Living in Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay is a city in Australia. Its population was 12,563 in August 2021. The city covered 115.5 km² in 2016. Population density was 245.2 people per km² in 2021. In August 2021, the foreign population was 4,771.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Nelson 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 Nelson Bay.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$363 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,733 in August 2021.

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Dwellings	5,382 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	4,727 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	363 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

38% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 4,771 people of 12,563 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Median personal income was A$786 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$1,742 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Nelson Bay is 3.5%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	3,626 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	60.2 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,742 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	786 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,783 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁵Official
Unemployment rate	3.5 %country median 4.4%	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Nelson 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 Nelson Bay. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	4.31 %	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 Nelson 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 Nelson Bay.

Cities of a similar size in Australia

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

All Australia cities

Morisset - Cooranbong12,385 residents Echuca - Moama12,756 residents Newcastle - Maitland12,272 residents Esperance12,003 residents Port Augusta13,515 residents Port Pirie13,896 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	115.5 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	13.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	4,771 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	245.2 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	6,433 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	6,134 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	12,563 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 31.3% between 2001 and 2025, from 9,877 to 12,965.

International community in Nelson 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 G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	12,563	100.0%
Australia	10,826	86.2%
Country of birth not stated	690	5.5%
England	261	2.1%
New Zealand	110	0.9%
Born elsewhere(d)	99	0.8%
Philippines	66	0.5%
India	49	0.4%
Nepal	47	0.4%
South Africa	35	0.3%
Germany	30	0.2%

Show 30 more groups

Published group	People	Share
United States of America	26	0.2%
Netherlands	24	0.2%
Thailand	24	0.2%
Ireland	23	0.2%
Canada	20	0.2%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	20	0.2%
Bangladesh	19	0.2%
Scotland	19	0.2%
Vietnam	15	0.1%
Zimbabwe	14	0.1%
Fiji	12	0.1%
France	11	0.1%
Greece	11	0.1%
Indonesia	11	0.1%
Italy	10	0.1%
Wales	10	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	9	0.1%
Malta	8	0.1%
Malaysia	7	0.1%
Croatia	6	0.0%
Japan	6	0.0%
Singapore	6	0.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5	0.0%
Papua New Guinea	5	0.0%
Poland	5	0.0%
Sri Lanka	5	0.0%
Myanmar	4	0.0%
Pakistan	4	0.0%
Chile	3	0.0%
Lebanon	3	0.0%

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 G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	12,563	100.0%
Australia	10,826	86.2%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	1,051	8.4%

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	12,563	100.0%
Australian citizen	11,391	90.7%

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

Is Nelson 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 worker47%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 37–57%

Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–61%

Student40%strong on education, weak on safety · range 32–48%

Family46%strong on family, weak on safety · range 37–55%

Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 37–63%

Foreign residents4,771 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.

Population12,563 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings5,382 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate60.2 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,783 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3.5 %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	8.37 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	4,727 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	62.4 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	37 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,733 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Nelson 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 Nelson Bay?

The median gross salary is 1,783 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Nelson Bay?

The unemployment rate is 3.5 %. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

How many people live in Nelson Bay?

The published population is 12,563 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Nelson Bay?

4,771 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 Nelson Bay a good place to live?

Nelson 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 Afghanistan live in Nelson Bay?

The official country of birth distribution records 0 people (0.0%) 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). Nelson Bay, Australia: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/nelson-bay/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nelson-bay-australia-rent-salary-jobs_3238b662c054,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nelson 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/nelson-bay/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Nelson Bay, Australia: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/nelson-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.