Federal Electorate · Area profile
Farrer
126,563 km²
Spanning a massive 126,562 square kilometres across regional New South Wales, Farrer is a vast and sparsely populated area. It is a community that skews noticeably older than the national average, with a significant number of seniors and a growing population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The area is defined by large, detached homes and a strong connection to the land, where most residents rely on cars and many contribute to their community through volunteering.
134 schools within reach make Farrer convenient for families.
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The population has grown 28% since 2011 and is older than most areas, with a typical resident aged 42. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 21.7% of the community, which is well above the national figure.
People born overseas make up 11.5% of the population, a figure that is far below the national average and has fallen since 2011. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.
English is the primary language for 83.6% of residents, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the state and national figures.
Christianity is the most common religion at 53.5%. Those reporting no religion make up 33.1% of the population, which is well below the national figure but has risen 10 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 14.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Those who completed Year 12 make up 40.2% of the population, far below the national average.
Typical weekly household incomes are well below the national figure at $1,390. However, there has been a trend of growth, with the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rising 6 points since 2011.
A long-term health condition affects 31.9% of residents, which is well above the national average. This is consistent with the older age of the community, as 6.4% of people need help with daily activities.
Volunteerism is much higher than in most areas, with 17.4% of people volunteering despite a drop since 2011. About 12.7% of residents provide unpaid care.
Living alone is common here, with 29.5% of people in single-person households, well above the national average. Family sizes are slightly smaller than usual, with 2.4 people per home.
The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 86.3% of dwellings. Home ownership is strong, with 37.2% of homes owned outright, and typical weekly rents are much lower than the national average at $250.
Cars are essential, with 68.3% of people driving to work and very few using public transport. Working from home is much less common here than in the rest of the state, at just 9.7%.
While fewer people have moved house in the last five years compared to most areas, there has been a significant increase in recent arrivals from overseas, which rose 11 points since 2011.
Full-time employment is higher than the national average at 61%, and the unemployment rate is much lower than most areas at 3.9%. Many residents work in health care, agriculture, or manufacturing.
Walkability is low, with only 51.8% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' walkshed. Most residents live far from groceries, health services, and public transport.