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Forbes vs Parkes

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 42 km apart · Forbes profile · Parkes profile

Forbes Parkes

Parkes (NSW) and Forbes are nearby New South Wales towns with similar populations, but they offer different lifestyles. Parkes (NSW) is more walkable, with 54.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' layout compared to 37.6% in Forbes. Residents in Parkes (NSW) also have much easier access to essentials on foot, with 83.8% living within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 87.3% near a park. In contrast, Forbes is more car-dependent and has a larger business presence, with 1,305 businesses compared to 812 in Parkes (NSW).

Both towns share a similar proportion of First Nations people, at about 13%. They also have very similar typical weekly incomes, around $714 to $728. However, Forbes has an older population, with a typical age of 43 and a higher share of people aged 65 and over. While Parkes (NSW) has a higher rate of First Nations unemployment, Forbes has more homes owned outright. Since 2011, the gap in the number of older residents has widened, and more people have moved into Parkes (NSW) than into Forbes.

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Where they differ most

Unemployment: 1.4 pts higher in Parkes Median age: 4 yrs older in Forbes Unpaid child care: 3.0 pts higher in Parkes Recent movers: 4.9 pts higher in Parkes Owned outright: 5.2 pts higher in Forbes

Demographics & Identity

Population in Forbesin Parkes +899 larger in Parkes gap narrowing
10,020 52nd pct 10,919 58th pct
Median age in Forbesin Parkes +4 yrs older in Forbes gap steady
43 yrs 71st pct 39 yrs 48th pct
First Nations in Forbesin Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Forbes gap narrowing
13.0% 91st pct 12.7% 91st pct
Aged 65+ in Forbesin Parkes +3.5 pts higher in Forbes gap widening
23.6% 81st pct 20.1% 66th pct
Under 15 in Forbesin Parkes +0.9 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
19.6% 69th pct 20.6% 76th pct
De facto in Forbesin Parkes +0.9 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
11.8% 47th pct 12.7% 59th pct

Age structure

24.7% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +0.7 pts 24.0%
23.6% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.5 pts 20.1%
21.3% Young adults (25–44) +1.9 pts ▸ 23.1%
19.6% Children (0–14) +0.9 pts ▸ 20.6%
10.9% Youth (15–24) +1.4 pts ▸ 12.2%

Marital status

46.7% Married ◂ +2.9 pts 43.8%
33.1% Never married +3.0 pts ▸ 36.1%
8.9% Divorced +0.5 pts ▸ 9.4%
7.3% Widowed ◂ +0.2 pts 7.1%
4.1% Separated ◂ +0.4 pts 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Forbes Parkes

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Forbesin Parkes +1.7 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
4.4% 0th pct 6.0% 3rd pct

Country of birth

85.8% Australia +1.0 pts ▸ 86.7%
1.0% England ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%
0.3% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.2% South Africa +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% India ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% China even 0.3%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

44.6% Australian +0.5 pts ▸ 45.1%
39.9% English +1.2 pts ▸ 41.1%
12.4% Irish ◂ +1.8 pts 10.6%
8.6% Scottish ◂ +0.3 pts 8.3%
4.0% German ◂ +0.5 pts 3.5%
1.5% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 1.4%
0.7% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.5% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.5% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.1% Greek even 0.2%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Other language in Forbesin Parkes +1.8 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
2.1% 3rd pct 3.9% 16th pct
Limited English in Forbesin Parkes +0.2 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
0.2% 10th pct 0.4% 20th pct

Language used at home

88.9% English only +0.7 pts ▸ 89.6%
0.1% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Italian even 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Hindi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.1%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Forbesin Parkes +2.8 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
25.2% 12th pct 28.0% 15th pct

Religious affiliation

64.2% Christianity ◂ +1.3 pts 62.9%
25.2% No religion +2.8 pts ▸ 28.0%
9.8% Not stated ◂ +2.3 pts 7.5%
0.3% Buddhism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.3% Hinduism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.1% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Forbesin Parkes +0.9 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
36.8% 12th pct 37.7% 13th pct
Bachelor+ in Forbesin Parkes +0.4 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
12.0% 19th pct 11.6% 18th pct
Schools in Forbesin Parkes +2 more in Forbes
8 87th pct 6 71st pct
Schools/1k kids in Forbesin Parkes +1.39 more in Forbes
4.07 80th pct 2.67 63rd pct
Schools ≤3 km in Forbesin Parkes +3 more in Forbes
9 21st pct 6 12th pct
Students in Forbesin Parkes +267 more in Forbes
2,124 64th pct 1,857 59th pct
Avg size in Forbesin Parkes +44 larger in Parkes
266 28th pct 310 34th pct
ICSEA in Forbesin Parkes +7 higher in Forbes
944 17th pct 937 14th pct

