Shortland, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Shortland NSW is 4,537 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Shortland is $681 per week ($35,412 per year). Median rent in Shortland is $377 per week ($1,634 per month). Shortland has a median age of 33 years, younger than the national median of 38. Shortland has a population density of 692 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Shortland is China. The most common religion is No religion (41.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Shortland is $1,679.

There were 50 recorded offences in Shortland in 2025-26, a rate of 11 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (12 offences).

Population
4,537
Census 2021
Median income
$681/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$377/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
33years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Shortland vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Shortland is $681 a week, 11% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,442nd of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $377 a week, $8 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 28.1% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 33, 10 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureShortlandTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$681/wk$765/wk −11%$766/wk
Household income$1,344/wk$1,704/wk −21%$1,637/wk
Rent$377/wk$385/wk −2%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,679/mo$1,965/mo −15%$1,733/mo
Median age3343 −10 yrs42
Rent share of household income28.1%22.6% +5.5 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Shortland, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Shortland Population

4,537 residents at the 2021 Census.

Shortland Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$681/wk
$35,412 per year
Ranked 5,820 of 14,663
Median Rent
$377/wk
$1,634 per month
Ranked 2,627 of 14,663
Median Age
33years
5 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,679/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Shortland Rent Prices & Affordability

28% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,344/wk
Median rent $377/wk
Rent to income 28.1%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Shortland against your income

About $5,824 a month
Median rent $377/wk
Left after rent $967/wk
Rent share 28.1%

Shortland Schools

12
schools nearby
8
government
960
avg ICSEA score
3,062
total students
St Patrick's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 323 students
1076
ICSEA
Our Lady of Victories Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 130 students
1025
ICSEA
Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus Government
Secondary · 11-12 · 659 students
980
ICSEA
Waratah West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 113 students
963
ICSEA
Heaton Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 162 students
955
ICSEA
Callaghan College Wallsend Campus Government
Secondary · 7-10 · 890 students
952
ICSEA
Shortland Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 271 students
926
ICSEA
Jesmond Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 216 students
923
ICSEA
Plattsburg Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 195 students
910
ICSEA
Margaret Jurd College Independent
Secondary · U · 103 students
889
ICSEA
Aspect Hunter School, Waratah West Satellite Independent
Primary
Awabakal Environmental Education Centre Government
Combined

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Shortland, with a map

Shortland Map

Shortland, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Shortland

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.7% (2,302) Female 49.3% (2,239)

Population Density

692
people per km²
4,537 people · 6.6 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$1,629
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
1.7%
England
1.4%
India
1.4%
New Zealand
0.8%
Philippines
0.8%
Pakistan
0.8%
Scotland
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
1.7%
Urdu
0.7%
Punjabi
0.4%
Vietnamese
0.4%
Cantonese
0.4%
Hindi
0.4%
Arabic
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
39.9%
English
39.9%
Scottish
11.4%
Irish
10.4%
Australian Aboriginal
6.3%
German
3.5%
Chinese
3.0%
Indian
1.7%
Italian
1.6%
Filipino
1.2%
Dutch
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
41.3%
Catholic
17.3%
Anglican
13.6%
Not stated
6.4%
Uniting Church
3.7%
Christian (other)
3.2%
Islam
2.4%
Baptist
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

6.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
35.8% 1,376
Separated
3.1% 120
Divorced
8.1% 313
Widowed
6.5% 248
Never married
46.4% 1,784

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
35.9%
Couple: no children
34.5%
One parent: children under 15
11.4%
Couple: no children under 15
9.8%
One parent: no children under 15
8.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.5%
2 persons
37.7%
3 persons
16.3%
4 persons
9.7%
5 persons
3.9%
6+ persons
2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Shortland

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,866 occupied private dwellings in Shortland at the 2021 Census, 36.0% were rented, 24.7% owned outright and 30.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
6.6% 124 dwellings
Owned outright
24.7% 461 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
30.9% 577 dwellings
Rented
36.0% 671 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.4% 26 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
71.1%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
15.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
13.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
4.4%
2 bedrooms
27.3%
3 bedrooms
52.5%
4 bedrooms
12.0%
5 bedrooms
2.6%
6+ bedrooms
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
3.8%
$300-$449/mo
2.3%
$450-$599/mo
1.1%
$600-$799/mo
4.2%
$800-$999/mo
6.1%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
14.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
31.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
28.6%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
5.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.9%
1 vehicle
40.9%
2 vehicles
37.2%
3 vehicles
10.0%
4+ vehicles
5.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Shortland

