Nelson Bay vs One Mile

Nelson Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 54 in One Mile. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in One Mile: a median of $1.85 million, against $1.04 million in Nelson Bay. On these figures, Nelson Bay tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while One Mile 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

Nelson Bay

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But One Mile has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 59%)

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

First-home buyers

Nelson Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,042,500 vs $1,852,750)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

One Mile

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (157 min vs 164 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (204.4 km vs 207.4 km)
  • But Nelson Bay is more walkable (26/100 vs 16/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Nelson Bay

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (41% vs 7%)
  • is more walkable (26/100 vs 16/100)
  • But One Mile carries lower crime risk (69/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

One Mile

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.3% vs 5.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Nelson Bay and One Mile drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Nelson Bay One Mile
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.

Nelson Bay One Mile
Walkability 26 / 16
Nelson Bay — Walkability: 26/100 One Mile — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 21 / 31
Nelson Bay — Safety: 21/100 One Mile — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 25 / 17
Nelson Bay — Low fire risk: 25/100 One Mile — Low fire risk: 17/100

Demographics

Nelson Bay has more residents (6,141 vs 501); One Mile has higher household incomes ($80,184 vs $67,860).

Nelson Bay One Mile
Population 6,141
+92% vs other
 501
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.5% +21.3%
Median age 51 54
Median household income $67,860/yr $80,184/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk $390/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Nelson Bay One Mile
0-4 3.7% / 2.4%
Nelson Bay — 0-4: 3.7% One Mile — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 9.6% / 10.2%
Nelson Bay — 5-14: 9.6% One Mile — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 5.3% / 7.4%
Nelson Bay — 15-19: 5.3% One Mile — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 4.3% / 4.6%
Nelson Bay — 20-24: 4.3% One Mile — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 8.8% / 4.0%
Nelson Bay — 25-34: 8.8% One Mile — 25-34: 4.0%
35-44 9.5% / 5.8%
Nelson Bay — 35-44: 9.5% One Mile — 35-44: 5.8%
45-54 12.6% / 15.6%
Nelson Bay — 45-54: 12.6% One Mile — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 16.7% / 17.2%
Nelson Bay — 55-64: 16.7% One Mile — 55-64: 17.2%
65-74 17.8% / 22.4%
Nelson Bay — 65-74: 17.8% One Mile — 65-74: 22.4%
75-84 9.1% / 6.8%
Nelson Bay — 75-84: 9.1% One Mile — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 2.4% / 1.4%
Nelson Bay — 85+: 2.4% One Mile — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Nelson Bay 48.1% lone person
Nelson Bay — Lone Person: 48.1% Nelson Bay — Couple Families: 28.9% Nelson Bay — One Parent Families: 16.9% Nelson Bay — Group Household: 5.1% Nelson Bay — Other Families: 1.0%
One Mile 46.6% lone person
One Mile — Lone Person: 46.6% One Mile — Couple Families: 48.3% One Mile — One Parent Families: 5.1% One Mile — Group Household: 0.0% One Mile — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Nelson Bay 31.5% renting
Nelson Bay — Owned Outright: 43.7% Nelson Bay — Mortgage: 24.8% Nelson Bay — Renting: 31.5%
One Mile 0.0% renting
One Mile — Owned Outright: 70.9% One Mile — Mortgage: 29.1% One Mile — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Nelson Bay One Mile
Certificate III & IV 17.8% / 20.6%
Nelson Bay — Certificate III & IV: 17.8% One Mile — Certificate III & IV: 20.6%
Bachelor Degree 10.7% / 12.6%
Nelson Bay — Bachelor Degree: 10.7% One Mile — Bachelor Degree: 12.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.1% / 8.8%
Nelson Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1% One Mile — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 2.6%
Nelson Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% One Mile — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.0%
Nelson Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% One Mile — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

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.

