Federal Electorate · Area profile
Dobell
715 km²
A significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 5.8% sets Dobell apart from most other areas. This growing community on the Central Coast is noticeably older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 41. While the population has grown by 12% since 2011, it remains a place where most people are born in Australia and speak only English. This creates a distinct local character that is more homogeneous than the state average.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
49 schools within reach make Dobell convenient for families.
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The area is older than most, with 20.6% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 5.0 percentage points since 2011. Children under 15 make up 19.0% of the population, which is higher than most similar areas.
Born-overseas residents make up 14.2% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7% and has fallen since 2011. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 88.1% of the community. Only 6.5% of people use another language at home, which is far below the state average of 26.6%.
About 39.2% of residents report no religion, a figure that rose 18 percentage points since 2011. This is about the same as the national figure, although well above the New South Wales average.
Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 15.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion also fell to 44.6% since 2011, which is far below the national figure.
Typical weekly household income is $1,509, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning over $3,000 a week rose 7.0 percentage points since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here, with 34.0% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions (11.5%) and arthritis (11.4%) are the most reported, contributing to a higher rate of people needing daily help.
While 12.5% of people provide unpaid care, volunteering has fallen sharply to 10.9%, which is well below the national figure. Unpaid housework is more common here than in most other areas.
One-parent families are among the highest at this level, making up 18.8% of households. Typical homes are slightly larger than average, with 2.6 people per dwelling.
Separate houses are very common, making up 80.4% of all dwellings. This is far above the state average, and 78.0% of homes have three or more bedrooms.
Car use is dominant, with 52.3% of people driving to work and only 1.1% using public transport. Despite this, the area has a very high number of public transport stops compared to other areas.
The community is relatively stable, with 38.0% of people moving in the last five years, slightly below the national average. Recent arrivals from overseas fell to 6.3% since 2011.
Adults working or looking for work make up 56.3% of the population, which is well below the national figure. Health care and construction are the most common industries for local workers.
The area is somewhat walkable, though many homes are far from groceries and health services. On the plus side, 92.9% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.