New South Wales · Postcode 2315
Shoal Bay postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 156 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Shoal Bay at a glance vs NSW
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against NSW
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Shoal Bay ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of NSW suburbs.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Shoal Bay vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Shoal Bay | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,007 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $338 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,700 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 59 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 3/10 -NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 5.8% +NSW | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Shoal Bay (2315) is a coastal town in regional New South Wales. It lies around 156 km from Sydney by road. The locality is part of the Port Stephens statistical area. It is administered by Port Stephens.
According to the 2021 Census, Shoal Bay has a population of 1,815 with a median age of 59. The median weekly household income is $1,007, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 5.8%, higher than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 71 (3.9% of residents).
Housing in Shoal Bay includes a median weekly rent of $338, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,700, with 821 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 62.7% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Shoal Bay scores in decile 3 out of 10, which is below the national average.
Shoal Bay is served by Shoal Bay Public School.
Shoal Bay is part of the Port Stephens statistical area in New South Wales.
Shoal Bay details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2315 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 1,815 |
| Median Age | 59 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,007/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $623/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $338 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,700 |
| Average Household Size | 2 persons |
| Area | 4.0 km² |
| Population Density | 452/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 821 |
| Australian Citizens | 82.9% |
| Indigenous Population | 71 (3.9%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 3/10 (below average) |
| Latitude | -32.7257353 |
| Longitude | 152.175002 |
| Distance from Sydney | 156 km |
| Region (SA4) | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle |
| Area (SA3) | Port Stephens |
| Local Government | Port Stephens |
| Federal Electorate | Paterson |
| State Electorate | Port Stephens |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 210 (11.6%) |
| 15–24 years | 144 (7.9%) |
| 25–44 years | 274 (15.1%) |
| 45–64 years | 454 (25.0%) |
| 65+ years | 749 (41.3%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 294 (16.2%) |
| Asthma | 138 (7.6%) |
| Heart Disease | 122 (6.7%) |
| Diabetes | 113 (6.2%) |
| Cancer | 85 (4.7%) |
| Lung Condition | 59 (3.3%) |
| Dementia | 19 (1.0%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 66 (8.3%) |
| 1 vehicle | 409 (51.7%) |
| 2 vehicles | 235 (29.7%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 81 (10.2%) |
Schools in Shoal Bay
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Shoal Bay. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Shoal Bay
Same Postcode (2315)
More Shoal Bay Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.