Highest year of school

36.8% Year 12 +0.9 pts ▸ 37.7%
30.9% Year 10 +2.6 pts ▸ 33.4%
14.4% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.9 pts 13.5%
7.0% Year 11 even 7.1%

Highest qualification level

36.2% Certificate III / IV +5.0 pts ▸ 41.2%
16.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +0.3 pts 15.8%
12.0% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.2 pts ▸ 12.2%
3.2% Postgraduate degree even 3.2%
2.9% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 2.7%
2.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.4 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

14.1% Engineering & related +4.0 pts ▸ 18.2%
13.2% Management & commerce +3.8 pts ▸ 16.9%
9.2% Society & culture +0.8 pts ▸ 10.0%
9.7% Health ◂ +0.1 pts 9.6%
9.6% Education even 9.6%
7.5% Agriculture & environment ◂ +4.7 pts 2.9%
5.1% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.6 pts ▸ 5.8%
5.3% Architecture & building ◂ +0.3 pts 5.0%
1.2% Creative arts +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.9% Information technology +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%
1.0% Natural & physical sciences +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

Income

Personal income in Forbesin Parkes +$14 higher in Parkes gap narrowing
$714 31st pct $728 34th pct
Household income in Forbesin Parkes +$132 higher in Parkes gap widening
$1,257 18th pct $1,389 28th pct
Family income in Forbesin Parkes +$166 higher in Parkes gap narrowing
$1,688 25th pct $1,854 35th pct
High earners in Forbesin Parkes +1.3 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
7.9% 34th pct 9.2% 42nd pct
High-income homes in Forbesin Parkes +1.5 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
13.5% 27th pct 15.0% 32nd pct

Household income distribution

32.4% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.9 pts 29.5%
24.7% $1,500–$2,999 +3.5 pts ▸ 28.1%
20.5% Under $650 +0.1 pts ▸ 20.5%
7.1% $3,000–$3,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 8.5%
6.4% $4,000 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 6.5%

Personal income distribution

40.9% Under $650 +1.0 pts ▸ 42.0%
32.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.2 pts 31.1%
13.1% $1,500–$2,999 +3.2 pts ▸ 16.3%
2.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 2.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Forbesin Parkes +1.5 pts higher in Parkes
32.2% 74th pct 33.7% 81st pct
Mental health in Forbesin Parkes +1.4 pts higher in Parkes
9.3% 58th pct 10.8% 76th pct
Needs assistance in Forbesin Parkes +1.1 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
6.2% 64th pct 7.4% 79th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

12.0% Arthritis ◂ +1.0 pts 11.0%
9.3% Asthma +1.7 pts ▸ 11.0%
9.3% Mental health +1.4 pts ▸ 10.8%
6.6% Other condition +0.8 pts ▸ 7.4%
6.3% Diabetes ◂ +0.5 pts 5.8%
5.3% Heart disease ◂ +0.4 pts 4.9%
3.9% Cancer ◂ +0.8 pts 3.1%
2.8% Lung condition ◂ +0.5 pts 2.3%
1.0% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%
1.0% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 1.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.1% None +0.5 pts ▸ 56.7%
19.4% One condition +2.2 pts ▸ 21.5%
7.7% Two conditions +0.1 pts ▸ 7.8%
5.0% Three or more ◂ +0.7 pts 4.2%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Forbesin Parkes +2.3 pts higher in Forbes gap narrowing
18.6% 76th pct 16.2% 62nd pct
Unpaid carers in Forbesin Parkes +0.1 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
12.6% 56th pct 12.5% 54th pct
Unpaid child care in Forbesin Parkes +3.0 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
24.8% 40th pct 27.8% 62nd pct
Defence service in Forbesin Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Parkes
2.4% 37th pct 2.7% 47th pct
Housework 15h+ in Forbesin Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
22.3% 61st pct 22.0% 58th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Forbesin Parkes +89 larger in Parkes
1,300 87th pct 1,389 88th pct
Median age in Forbesin Parkes +2 yrs older in Forbes
23 yrs 36th pct 21 yrs 21st pct
Year 12 in Forbesin Parkes +1.0 pts higher in Parkes
28.7% 13th pct 29.6% 15th pct
Unemployment in Forbesin Parkes +4.7 pts higher in Parkes
7.7% 35th pct 12.4% 64th pct
Median income in Forbesin Parkes +$62 higher in Forbes
$645 52nd pct $583 39th pct
Household income in Forbesin Parkes +$145 higher in Parkes
$1,297 23rd pct $1,442 33rd pct
Indigenous language in Forbesin Parkes +2.1 pts higher in Parkes
1.7% 19th pct 3.8% 36th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Forbesin Parkes +0.1 larger in Parkes gap steady
2.3 29th pct 2.4 36th pct
One-parent in Forbesin Parkes +2.1 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
16.6% 74th pct 18.7% 83rd pct
Living alone in Forbesin Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
31.1% 76th pct 30.8% 75th pct

