Kempsey

The community is notably older than most areas, with 26.2% of people aged 65 and over. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 12.9% of the population, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 7.8%, which is far below the state and national figures. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, listed by 41.4% and 40.4% of people respectively.

English is the primary language for 87.1% of the population. Only 2.9% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

About 48.7% of people identify as Christian, while 37.9% report having no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 20 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 31.9% of people completing Year 12. Just 10.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, far below the national figure of 26.3%.

Incomes are much lower than the national average, with a typical household earning $1,085 a week. Only 8.3% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, far below the 22.6% seen across Australia.

Health challenges are common here, with 36.4% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national average, and 9.5% of residents need help with daily activities.

Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 14.2% of people provide unpaid care, which is much higher than most areas. However, the rate of volunteers has fallen since 2011 to 13.8%.

With 3,959 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this is one of the largest First Nations populations at this level. This community faces significant gaps, with an unemployment rate of 18.7%, well above the national 12.3%.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 21.4% of households. About 28.9% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 90% of dwellings. Home ownership is very high, with 45.3% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 65.8% of people driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute (0.3%), although there are many bus routes and stops available.

About 33.1% of residents have moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas are also uncommon, making up only 7.0% of the population.

Job opportunities are lower than average, with only 44.9% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate is 7.2%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.

Kempsey ranks low for overall advantage, sitting in the bottom 20% of all areas. This is reflected in low scores for access to resources and job skills.

The area receives a high amount of rain, with an average annual rainfall of 1,188mm, far above the New South Wales average of 515mm.

Recorded offences are much higher than in most areas, particularly for assault, burglary, and property damage. Motor vehicle theft is also among the highest at this level.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.8, far below the state average of 6.2. Many residents live more than 15 minutes away from health services, groceries, and schools.