New South Wales · Suburb Profile

Nelson Bay NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Nelson Bay, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Nelson Bay NSW is 6,141 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Nelson Bay is $689 per week ($35,828 per year). Median rent in Nelson Bay is $380 per week ($1,647 per month). Nelson Bay has a median age of 51 years, older than the national median of 38. Nelson Bay has a population density of 392.2 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Nelson Bay is England. The most common religion is No Religion (41% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is IAL Nepali. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Nelson Bay is $1,842.

There were 130 recorded offences in Nelson Bay in 2025-26, a rate of 21 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against property (45 offences).

Nelson Bay Map

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Nelson Bay Population

residents (Census 2021)

Nelson Bay Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$689/wk

$35,828 per year

#5678 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$380/wk

$1,647 per month

#2445 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

51years

13 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,842/mo

Avg household size: 2.2 · 0.7 per bedroom

Nelson Bay Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.3% (3,026) Female 50.7% (3,114)

Population Density

392.2

people per km²

6,141 people · 15.7 km²

Households

2.2

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,667

Family income/wk

Nelson Bay Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Nelson Bay Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

63.8% 1,097 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

36.2% 622 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Nelson Bay Country of Birth

Australia

90.4%

England

6.3%

Greece

0.6%

India

0.6%

Croatia

0.6%

Germany

0.5%

China

0.4%

Canada

0.3%

Brazil

0.2%

Chile

0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Nelson Bay Religion

No Religion

40.7%

Catholic

24.3%

Anglican

18.5%

Not stated

7.2%

Uniting Church

3.0%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

2.8%

Eastern Orthodox

1.8%

Christian (other)

1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Nelson Bay Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

52.7%

Year 10 or equivalent

32.7%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.5%

Year 9 or equivalent

7.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Nelson Bay Languages Spoken at Home

IAL Nepali

18.8%

Other

18.8%

Croatian

12.1%

Greek

11.5%

Italian

10.9%

SAL Tot

10.3%

Mandarin

9.1%

Cantonese

8.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Nelson Bay Employment

💼

Employed full-time

26.0% 1,248 people

⏰

Employed part-time

20.9% 1,003 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.8% 133 people

🏠

Not in labour force

50.2% 2,407 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Nelson Bay Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

39.6%

Bachelor Degree

23.8%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

22.4%

Postgraduate Degree

7.3%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.1%

Certificate I/II

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Nelson Bay Occupation

Professionals

23.6%

Technicians & Trade Workers

18.8%

Community & Personal Service

15.4%

Managers

15.1%

Clerical & Administrative

11.6%

Labourers

6.2%

Sales Workers

5.6%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Nelson Bay Field of Study

Management & Commerce

23.6%

Engineering

16.9%

Society & Culture

12.7%

Health

11.2%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

9.3%

Architecture & Building

7.8%

Education

7.7%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.2%

Agriculture & Environment

3.0%

Creative Arts

2.7%

Information Technology

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Nelson Bay Dwelling Types

Separate house

73.8%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

21.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Nelson Bay Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.6%

$1-$149/wk

1.0%

$150-$299/wk

1.7%

$300-$399/wk

3.2%

$400-$499/wk

8.0%

$500-$649/wk

5.7%

$650-$799/wk

8.2%

$800-$999/wk

7.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.5%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

11.2%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

5.7%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.1%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.4%

$4,000+/wk

8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Nelson Bay Marital Status

💍

Married

49.2% 2,619

↔️

Separated

3.8% 204

📋

Divorced

13.2% 701

🕊️

Widowed

5.9% 313

👤

Never married

28.0% 1,491

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Nelson Bay Ancestry

English

32.5%

Australian

28.5%

Irish

10.3%

Scottish

9.3%

Other

6.4%

Aboriginal Australianralian

3.2%

German

3.1%

Italian

2.2%

Dutch

1.3%

Greek

1.1%

Croatian

1.1%

Filipino

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Nelson Bay School & University Attendance

Secondary — Government

25.7%

Primary — Government

25.3%

Vocational Education

14.4%

Pre-school

9.3%

Primary — Catholic

9.1%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

6.6%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

6.4%

Secondary — Catholic

3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Nelson Bay Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

6.2% 726

✅

No need for assistance

93.8% 10,911

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Nelson Bay Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

17.7% 894

—

Not a volunteer

82.3% 4,144

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Nelson Bay Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

7.2%

$300-$449/mo

2.2%

$450-$599/mo

2.2%

$600-$799/mo

3.1%

$800-$999/mo

4.6%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

15.9%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

15.6%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

28.9%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

12.6%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

7.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Nelson Bay How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

63.5%

Did not go to work

22.9%

Walked only

5.6%

Car (passenger)

5.0%

Bus

0.9%

Truck

0.7%

Other

0.5%

Bicycle

0.3%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.2%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Nelson Bay Car Ownership

0 vehicles

5.1%

1 vehicle

42.2%

2 vehicles

38.5%

3 vehicles

9.9%

4+ vehicles

4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Nelson Bay Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

3.2%

2 bedrooms

20.6%

3 bedrooms

44.1%

4 bedrooms

25.3%

5 bedrooms

5.8%

6+ bedrooms

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Nelson Bay Population Mobility

16.8%

moved in the last year

47.6%

moved in the last 5 years

5.2%

unemployment rate (Census)