Family composition

49.9% Couples with children +2.0 pts ▸ 52.0%
32.4% Couples without children ◂ +4.0 pts 28.4%
16.6% One-parent families +2.1 pts ▸ 18.7%
1.0% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

Household size

37.5% 2 people ◂ +3.9 pts 33.6%
31.1% 1 person ◂ +0.3 pts 30.8%
11.5% 3 people +2.0 pts ▸ 13.5%
10.9% 4 people +1.1 pts ▸ 11.9%
6.1% 5 people +0.8 pts ▸ 6.9%
3.2% 6 or more even 3.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Forbesin Parkes +$30 higher in Parkes gap widening
$230 11th pct $260 17th pct
Mortgage in Forbesin Parkes +$43 higher in Parkes gap narrowing
$1,257 13th pct $1,300 14th pct
People / bedroom in Forbesin Parkes even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Forbesin Parkes +3.6 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
26.1% 48th pct 29.7% 58th pct
Owned outright in Forbesin Parkes +5.2 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
38.6% 70th pct 33.4% 53rd pct
Separate houses in Forbesin Parkes +2.2 pts higher in Forbes gap widening
90.1% 65th pct 88.0% 59th pct
3+ bedrooms in Forbesin Parkes +1.7 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
77.4% 44th pct 79.1% 50th pct

How homes are owned or rented

38.6% Owned outright ◂ +5.2 pts 33.4%
29.5% Owned with a mortgage +3.2 pts ▸ 32.7%
26.1% Rented +3.6 pts ▸ 29.7%
3.4% Other tenure ◂ +1.2 pts 2.2%
2.5% Not stated ◂ +0.6 pts 1.9%

Types of homes

90.1% Separate house ◂ +2.2 pts 88.0%
4.3% Flat or apartment +2.5 pts ▸ 6.8%
4.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +0.2 pts 4.1%
1.3% Other dwelling ◂ +0.7 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

43.7% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 43.0%
27.3% 4 bedrooms +2.5 pts ▸ 29.8%
16.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.9 pts 15.9%
6.5% 5 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 6.4%
2.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.1 pts 2.5%
0.3% Studio / none +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

Weekly rent distribution

49.8% $200–$349 +2.8 pts ▸ 52.6%
32.1% Under $200 ◂ +7.0 pts 25.1%
9.9% $350–$549 +8.2 pts ▸ 18.2%
0.3% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.0% $550–$749 +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%

Monthly mortgage distribution

40.9% $1,000–$1,799 +5.4 pts ▸ 46.3%
32.2% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.8 pts 26.4%
16.1% $1,800–$2,999 +1.0 pts ▸ 17.0%
5.6% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 5.4%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Forbesin Parkes +1.7 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
5.1% 52nd pct 6.9% 66th pct
Work from home in Forbesin Parkes +2.8 pts higher in Forbes gap narrowing
10.5% 33rd pct 7.7% 20th pct
PT commute in Forbesin Parkes +0.1 pts higher in Forbes gap steady
0.4% 16th pct 0.3% 11th pct
PT stops in Forbesin Parkes +3 more in Parkes
52 60th pct 55 63rd pct
Stops/1k in Forbesin Parkes +0.15 more in Forbes
5.19 63rd pct 5.04 61st pct
Departures/1k in Forbesin Parkes +12.8 more in Parkes
112.7 20th pct 125.5 21st pct
PT routes in Forbesin Parkes +8 more in Parkes
9 57th pct 17 82nd pct
Stop walk in Forbesin Parkes
— 41 90th pct

How people get to work

67.0% Car (driver) +2.5 pts ▸ 69.5%
10.5% Worked at home ◂ +2.8 pts 7.7%
4.5% Car (passenger) +1.5 pts ▸ 6.0%
4.4% Walked ◂ +0.6 pts 3.8%
0.4% Bus ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.3% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.7 pts 37.1%
34.9% 1 vehicle +2.3 pts ▸ 37.2%
14.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +3.1 pts 11.2%
8.0% 4 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 7.7%
5.1% No vehicle +1.7 pts ▸ 6.9%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Forbesin Parkes +4.9 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
31.8% 24th pct 36.7% 45th pct
Recent arrivals in Forbesin Parkes +0.2 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
15.3% 70th pct 15.5% 71st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Forbesin Parkes +1.4 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
3.6% 23rd pct 5.0% 60th pct
Participation in Forbesin Parkes +1.1 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
57.0% 31st pct 58.1% 35th pct
Full-time in Forbesin Parkes +0.4 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
63.4% 81st pct 63.8% 83rd pct

