Nelson Bay (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Nelson Bay is a coastal town in the Hunter region of New South Wales, set on the southern shore of Port Stephens about 60 kilometres north-east of Newcastle and roughly 207 kilometres north-north-east of Sydney. It is the main town of the Port Stephens area and a major holiday destination, best known for dolphin and whale watching, along with surfing, diving, fishing and boating on the sheltered bay. The township borders Tomaree National Park, whose headlands and beaches frame the entrance to the port. On the north-eastern point stands the Nelson Head Light, built in 1875, while the early residence known as Westward Ho dates from 1882. Tourism and marine recreation drive the local economy, supported by a busy marina and waterfront.
Around the national middle
Nelson Bay (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 40% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 969, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Nelson Bay (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,141
- Median age
- 51
- Median weekly household income
- $1,305
- SEIFA score
- 969
- Coordinates
- -32.7368, 152.1360
Nelson Bay (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Nelson Bay (NSW) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 29%, 31% of homes are rented, and 20% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 819 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 589 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,126 | 18% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,798 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,797 | 29% |
Share of the 6,129 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,097 | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 622 | 24% |
| Rented | 790 | 31% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,525 | 59% |
| Townhouses & semis | 536 | 21% |
| Flats & apartments | 497 | 19% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,573 occupied private dwellings in Nelson Bay (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,842
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,667
- Median weekly personal income
- $689
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,147 (20%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 508 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 265 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,443 (48%)
- Labour-force participation
- 49.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.2%
- Employed full-time
- 1,247
- Employed part-time
- 1,000
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Nelson Bay (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Nelson Bay (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.2°C). The area receives roughly 881 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 20.6°C | 71 mm |
| Feb | 26.3°C | 20.4°C | 91 mm |
| Mar | 25.1°C | 19.5°C | 152 mm |
| Apr | 22.7°C | 16.5°C | 66 mm |
| May | 19.9°C | 13.3°C | 46 mm |
| Jun | 17.2°C | 11.1°C | 79 mm |
| Jul | 17.2°C | 9.8°C | 58 mm |
| Aug | 18.2°C | 10.2°C | 48 mm |
| Sep | 20.7°C | 12.4°C | 52 mm |
| Oct | 23°C | 15.1°C | 81 mm |
| Nov | 24.3°C | 16.9°C | 60 mm |
| Dec | 26.1°C | 19°C | 77 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Nelson Bay (NSW)
Where is Nelson Bay (NSW)?
Nelson Bay (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Nelson Bay (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Nelson Bay (NSW) had a population of about 6,141.
Is Nelson Bay (NSW) an advantaged area?
Nelson Bay (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 969, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 40 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 40% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Nelson Bay (NSW)?
Nelson Bay (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 22.3°C and overnight lows of about 15.4°C, with roughly 881 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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