Employment

Employed full-time
32.5% 1,128 people
Employed part-time
23.8% 826 people
Unemployed
4.1% 141 people
Not in labour force
39.7% 1,379 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
26.0%
Community & Personal Service
17.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
17.4%
Clerical & Administrative
14.2%
Labourers
7.5%
Sales Workers
5.9%
Managers
5.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
5.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.1%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
1.8%
$300-$399/wk
2.2%
$400-$499/wk
7.8%
$500-$649/wk
5.4%
$650-$799/wk
8.0%
$800-$999/wk
9.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.4%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
12.3%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.1%
$4,000+/wk
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.5%
$1-$149/wk
2.5%
$150-$299/wk
6.7%
$300-$399/wk
6.7%
$400-$499/wk
5.8%
$500-$649/wk
5.8%
$650-$799/wk
11.1%
$800-$999/wk
12.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
13.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.4%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
5.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
0.5%
$3,500+/wk
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
70.6%
Did not go to work
20.5%
Car (passenger)
3.9%
Bus
1.3%
Truck
1.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.1%
Walked only
0.7%
Other
0.3%
Train
0.2%
Bicycle
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
52.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
31.5%
Year 9 or equivalent
9.7%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.6%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
46.2%
Bachelor Degree
25.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.1%
Postgraduate Degree
7.6%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.7%
Certificate I/II
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Engineering
20.2%
Management & Commerce
18.2%
Society & Culture
15.9%
Health
12.0%
Education
8.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
7.2%
Architecture & Building
7.0%
Creative Arts
4.8%
Information Technology
2.5%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.4%
Agriculture & Environment
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
26.9%
Secondary: Government
22.7%
Vocational Education
19.6%
Pre-school
13.7%
Primary: Catholic
9.5%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.0%
Secondary: Catholic
2.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
87.4%
Has need for assistance
7.2%
Need for assistance not stated
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
662
Asthma
217
Arthritis
203
Diabetes
154
Heart disease
151
Lung condition
128
Cancer
76
Stroke
58
Kidney disease
56
Dementia
19

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.4% 446
Did not provide
87.6% 3,164

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
11.8% 425
Not a volunteer
88.2% 3,186

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.4% 13
Current ADF: Reserves
0.2% 8
Previously served
3.2% 116
Never served
96.2% 3,503

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
39.2%
1 child
14.1%
2 children
26.5%
3 children
12.3%
4 children
5.8%
5+ children
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
18
1951: 1960
32
1961: 1970
38
1971: 1980
24
1981: 1990
37
1991: 2000
47
2001: 2010
100
2011: 2015
100
2016
33
2017
46
2018
71
2019
62
2020
19
2021
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

20.0%
moved in the last year
51.7%
moved in the last 5 years
6.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
58.5%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
3,406
Moved from NSW
641
Moved: same area (SA2)
123
Moved from VIC
15
Moved from overseas
13
Moved from QLD
12
Moved from ACT
7
Moved from SA
4
Moved from NT
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.7%
5: 14 hours
28.5%
15: 29 hours
12.4%
30+ hours
7.6%
Did not do domestic work
29.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
81.0%
Step family: no other children
12.8%
Blended family: no other children
4.9%
Intact family: other children present
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Shortland Crime Statistics

50 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
12
Assault
9
Other Against Property
9
Property Damage
7
Other Against Person
5
Sexual Offences
3
Drug Offences
3
Weapons
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Shortland

The closest suburb to Shortland is Birmingham Gardens, 2.0 km away.

Birmingham Gardens
2.0 km away · income $666/wk · rent $380/wk
Callaghan
2.3 km away · income $302/wk
Warabrook
2.7 km away · income $747/wk · rent $375/wk
Maryland (Newcastle - NSW)
2.8 km away · income $770/wk · rent $400/wk
Jesmond
3.2 km away · income $574/wk · rent $350/wk
Mayfield West
3.3 km away · income $808/wk · rent $370/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Shortland

What is the population of Shortland NSW?

The population of Shortland NSW is 4,537 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 692 people per km². Shortland is ranked #1,710 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Shortland?

The median personal income in Shortland NSW is $681 per week, or $35,412 per year. The median household income is $1,344 per week. Family income is $1,629 per week. Shortland is ranked #5,820 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Shortland?

Median rent in Shortland NSW is $377 per week ($1,634 per month). Rent represents 28.1% of household income, which is considered moderate. Shortland ranks #2,627 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Shortland?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Shortland NSW is $1,679. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Shortland?

The median age in Shortland NSW is 33 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Shortland a good suburb to live in?

Shortland is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 4,537. The median income is $681/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (28.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13557. All dollar figures in AUD.