2026, NSW

Demographics & education

In the 2011 Census, there were 30,396 people in 2026, NSW of these 50.4% were male and 49.6% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.4% of the population.

The median age of people in 2026, NSW was 33 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 13.7% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 9.4% of the population.

Of people in 2026, NSW aged 15 years and over, 31.7% were married and 9.8% were either divorced or separated.

The median age of married people in 2026, NSW was 43 years and the median age of people never married was 30 years.

In 2026, NSW, of people aged 15 years and over, 32.9% of people were in a registered marriage and 17.9% were in a de facto marriage.

The median age of people in a registered marriage in 2026, NSW was 43 years and the median age of people in a de facto marriage was 33 years.

In 2026, NSW 30.9% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 14.6% were in primary school, 9.6% in secondary school and 23.0% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in 2026, NSW were English 21.6%, Australian 15.5%, Irish 9.7%, Scottish 5.5% and German 3.1%.

In 2026, NSW, 49.1% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 7.6%, New Zealand 3.5%, South Africa 3.2%, Ireland 2.5% and United States of America 1.3%.

In 2026, NSW, 31.2% of people had both parents born in Australia and 53.4% of people had both parents born overseas.

The most common responses for religion in 2026, NSW were No Religion 26.5%, Catholic 21.8%, Judaism 14.7%, Anglican 10.3% and Eastern Orthodox 2.3%.

In 2026, NSW 69.5% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Russian 2.6%, Spanish 1.5%, Hebrew 1.4%, French 1.4% and Italian 1.3%.

Employment

There were 17,895 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in 2026, NSW. Of these 68.3% were employed full time, 22.9% were employed part-time and 4.1% were unemployed.

Of employed people in 2026, NSW, 7.1% worked 1 to 15 hours, 8.6% worked 16 to 24 hours and 59.3% worked 40 hours or more.

The median age of people employed full-time in 2026, NSW was 34 years and for people who were employed part-time was 37 years.

The most common occupations in 2026, NSW included Professionals 39.5%, Managers 17.8%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.9%, Community and Personal Service Workers 8.5%, Technicians and Trades Workers 8.4%, Sales Workers 8.0%, Labourers 3.4% and Machinery Operators And Drivers 1.6%.

Of the employed people in 2026, NSW, the most common responses for industry of employment included Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food Services 4.3%, Legal and Accounting Services 4.2%, Auxiliary Finance and Investment Services 3.7%, Advertising Services 3.4% and Architectural, Engineering and Technical Services 3.1%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in 2026, NSW was $1,018.

In 2026, NSW, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 37.6%, Train, bus 14.8%, Bus 10.3%, Walked only 5.2% and Train 4.0%. On the day, 33.2% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 41.4% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In 2026, NSW, of people aged 15 years and over, 67.7% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 20.7% provided care for children and 7.3% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 16.7% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in 2026, NSW, 22.9% worked 5 to 14 hours, 6.7% worked 15 to 29 hours and 4.4% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in 2026, NSW, 37.9% were couple families with children, 48.4% were couple families without children and 11.2% were one parent families.

In 2026, NSW 18.7% of single parents were male and 81.3% were female.

Weekly incomes

In 2026, NSW, for couple families with two incomes, the median income for those with children was $3,094 and those without children was $2,856.

Employment status of couple families

In 2026, NSW, of couple families with children, 32.1% had both partners employed full-time, 4.5% had both employed part-time and 21.5% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In 2026, NSW, 89.0% of private dwellings were occupied and 11.0% were unoccupied.

Of occupied private dwellings in 2026, NSW, 13.3% were separate houses, 15.5% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 70.4% were flats, units or apartments and 0.7% were other dwellings.

In 2026, NSW, of occupied private dwellings 17.0% had 1 bedroom, 48.8% had 2 bedrooms and 19.7% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 2.2. The average household size was 2.2 people.

Of occupied private dwellings in 2026, NSW, 21.3% were owned outright, 21.6% were owned with a mortgage and 53.6% were rented.

Household composition

In 2026, NSW, of all households, 53.6% were family households, 31.5% were single person households and 14.8% were group households.

In 2026, NSW, 15.4% of households had a weekly household income of less than $600 and 23.9% of households had a weekly income of more than $3,000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

Proportions in this table are calculated by taking the number of households whose rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure and expressing this number as a proportion of the total number of households in an area, including those households which are not renting their dwelling (excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion. Further information on the method to impute income is available in the income fact sheet.

Proportions in this table are calculated by taking the number of households who own their dwelling, and whose mortgage payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure and expressing this number as a proportion of the total number of households in an area, including those households which were renting their dwelling (excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion. Further information on the method to impute income is available in the income fact sheet.

Number of motor vehicles

In 2026, NSW, 47.1% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 22.6% had two registered motor vehicles and 4.5% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

People characteristics

In 2026, NSW, there were 111 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Of these, 63 (or 56.8%) were male and 48 (or 43.2%) were female. The median age was 31 years.

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

Average number of people per bedroom includes a miscalculation. For more information see the persons per bedroom correction page.

In 2026, NSW, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 2.4, with 1.3 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,750.

In 2026, NSW, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $450 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,333.