Nelson Bay One Mile
England 5.0% / 7.6%
Nelson Bay — England: 5.0% One Mile — England: 7.6%
New Zealand 1.5% / —
Nelson Bay — New Zealand: 1.5% One Mile — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / 0.8%
Nelson Bay — Scotland: 0.7% One Mile — Scotland: 0.8%
Netherlands — / 1.2%
Nelson Bay — Netherlands: not among its largest One Mile — Netherlands: 1.2%
Italy 0.5% / 0.6%
Nelson Bay — Italy: 0.5% One Mile — Italy: 0.6%
Philippines 0.9% / —
Nelson Bay — Philippines: 0.9% One Mile — Philippines: not among its largest
Nepal 0.8% / —
Nelson Bay — Nepal: 0.8% One Mile — Nepal: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.8%
Nelson Bay — Germany: not among its largest One Mile — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Nelson Bay 59.1% houses
Nelson Bay — Houses: 59.1% Nelson Bay — Townhouses: 20.8% Nelson Bay — Flats / Apartments: 20.1%
One Mile 92.9% houses
One Mile — Houses: 92.9% One Mile — Townhouses: 3.6% One Mile — Flats / Apartments: 3.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Nelson Bay One Mile
Median house price $1,042,500 $1,852,750
Median unit price $672,500 —
Median land price $750,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 98 sales
 —

Zoning mix

One Mile has more land zoned for conservation (89% vs 59%).

Nelson Bay One Mile
Environmental 59% 89%
Residential 19% 0%
Parks and recreation 18% 4%
Rural and farming 2% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 0%
Commercial 1% 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

Nelson Bay One Mile
New dwellings approved 495
across Port Stephens
same for both
Approvals change year on year -72%
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.

Nelson Bay One Mile
Houses 3.2%
$735/wk on $1.19M
 —
Units 4.6%
$550/wk on $620K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Nelson Bay One Mile
House price Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Income Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 50% of NSW —

Liveability

Nelson Bay is more walkable (26 vs 16).

Nelson Bay One Mile
Grade D
same for both
Score 24/100 25/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Nelson Bay carries more crime risk (79 vs 69).

Nelson Bay One Mile
Bushfire High
75/100
 High
83/100
Crime High
79/100
 Moderate
69/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
35/100
 Moderate
55/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Nelson Bay One Mile
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Nelson Bay

  • St Michael's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Alesco Secondary College - Tomaree Campus Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in One Mile

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

Amenities in the suburb

Nelson Bay One Mile
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 22 1
Parks & reserves 8 0
Childcare 7 0
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 0 2

Mobility

Nelson Bay sits further from the CBD (207.4 km vs 204.4 km).

Nelson Bay One Mile
Walkability score 26/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 207.4 km
+1% vs other
 204.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 164 min 157 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 66/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 87.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 24.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2315
 0.5%
postcode 2316
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 2315
 56
postcode 2316

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.

Nelson Bay One Mile
Car (driver) 65.9% / 63.5%
Nelson Bay — Car (driver): 65.9% One Mile — Car (driver): 63.5%
Worked from Home 21.7% / 29.8%
Nelson Bay — Worked from Home: 21.7% One Mile — Worked from Home: 29.8%
Walked Only 5.8% / 2.2%
Nelson Bay — Walked Only: 5.8% One Mile — Walked Only: 2.2%
Car (passenger) 5.2% / 2.8%
Nelson Bay — Car (passenger): 5.2% One Mile — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Bus 1.0% / 1.7%
Nelson Bay — Bus: 1.0% One Mile — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.9%).

Setting

Nelson Bay One Mile
Elevation 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.8 km
1.8 km to a named beach
 770 m
938 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Nelson Bay One Mile
Connectivity score 62/100 58/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
4,940 premises
 23%
228 premises

Climate

Nelson Bay One Mile
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Nelson Bay One Mile
Average residential rate $1,359/yr
same for both
Council Port Stephens
same for both

Federal electorate

Nelson Bay One Mile
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Nelson Bay One Mile
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Nelson Bay

Coastal Retirees Townhouses

One Mile

Acreage Beach Coastal Premium Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Nelson Bay

Nelson Bay vs Corlette Nelson Bay vs Salamander Bay Nelson Bay vs Anna Bay Nelson Bay vs Shoal Bay Nelson Bay vs Fingal Bay

Other comparisons with One Mile

One Mile vs Anna Bay One Mile vs Fingal Bay One Mile vs Boat Harbour
Full data on Nelson Bay Full data on One Mile
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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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