49.8%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Nelson Bay Indigenous Population

4.6%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

537

Indigenous residents

11,187

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Nelson Bay Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

607

Arthritis

353

Heart disease

224

Asthma

206

Diabetes

188

Lung condition

155

Cancer

137

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Nelson Bay Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.0%

$1-$149/wk

4.6%

$150-$299/wk

6.6%

$300-$399/wk

5.7%

$400-$499/wk

5.0%

$500-$649/wk

5.0%

$650-$799/wk

11.7%

$800-$999/wk

11.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

12.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.2%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.3%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

6.9%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.5%

$3,500+/wk

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Nelson Bay Family Structure

Couple — no children

41.4%

Couple — children under 15

29.4%

Couple — no children under 15

12.6%

One parent — children under 15

9.7%

One parent — no children under 15

6.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Nelson Bay Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

0.8% 42

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.4% 19

🏅

Previously served

4.7% 239

👤

Never served

94.1% 4,746

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Nelson Bay Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

13.9% 695

—

Did not provide

86.1% 4,321

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Nelson Bay Children Ever Born

No children

26.9%

1 child

12.1%

2 children

33.4%

3 children

19.0%

4 children

6.7%

5+ children

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Nelson Bay When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

101

1961–1970

194

1971–1980

157

1981–1990

133

1991–2000

101

2001–2010

144

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Nelson Bay Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

19.9%

5–14 hours

30.7%

15–29 hours

14.8%

30+ hours

9.6%

Did not do domestic work

25.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Nelson Bay Household Size

1 person

31.4%

2 persons

41.6%

3 persons

11.3%

4 persons

9.7%

5 persons

4.1%

6+ persons

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Nelson Bay Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,823

Moved from NSW

488

Moved — same area (SA2)

380

Moved from overseas

Moved from VIC

Moved from QLD

Moved from WA

Moved from ACT

Moved from SA

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Nelson Bay Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

82.0%

Step family — no other children

12.9%

Blended family — no other children

3.1%

Intact family — other children present

1.2%

Other couple — children only

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Nelson Bay Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 130 total

Other Against Property

Theft

Property Damage

Other Against Person

Assault

Drug Offences

Weapons

Sexual Offences

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Nelson Bay Schools

schools nearby

government

965

avg ICSEA score

2,416

total students

St Philip's Christian College - Port Stephens Independent

Combined · K-12 · 821 students

1072

ICSEA

St Michael's Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 269 students

1040

ICSEA

Tomaree Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 310 students

981

ICSEA

Tomaree High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 986 students

970

ICSEA

St Philip's Christian College Gilibaa Independent

Primary · K-4 · 30 students

763

ICSEA

Alesco Secondary College - Tomaree Campus Independent

Secondary

St Philip's Christian College Dynamic Learning - Port Stephens Independent

Combined

Edmondson Park College Independent

Primary

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Nelson Bay with map →

Nelson Bay Rent Prices & Affordability

29%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,305/wk

Median Rent $380/wk

Rent-to-Income 29.1%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Nelson Bay

Your weekly income

≈ $5,655/month

Median rent $380/wk

Left after rent $925/wk

Rent share 29.1%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Finley

Income: $636/wk Rent: $175/wk Save: $205/wk

Holbrook

Income: $628/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $195/wk

Lockhart

Income: $600/wk Rent: $195/wk Save: $185/wk

Dunedoo

Income: $585/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $180/wk

Henty (NSW)

Income: $573/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $180/wk

Cootamundra

Income: $587/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $160/wk

Booragul

Income: $613/wk Rent: $320/wk Save: $60/wk

Ulladulla

Income: $564/wk Rent: $340/wk Save: $40/wk

Nelson Bay vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Mount Riverview

Pop: 3,074 Income: $918/wk Rent: $450/wk

Forest Hill (NSW)

Pop: 3,081 Income: $932/wk Rent: $310/wk

Tenambit

Pop: 3,088 Income: $638/wk Rent: $345/wk

Berry

Pop: 3,098 Income: $775/wk Rent: $520/wk

Bourkelands

Pop: 3,113 Income: $1,003/wk Rent: $360/wk

Hunterview

Pop: 3,113 Income: $972/wk Rent: $398/wk

Compare Nelson Bay (NSW)

Nelson Bay (NSW) vs Mount Riverview →Nelson Bay (NSW) vs Forest Hill (NSW) →Nelson Bay (NSW) vs Tenambit →Nelson Bay (NSW) vs Berry →

Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Bay

What is the population of Nelson Bay NSW?

The population of Nelson Bay NSW is 6,141 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 392.2 people per km².Nelson Bay is ranked #1,281 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Nelson Bay?

The median personal income in Nelson Bay NSW is $689 per week, or $35,828 per year.The median household income is $1,305 per week.Family income is $1,667 per week.Nelson Bay is ranked #5,678 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Nelson Bay?

Median rent in Nelson Bay NSW is $380 per week ($1,647 per month).Rent represents 29.1% of household income, which is considered moderate.Nelson Bay ranks #2,445 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Nelson Bay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Nelson Bay NSW is $1,842. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Nelson Bay?

The median age in Nelson Bay NSW is 51 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Nelson Bay a good suburb to live in?

Nelson Bay is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 6,141.The median income is $689/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (29.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 12932. All dollar figures in AUD.