Council (LGA) · Area profile
Lithgow
4,512 km²
Typical weekly household incomes are much lower in Lithgow than the national figure. This is an older community where nearly a quarter of residents are seniors, and many live alone. It is a predominantly Australian-born area with a strong First Nations presence and a high proportion of outright home ownership. The town is characterized by a workforce with fewer university degrees and a population facing higher rates of long-term health conditions.
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The community is noticeably older than the state average, with the typical resident aged 46 and 24.5% of people aged 65 and over. A significant 7.8% of the population identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure that has risen since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those with overseas birthplaces make up only 10.1%, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, both at around 41%.
English is the primary language for 87.3% of the community. Only 4.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national and state figures.
Over half of the population identifies as Christian, while 35.6% report no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen by 19 points since 2011.
The area has a lower level of formal qualifications than most, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 34.8%.
Household incomes are well below the state average, with a typical weekly family income of $1,658. Only 13.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35.5% of people reporting a long-term health condition. People needing help with daily activities also make up 7.6% of the population, which is higher than the national figure.
Unpaid care is a common feature of local life, as 13.2% of people provide unpaid care—higher than most areas. However, the proportion of volunteers has fallen to 14.5% since 2011.
There are 1,621 First Nations people in the area. The typical age for this group is 26, which is noticeably older than the state average for First Nations residents.
Living arrangements are distinctive, with 34% of people living alone and 18.2% of families being one-parent households, both of which are much higher than in most areas.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (89.6%), and 41.9% of homes are owned outright, far above the national average. Typical weekly rents are $270, well below the state figure of $420.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 63.3% of workers driving to work. Public transport use is very low, though the area has a high number of stops per 1,000 people compared to the state.
The population is relatively stable, with 30.5% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much lower than in most areas.
About 50.4% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure. Common industries include health care, public administration, and mining.
Lithgow ranks lower than about 70% of areas in terms of overall advantage and access to money and resources. Population growth has also slowed, falling 0.8% since 2021.
The area is cooler and wetter than the state average, with an average minimum temperature of 7.5 degrees and annual rainfall of 810mm.
Recorded offences are higher than most areas, particularly for property damage and assault. However, the burglary rate remains lower than in similar areas.
The area is considered somewhat walkable, though 55.1% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, which is far below the state average.