Federal Electorate · Area profile
Bruce
114 km²
A rapidly growing community of over 179,000 people, Bruce has seen its population climb 27% since 2011. It is a notably diverse place where nearly half of all residents were born overseas and many use a language other than English at home. The area is generally younger than most, with a typical age of 37 and a high proportion of children. Families are the core of the neighborhood, living in large homes that support this growing population.
Families are well catered for: 50 schools serve Bruce.
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The area is a little younger than the national figure, and the number of seniors has fallen since 2011. With 18.7% of people under 15, it has more children than most similar areas.
Cultural diversity is very high here, with 45.8% of people born overseas, a figure far above the national average. The most common ancestries are English and Australian, followed by Indian and Chinese.
Language diversity has surged, with 46.7% of people using another language at home, compared to 22.3% nationally. This helps explain why the proportion of people who speak little or no English is well above the state average.
Religious affiliation is more common here than in most areas, and the number of people with no religion is far below the state and national figures.
Completion of Year 12 has risen sharply since 2011 to 59.6%, though the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher remains well below the state average.
Typical weekly household income is about $1,672, which is around the middle for its level. However, typical personal weekly income is much lower than in most similar areas.
A higher proportion of people here need help with daily activities compared to most areas. Conversely, the rates of long-term health and mental health conditions are a little below the national figures.
Volunteer rates have fallen significantly since 2011 and are now well below the national average. A higher than usual proportion of the community provides unpaid care.
Household sizes are much larger than most areas, with 2.9 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 65% of families.
Homes here are typically large, with 83.5% having three or more bedrooms, which is well above the national figure. Most are separate houses, and typical weekly rent is $350.
The area is very car-dependent, with 59.9% of people driving to work and only 2.2% using public transport. Most homes have at least two vehicles.
The community is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is much lower than in most other areas.
Full-time employment is higher than in most similar areas, although the unemployment rate is a little above the state and national figures.
The area is very walkable, with 94.1% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and nearly all residents within 15 minutes of a park.