Nelson Bay (NSW)

NSW

Nelson Bay (NSW) is a stable suburb in NSW with 6,141 residents.

SAL code: 12932
SA2: 106031121
Population: 6,141
LGA: Port Stephens

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Nelson Bay (NSW) suburb boundary

Nelson Bay (NSW), NSW had 6,141 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.0% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 65-74 years, and the median age sits at 51. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,842 a month. Around 68.5% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 43.7%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 59.6% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 23 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.

Population

6,141

Suburb · Census 2021

5-Year Growth

+1.0%

3yr: +0.7% · 10yr: +3.9%

SA2 · 5yr

Household Income

$1,305/wk

Suburb · Census 2021 median

Median Age

Suburb · Census 2021

Socio-Economic Index

5/10

SA2 · middle-range

Unemployment

3.8%

SA4 · Q4 2025

Hospitals

Within suburb

Childcare services

4 long day, 1 OSHC

Parks & green space

Parks, reserves

Transport stops

GTFS stops

Dwelling approvals

Port Stephens · Feb 2026

Median Weekly Rent

$650/wk+8.3% YoY2026 Q1

Postcode-level

Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.

Median House Sale Price

$1,256,000+11.6% YoY2026 Q1

House only

Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).

→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price → Estimate mortgage repayments → Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)

Population over time — Nelson Bay Peninsula (SA2)

ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Nelson Bay (NSW) suburb alone is ~6,141 (Census 2021).

Growth at a Glance

3yr: +0.7%5yr: +1.0%10yr: +3.9%Total: +26.4%

Population grew from 17,533 to 22,156 over 24 years, averaging 1.0% per year.

Government school catchment

Intake zone

Primary

Shoal Bay PS26.8%

Tomaree PS 25.8%
Anna Bay PS 0.0%

Secondary

Tomaree HS

Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.

Profile

Census snapshot

ABS · 2021

Housing

Public housing 1.0%

Predominantly detached houses (59.6%), mixed tenure (69% own or mortgage), built for families (44% are 3 bed).

Dwelling mix

Houses 60%

Townhouses 21%

Apartments 19%

1,525 houses536 townhouses496 apartments

Tenure

Owned 44%

Mortgage 25%

Renting 32%

Number of bedrooms

1 bed

82 (3.2%)

2 bed

521 (20.6%)

3 bed

1,117 (44.1%)

4 bed

642 (25.3%)

5 bed

146 (5.8%)

6+ bed

27 (1.1%)

Bushfire & flood risk

Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.

Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.

Planning zones

12 zones in suburb

Code	Zone	% covered	Area
C1	ZoneEnvironmental	45.8%	7.17 km²
RE1	ZoneRecreation	17.9%	2.81 km²
R2	ZoneResidential	15.0%	2.35 km²
C2	ZoneEnvironmental	7.4%	1.17 km²
C3	ZoneEnvironmental	4.7%	0.73 km²
R3	ZoneResidential	3.7%	0.59 km²
RU2	ZoneRural	1.6%	0.26 km²
SP2	ZoneSpecial use	1.2%	0.18 km²
E1	ZoneEnvironmental	1.0%	0.16 km²
W2	ZoneWaterway	1.0%	0.16 km²
RE2	ZoneRecreation	0.2%	0.03 km²
C4	ZoneEnvironmental	0.2%	0.03 km²

Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.