up only 3.2% of the population.
Only 50.2% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.9%.
Moruya Heads is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 0.4. No homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, health services, or schools.