Long Jetty vs Shelly Beach

In both, most households own their home. In Long Jetty, about half of households are people living alone. In Shelly Beach, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Shelly Beach: a median of $1.61 million, against $1.33 million in Long Jetty, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Long Jetty tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Shelly Beach suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Shelly Beach

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (83% vs 54%)
  • carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 75/100)
  • But Long Jetty has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Long Jetty has cheaper houses ($1,326,000 vs $1,610,000)
  • Shelly Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (31% vs 38%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Long Jetty

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 16%)
  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $423/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Long Jetty has more units and townhouses to downsize into (46% vs 17%)
  • Shelly Beach carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 75/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Long Jetty is growing faster (5.4% vs -0.4%)
  • Shelly Beach returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 2.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Long Jetty and Shelly Beach drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Walkability 52 / 50
Long Jetty — Walkability: 52/100 Shelly Beach — Walkability: 50/100
Safety 25 / 47
Long Jetty — Safety: 25/100 Shelly Beach — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Long Jetty — Low fire risk: 100/100 Shelly Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Long Jetty has more residents (6,736 vs 1,313); Shelly Beach has higher household incomes ($85,592 vs $62,452).

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Population 6,736
+81% vs other
 1,313
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.4% -0.4%
Median age 45 47
Median household income $62,452/yr $85,592/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $423/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
0-4 5.9% / 4.4%
Long Jetty — 0-4: 5.9% Shelly Beach — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 10.0% / 10.7%
Long Jetty — 5-14: 10.0% Shelly Beach — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 4.7% / 5.9%
Long Jetty — 15-19: 4.7% Shelly Beach — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.7% / 4.7%
Long Jetty — 20-24: 5.7% Shelly Beach — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 11.4% / 9.1%
Long Jetty — 25-34: 11.4% Shelly Beach — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 12.2% / 12.0%
Long Jetty — 35-44: 12.2% Shelly Beach — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 13.0% / 12.6%
Long Jetty — 45-54: 13.0% Shelly Beach — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 13.1% / 15.1%
Long Jetty — 55-64: 13.1% Shelly Beach — 55-64: 15.1%
65-74 13.2% / 13.8%
Long Jetty — 65-74: 13.2% Shelly Beach — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 7.6% / 7.7%
Long Jetty — 75-84: 7.6% Shelly Beach — 75-84: 7.7%
85+ 3.1% / 4.8%
Long Jetty — 85+: 3.1% Shelly Beach — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Long Jetty 47.8% lone person
Long Jetty — Lone Person: 47.8% Long Jetty — Couple Families: 25.8% Long Jetty — One Parent Families: 20.1% Long Jetty — Group Household: 4.8% Long Jetty — Other Families: 1.6%
Shelly Beach 38.4% lone person
Shelly Beach — Lone Person: 38.4% Shelly Beach — Couple Families: 46.4% Shelly Beach — One Parent Families: 10.7% Shelly Beach — Group Household: 3.3% Shelly Beach — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Long Jetty 42.1% renting
Long Jetty — Owned Outright: 32.8% Long Jetty — Mortgage: 25.1% Long Jetty — Renting: 42.1%
Shelly Beach 16.1% renting
Shelly Beach — Owned Outright: 49.8% Shelly Beach — Mortgage: 34.1% Shelly Beach — Renting: 16.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Certificate III & IV 17.5% / 19.3%
Long Jetty — Certificate III & IV: 17.5% Shelly Beach — Certificate III & IV: 19.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 10.5%
Long Jetty — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Shelly Beach — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 10.1%
Long Jetty — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Shelly Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 2.4%
Long Jetty — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Shelly Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.8%
Long Jetty — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Shelly Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
England 2.9% / 3.5%
Long Jetty — England: 2.9% Shelly Beach — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.1%
Long Jetty — New Zealand: 1.5% Shelly Beach — New Zealand: 1.1%
India 0.6% / 0.3%
Long Jetty — India: 0.6% Shelly Beach — India: 0.3%
Germany — / 0.8%
Long Jetty — Germany: not among its largest Shelly Beach — Germany: 0.8%
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Long Jetty — Netherlands: not among its largest Shelly Beach — Netherlands: 0.7%
Scotland 0.5% / —
Long Jetty — Scotland: 0.5% Shelly Beach — Scotland: not among its largest
Philippines 0.5% / —
Long Jetty — Philippines: 0.5% Shelly Beach — Philippines: not among its largest
China — / 0.4%
Long Jetty — China: not among its largest Shelly Beach — China: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Long Jetty 54.0% houses
Long Jetty — Houses: 54.0% Long Jetty — Townhouses: 38.3% Long Jetty — Flats / Apartments: 7.7%
Shelly Beach 83.0% houses
Shelly Beach — Houses: 83.0% Shelly Beach — Townhouses: 12.0% Shelly Beach — Flats / Apartments: 5.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Median house price $1,326,000 $1,610,000
Median unit price $710,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 73 sales
 32 days
from 17 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
2 bed $1.17M / $1.2M
Long Jetty — 2 bed: $1.17M (18 sales) Shelly Beach — 2 bed: $1.2M (7 sales)

18 vs 7 sales

3 bed $1.27M / $1.55M
Long Jetty — 3 bed: $1.27M (54 sales) Shelly Beach — 3 bed: $1.55M (10 sales)

54 vs 10 sales

4 bed $1.45M / $1.76M
Long Jetty — 4 bed: $1.45M (43 sales) Shelly Beach — 4 bed: $1.76M (18 sales)

43 vs 18 sales

5 bed $1.42M / $1.7M
Long Jetty — 5 bed: $1.42M (9 sales) Shelly Beach — 5 bed: $1.7M (7 sales)

9 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Residential 80% 44%
Parks and recreation 11% 52%
Environmental 2% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
Industrial 3% 0%
Commercial 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Houses 2.6%
$670/wk on $1.33M
 3.8%
$900/wk on $1.23M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
House price Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Income Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 64% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Shelly Beach scores higher overall (64 vs 45).

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Grade C B
Score 45/100 64/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Long Jetty carries more crime risk (75 vs 53).

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
42/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Long Jetty

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Shelly Beach

  • Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College The Entrance Campus Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 3 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 4 2

Mobility

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Walkability score 52/100 50/100
Distance to Sydney 97.3 km 96.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 87 min 86 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 278.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 30.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2261
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 2261
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Car (driver) 64.7% / 62.3%
Long Jetty — Car (driver): 64.7% Shelly Beach — Car (driver): 62.3%
Worked from Home 27.4% / 31.8%
Long Jetty — Worked from Home: 27.4% Shelly Beach — Worked from Home: 31.8%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.3%
Long Jetty — Car (passenger): 4.1% Shelly Beach — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.6% / 1.0%
Long Jetty — Walked Only: 1.6% Shelly Beach — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 1.5% / 0.8%
Long Jetty — Bus: 1.5% Shelly Beach — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.7%).

Setting

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Elevation 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.1 km
1.2 km to a named beach
 425 m
620 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
3,814 premises
 100%
577 premises

Climate

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Division Dobell
same for both
Member Emma Mcbride
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Long Jetty Shelly Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Long Jetty

Beach Coastal Gentrifying Townhouses

Shelly Beach

Beach Coastal Parks Quiet Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Long Jetty

Long Jetty vs Bateau Bay Long Jetty vs Killarney Vale Long Jetty vs The Entrance Long Jetty vs Blue Bay Long Jetty vs Toowoon Bay

Other comparisons with Shelly Beach

Shelly Beach vs Bateau Bay Shelly Beach vs Toowoon Bay
Full data on Long Jetty Full data on Shelly Beach
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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