Leeton

The community has a strong First Nations presence, with 7.2% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, well above the national figure. It is a relatively young area, with children under 15 making up 21.2% of the population, which is higher than most similar areas.

While 80.5% of residents were born in Australia, there has been a rise in overseas arrivals, with 10.8% now born abroad. Italian heritage remains significant, appearing as one of the top five ancestries alongside English, Irish, and Scottish roots.

Language diversity is increasing, with 9.7% of people using a language other than English at home. This is higher than in most similar areas, although it remains far below the state and national averages.

Religion plays a significant role here, as 62.3% of residents identify as Christian. This is far higher than the national trend, where the proportion of people with no religion is much higher than it is in Leeton.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 34.5% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, and only 10.8% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical household incomes are a little below the national figure at $1,417 per week. While earnings have risen since 2011, the proportion of people earning $2,000 or more a week is lower than in most other areas.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure, and a higher number of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is more common here than in the rest of the state, with 16.4% of people pitching in. This community spirit exists alongside a higher-than-average rate of people providing unpaid care for children.

The First Nations community is notably young, with a typical age of just 19 years. However, Year 12 completion is very low at 26.6%, which is far below the national average.

Families tend to be larger here, with 2.5 people per home. This is consistent with a higher-than-average proportion of one-parent families, who make up 16.0% of households.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 87.1% of all dwellings. These homes are often large, with 80.7% having three or more bedrooms, and a high 36.1% are owned outright.

Life here is almost entirely car-dependent, as 71.4% of people drive to work and only 0.2% use public transport. Very few people work from home, at just 7.1%, which is far below the state average.

The area is seeing a significant shift in its population, with recent overseas arrivals jumping to 27.5% since 2011. This is among the highest rates for areas of this level.

Employment is strong, with 65.5% of the workforce in full-time roles, which is well above the national figure. The local economy relies heavily on manufacturing and agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

The area faces some challenges with job skills and overall advantage, ranking lower than about 70% of similar areas. Population growth has also stalled since 2021, falling well below the state average.

Leeton is slightly drier than the rest of the state, with an average annual rainfall of 467mm. Temperatures are typical for the region, with an average maximum of 24.6 degrees.

Recorded crime is higher than in most areas, particularly for property damage, motor vehicle theft, and sexual offences. However, the theft rate is much lower than in other similar locations.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.8. Many residents live far from public transport, and only 48.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.