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NEW SOUTH WALES

MEDIAN AGE

• At June 2016, the median age (the age at which half the population is older and half is younger) of the New South Wales (NSW) population was 37.6 years, up from 36.8 at June 2006. The median age of males in 2016 was 36.7 years compared with 38.5 years for females.

• In the ten years to 2016, the median age in Greater Sydney increased from 35.5 to 35.8 years, and from 39.6 to 42.0 years in the rest of NSW.

• The SA2s with the highest median ages were located in regional areas on or near the coast. These included Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest (61.6 years) near Port Stephens, Tuncurry (60.7) on the Mid North Coast, and Sussex Inlet - Berrara (58.9) on the south coast.

• The SA2 with the lowest median age was Kensington (26.5 years), which contains the University of NSW. This was followed by major regional centres such as Shortland - Jesmond (26.6) in Newcastle, Wagga Wagga - North (28.1) and Tamworth - West (29.5). Many of these areas contain higher education campuses.

SA2s WITH OLDEST AND YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES(a), New South Wales, 2016
		Median Age
SA2	GCCSA	years
OLDEST MEDIAN AGES
Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest	Rest of NSW	61.6
Tuncurry	Rest of NSW	60.7
Sussex Inlet - Berrara	Rest of NSW	58.9
Narooma - Bermagui	Rest of NSW.	57.3
South West Rocks	Rest of NSW	55.8
YOUNGEST MEDIAN AGES
Kensington	Greater Sydney	26.5
Shortland - Jesmond	Rest of NSW	26.6
Kingsford	Greater Sydney	27.5
Wagga Wagga - North	Rest of NSW	28.1
Tamworth - West	Rest of NSW	29.5
(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.

• In the ten years to 2016, the largest increases in median age were in regional areas of NSW. These included Eden (up 7.9 years) on the south coast, Tenterfield (up 7.5 years) in the New England region and Dorrigo (up 7.0 years) in the Northern Tablelands The largest decreases in median age between 2006 and 2016 were in Cobbitty - Leppington (down 5.6 years) in Sydney, and Shortland - Jesmond and Maitland (both down 4.5 years).

• At June 2016, there were 98.2 males for every 100 females in NSW. The sex ratio was slightly higher in Greater Sydney (98.5) than in the rest of NSW (97.6).

• The SA2 of Auburn - North in western Sydney had the highest sex ratio in NSW (140.3 males per 100 females) followed by inner-city Darlinghurst (136.2). High sex ratios were also apparent in Junee (133.4), which contains the Junee Correctional Centre, Surry Hills (133.3) and Potts Point - Woolloomooloo (129.6), both in inner Sydney. The lowest sex ratios were in Castle Hill - East (83.2) in Sydney's north-west and Woollahra (85.6) in the city's eastern suburbs.

SA2s WITH HIGHEST AND LOWEST SEX RATIOS(a), New South Wales, 2016
		Sex Ratio
SA2	GCCSA	males per 100 females
HIGHEST SEX RATIOS
Auburn - North	Greater Sydney	140.3
Darlinghurst	Greater Sydney	136.2
Junee	Rest of NSW	133.4
Surry Hills	Greater Sydney	133.3
Potts Point - Woolloomooloo	Greater Sydney	129.6
LOWEST SEX RATIOS
Castle Hill - East	Greater Sydney	83.2
Woollahra	Greater Sydney	85.6
Tweed Heads South	Rest of NSW	86.2
Mittagong	Rest of NSW	86.8
Kincumber - Picketts Valley	Greater Sydney	87.0
(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2016.

• The age distribution of Greater Sydney was younger than for the rest of the state. At June 2016, 31% of Greater Sydney's population were aged 20 to 39 years, compared with 23% in the rest of the state. Conversely, in the rest of NSW, 26% of the population were aged 60 years or over, compared with 18% of the population in Greater Sydney.