Blue Mountains

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 29,319 people in Blue Mountains. Of these 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 2.9% of the population.

The median age of people in Blue Mountains was 46 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 16.9% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.3% of the population.

Of people in Blue Mountains aged 15 years and over, 42.9% were married and 16.1% were either divorced or separated.

In Blue Mountains, of people aged 15 years and over, 43.5% of people were in a registered marriage and 12.4% were in a de facto marriage.

In Blue Mountains 28.9% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 26.6% were in primary school, 21.2% in secondary school and 23.3% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Blue Mountains, 12.7% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 16.1% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 11.5% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Blue Mountains were English 29.8%, Australian 24.1%, Irish 11.5%, Scottish 8.8% and German 3.6%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Blue Mountains (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Blue Mountains, 74.6% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 6.0%, New Zealand 1.7%, Germany 0.9%, Scotland 0.8% and United States of America 0.6%.

In Blue Mountains, 53.3% of people had both parents born in Australia and 24.0% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Blue Mountains, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 59.9%, England 9.2%, New Zealand 2.4%, Scotland 1.8% and Germany 1.4%.

In Blue Mountains, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 63.2%, England 8.1%, New Zealand 2.3%, Scotland 1.5% and Germany 1.4%.

The most common responses for religion in Blue Mountains were No Religion, so described 40.5%, Catholic 16.9%, Anglican 14.6%, Not stated 10.0% and Uniting Church 2.4%. In Blue Mountains, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (49.3%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Blue Mountains 86.8% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included German 0.6%, Mandarin 0.6%, Spanish 0.6%, Italian 0.5% and French 0.4%.

Employment

There were 13,570 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Blue Mountains. Of these 51.3% were employed full time, 38.1% were employed part-time and 5.7% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in Blue Mountains, 13.8% worked 1 to 15 hours, 12.9% worked 16 to 24 hours and 37.5% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Blue Mountains included Professionals 27.8%, Community and Personal Service Workers 13.7%, Technicians and Trades Workers 12.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 12.0%, Managers 11.7%, Labourers 8.9%, Sales Workers 7.7% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 4.4%.

Of the employed people in Blue Mountains, the most common responses for industry of employment included Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 3.7%, Cafes and Restaurants 3.7%, Accommodation 3.5%, Other Social Assistance Services 3.3% and Local Government Administration 3.0%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Blue Mountains was $610.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Blue Mountains, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 56.3%, Worked at home 8.4%, Train 7.9%, Walked only 4.0% and Car, as passenger 3.7%. On the day, 11.4% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 62.5% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Blue Mountains, of people aged 15 years and over, 75.4% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 26.8% provided care for children and 13.5% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 24.2% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Blue Mountains, 30.5% worked 5 to 14 hours, 13.8% worked 15 to 29 hours and 10.2% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Blue Mountains, 39.6% were couple families with children, 41.5% were couple families without children and 17.9% were one parent families.

In Blue Mountains, 16.2% of single parents were male and 83.8% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Blue Mountains, of couple families with children, 16.5% had both partners employed full-time, 7.1% had both employed part-time and 21.6% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Blue Mountains, 83.7% of private dwellings were occupied and 16.3% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Blue Mountains, 90.5% were separate houses, 4.6% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 4.1% were flats or apartments and 0.3% were other dwellings.

In Blue Mountains, of occupied private dwellings 4.6% had 1 bedroom, 18.7% had 2 bedrooms and 45.8% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.1. The average household size was 2.3 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Blue Mountains, 38.3% were owned outright, 36.1% were owned with a mortgage and 22.4% were rented.

Household composition

In Blue Mountains, of all households, 64.0% were family households, 31.9% were single person households and 4.1% were group households.

In Blue Mountains, 24.6% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 10.4% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

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

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and 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.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and 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.

Number of motor vehicles

In Blue Mountains, 43.7% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 31.1% had two registered motor vehicles and 12.9% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Blue Mountains, 85.5% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Blue Mountains, 48.7% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 51.3% were female. The median age was 22 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

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.

In Blue Mountains, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.1 persons, with 1 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,341.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Blue Mountains, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $345 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)