Industries people work in

18.1% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +14.7 pts 3.4%
12.7% Health care & social assistance +0.1 pts ▸ 12.7%
9.2% Retail trade +1.9 pts ▸ 11.1%
10.7% Education & training ◂ +2.2 pts 8.5%
4.9% Public administration & safety +4.6 pts ▸ 9.5%
3.3% Mining +6.1 pts ▸ 9.4%
5.4% Accommodation & food +2.3 pts ▸ 7.7%
7.1% Construction +0.2 pts ▸ 7.3%
4.4% Transport & warehousing +2.3 pts ▸ 6.6%
4.3% Other services even 4.4%
4.0% Manufacturing even 3.9%
3.2% Wholesale trade ◂ +1.1 pts 2.1%

Occupations people work in

19.4% Managers ◂ +7.8 pts 11.6%
15.1% Professionals +0.7 pts ▸ 15.8%
13.3% Technicians & trades +1.4 pts ▸ 14.7%
13.1% Labourers ◂ +2.3 pts 10.7%
8.1% Machinery operators & drivers +4.2 pts ▸ 12.2%
10.9% Community & personal service +1.2 pts ▸ 12.1%
9.5% Clerical & administrative +2.4 pts ▸ 11.8%
8.6% Sales workers +0.8 pts ▸ 9.3%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Forbesin Parkes +1 higher in Forbes
3 29th pct 2 14th pct
IRSD decile in Forbesin Parkes +1 higher in Forbes
3 29th pct 2 14th pct
IER decile in Forbesin Parkes +1 higher in Forbes
4 36th pct 3 29th pct
IEO decile in Forbesin Parkes +1 higher in Forbes
3 29th pct 2 14th pct
IRSAD score in Forbesin Parkes +22 higher in Forbes
940 26th pct 918 17th pct
ERP in Forbesin Parkes +979 higher in Parkes
10,019 48th pct 10,998 53rd pct
Growth in Forbesin Parkes +0.8 pts higher in Parkes
-0.7% 9th pct 0.1% 12th pct
Businesses in Forbesin Parkes +493 higher in Forbes
1,305 70th pct 812 44th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Forbesin Parkes +52 higher in Parkes
641 25th pct 693 32nd pct
Max temp in Forbesin Parkes +0.5 higher in Forbes
24.5 59th pct 24.0 53rd pct
Min temp in Forbesin Parkes +0.1 higher in Forbes
9.0 15th pct 8.9 15th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Forbesin Parkes +1.1 higher in Parkes
4.0 30th pct 5.1 45th pct
Types ≤15 min in Forbesin Parkes +1.2 more in Parkes
3.9 29th pct 5.1 47th pct
15-min city in Forbesin Parkes +17.1 pts higher in Parkes
37.6% 27th pct 54.7% 41st pct
Walk to shops in Forbesin Parkes +9.4 pts higher in Parkes
38.0% 27th pct 47.4% 36th pct
Walk to transit in Forbesin Parkes +19.6 pts higher in Parkes
64.2% 30th pct 83.8% 41st pct
Walk to school in Forbesin Parkes +19.0 pts higher in Parkes
55.1% 34th pct 74.1% 50th pct
Walk to a park in Forbesin Parkes +20.1 pts higher in Parkes
67.2% 22nd pct 87.3% 34th pct
Walk to health in Forbesin Parkes +6.1 pts higher in Parkes
40.2% 45th pct 46.2% 50th pct
Amenities/1k in Forbesin Parkes +4.9 more in Forbes
18.4 69th pct 13.5 46th pct
Intersections/km² in Forbesin Parkes +6 higher in Parkes
0 4th pct 6 20th pct
Mean slope in Forbesin Parkes +1.3 pts higher in Parkes
3.2% 14th pct 4.5% 35th pct

Compare Forbes with nearby areas

Parkes Grenfell Parkes Surrounds Cowra Surrounds Cowra Orange Surrounds Young Condobolin

Compare Parkes with nearby areas

Parkes Surrounds Forbes Cowra Surrounds Orange Surrounds Grenfell Cowra Wellington Orange - North

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Forbes vs Parkes [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/103021065/forbes/vs/103021067/parkes