Council (LGA) · Area profile
Gunnedah
4,987 km²
A higher proportion of children and a larger First Nations community set Gunnedah apart from most similar areas. This regional centre is younger than the national average, with the typical resident being 37. It is a place where families are common, and the population has grown by 7.2% since 2011. The community is largely Australian-born and English-speaking, which helps explain its lower levels of overseas migration and linguistic diversity compared to the rest of New South Wales.
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The typical resident is 37, making the area a little younger than the national figure. Children under 15 make up 22.4% of the population, which is well above the national average of 18.2%.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with only 5.3% of people born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.
English is the primary language for 88.2% of residents. Only 3.2% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 32.4% have no religion. This last figure has risen by 20 percentage points since 2011.
Educational qualifications are lower than the national average, with only 12% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion sits at 37%, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,557, which is higher than most similar areas but a little below the New South Wales figure of $1,829.
About 29.6% of people have a long-term health condition, with asthma and arthritis being the most common. People needing help with daily activities make up 6.1% of the population.
Unpaid care for children is much more common here than in most areas, involving 28.7% of the community. Volunteering is also more frequent than the national average at 17.1%.
First Nations people make up 15.6% of the population, which is far above the national figure. This group is notably young, with a typical age of 22.
Families with children are common, making up 55.7% of households. The typical home holds 2.5 people, which is about the same as the national average.
Homes here are typically large and detached; 81.2% have three or more bedrooms. Weekly rent is $300, which is well below the New South Wales average of $420.
Most people rely on cars, with 64.5% driving to work and only 2.3% using public transport. Working from home is rare at 10.1%, far below the national figure of 21%.
The area has seen significant movement, with 37.3% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have also increased to 18.5%.
Full-time employment is much more common here than in most areas, at 65%. The local economy is driven by mining and agriculture, which together employ over a quarter of the workforce.
The area has a lower overall advantage score of 940, which is smaller than about 60% of similar areas. Education and job skills are ranked particularly low at 3 out of 10.
The area is warmer than most, with an average maximum temperature of 26.4 degrees. Annual rainfall is 695mm, well above the New South Wales average of 515mm.
Crime rates are much higher than in most similar areas, particularly for motor vehicle theft and property damage. Recorded offences per 100,000 people stand at 14,263.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.6. Only 19.3% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average of 67.7%.