Urban Centre · Area profile
Jervis Bay
6 km²
A far higher proportion of people identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Jervis Bay (L) compared to the rest of the country. This small community is noticeably younger than the national average, with nearly 29% of the population being children under 15. It is a place of significant contrast, where high typical incomes and a well-qualified workforce sit alongside a very high rental rate. Many residents have a connection to the Defence Force, which helps explain the strong presence of public administration and safety jobs.
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The community is quite young, with a typical resident aged 31 and a children's population far above the national figure. In contrast, seniors make up only 8.6% of the area, which is well below the Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people than the state or nation. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language used at home, with only 2.3% of people using another tongue. This is far below the national figure and has fallen since 2011.
About 39.8% of people identify as Christian, while 37.5% report having no religion. The share of people with no religion has risen by 18 points since 2011.
The area is well-qualified, with 60.8% of adults completing Year 12 and 24.5% holding a bachelor degree or higher, both of which are far above the state averages.
Household incomes are very high, with a typical weekly family income of $3,083. This is well above the national figure, and 20.4% of people earn $2,000 or more per week.
Residents generally report good health; the 15.6% who have a long-term health condition is far below the national rate of 27.7%. Very few people need help with daily activities.
Participation is high, with 24.5% of people volunteering and nearly 30% caring for children unpaid. A striking 34.4% of the population have served in the Defence Force.
Families tend to be larger here, with 2.9 people per home. One-parent families are far more common than in most other areas, making up 27.7% of households.
Rental properties dominate, with 73.5% of homes being rented and only 8.8% owned outright. Every single home in the area has three or more bedrooms.
The community is car-dependent, as every household has at least one motor vehicle and no one uses public transport to commute. About 9.7% of workers operate from home.
The population is quite mobile, with 51.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is far above the national average. There were no recent arrivals from overseas.
Most residents work in public administration and safety, with 68.4% of adults working or looking for work. This is a much higher rate than in the rest of the state.
The area is highly car-dependent with a low walkability score. While nearly half of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school, most other amenities are not reachable on foot.