Living in Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay is a city in Australia. Median personal income was A$584 per week in August 2021. In August 2021, Hervey Bay had a population of 22,424. The city covered 93.2 km² in 2016. Population density was 624.7 people per km² in 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Hervey Bay?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Hervey Bay.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$295 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,300 in August 2021.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Hervey Bay yet.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	9,481 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	8,759 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	295 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

47.3% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 10,602 people of 22,424 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Median household income was A$1,129 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Hervey Bay is 6.2%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	4,682 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	47 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,129 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	584 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,325 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁵Official
Unemployment rate	6.2 %country median 4.4%	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Hervey Bay. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Hervey Bay. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	3.3 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Hervey Bay. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Hervey Bay.

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Geelong22,568 residents Horsham22,200 residents Moe - Newborough21,997 residents Whyalla21,154 residents Goulburn21,087 residents Armidale23,967 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	93.22 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.³Official
Foreign-resident share	16 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	10,602 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.²Official
Population density	624.7 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁴Official
Population Female	11,749 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	10,678 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	22,424 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 51.1% between 2001 and 2025, from 16,279 to 24,591.

International community in Hervey Bay

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	22,424	100.0%
Australia	18,833	84.0%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	2,352	10.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	22,424	100.0%
Australia	18,833	84.0%
Country of birth not stated	1,239	5.5%
England	595	2.7%
New Zealand	503	2.2%
Born elsewhere(d)	184	0.8%
Philippines	147	0.7%
South Africa	106	0.5%
Germany	89	0.4%
India	86	0.4%
United States of America	73	0.3%

Show 31 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Netherlands	72	0.3%
Scotland	62	0.3%
Vietnam	41	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	32	0.1%
Thailand	28	0.1%
Canada	27	0.1%
Zimbabwe	25	0.1%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	22	0.1%
Ireland	21	0.1%
Indonesia	20	0.1%
Italy	19	0.1%
France	14	0.1%
Malaysia	14	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	13	0.1%
Singapore	13	0.1%
Taiwan	13	0.1%
Wales	13	0.1%
Fiji	12	0.1%
Poland	10	0.0%
Japan	9	0.0%
Samoa	8	0.0%
Croatia	7	0.0%
Egypt	6	0.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	6	0.0%
Mauritius	6	0.0%
Sri Lanka	6	0.0%
Malta	5	0.0%
Nepal	5	0.0%
Brazil	4	0.0%
Pakistan	4	0.0%
Myanmar	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	22,424	100.0%
Australian citizen	20,424	91.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Is Hervey Bay a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker42%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 32–52%

Skilled employee48%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 40–56%

Student37%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 29–45%

Family42%strong on family, weak on safety · range 33–51%

Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 40–66%

Foreign residents10,602 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population22,424 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings9,481 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate47 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,325 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate6.2 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	10.49 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	8,759 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	50.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	43 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,300 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Hervey Bay when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Hervey Bay?

The median gross salary is 1,325 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Hervey Bay?

The unemployment rate is 6.2 %. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

How many people live in Hervey Bay?

The published population is 22,424 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Hervey Bay?

10,602 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Hervey Bay a good place to live?

Hervey Bay may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Hervey Bay?

The official country of birth distribution records 18,833 people (84.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Hervey Bay, Australia: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/hervey-bay/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_hervey-bay-australia-rent-salary-jobs_a1db48ec9f29,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Hervey Bay, Australia: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/hervey-bay/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Hervey Bay, Australia: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/hervey-bay/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.