Shellharbour (C)
Community Explorer based on results from the 2021 and 2016 Census of Population and Housing.
81,566
Estimated resident population
2024 ERP
+2.3%
Annual ERP growth
2023-2024
16.1%
Born overseas
2021 Census
70.6%
Households that own outright or have a mortgage
2021 Census
13.6%
Bachelor Or Higher Degree
2021 Census
At a glance
Key indicators across each category. Click any tile to explore the full data.
Population
5 topics
76,271
total persons (2021)
Children are 1.6pp above Regional NSW; 70+ is 2.8pp below Regional NSW.
Cultural diversity
6 topics
4.2%
born in England
Top overseas birthplaces: England, North Macedonia and New Zealand.
Housing
8 topics
79.4%
Separate house
Medium/high density is 2.6pp above Regional NSW.
Income
4 topics
19.6%
households earning $3,000+/wk
High-income households are 2.9pp above Regional NSW.
Education
2 topics
13.6%
Bachelor Or Higher Degree
Bachelor+ is 4.2pp below Regional NSW.
Employment
8 topics
4.3%
unemployment rate
Unemployment fell 2.6pp since 2016.
6.9%
2016
4.3%
2021
Specialist topics
4 topics
378
dwelling approvals (2025-26 FYTD)
29 approved in Jan 2026.
About this explorer
The Shellharbour (C) Community Explorer provides demographic analysis based on results from the 2021 and 2016 Census of Population and Housing.
Data is compiled and presented by Geografia.
Data coverage
Current Census
Primary dataset
2021
Comparison Census
Change over time
2016
Benchmark types
Depends on geography
3-4
Topics covered
Topic routes available
42