Council (LGA) · Area profile
Murrumbidgee
6,881 km²
Older residents and a strong First Nations presence define the character of Murrumbidgee. The typical resident is 45, making the area noticeably older than the national figure. It is a predominantly Australian-born community with a population of 3,353 that has shrunk by 13% since 2016. This is a rural landscape where most people live in large, detached houses and work in the agriculture sector.
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The area has a significant First Nations population at 8.6%, which is well above the state and national figures. It is an ageing community, with 21.7% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that has risen since 2016.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with only 6.4% of people born overseas, far below the national figure of 27.7%. English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries are the most common after Australian.
English is the primary language for 86.3% of residents. Only 4.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the state and national averages.
Christianity is the most common faith at 60.8%. While the number of people reporting no religion has risen to 27.1%, this is still far below the national figure.
Schooling levels are much lower than most areas, with only 34.8% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, though the number has risen since 2016.
Typical weekly household income is $1,401, which is well below the New South Wales figure. However, the typical personal income of $782 is about the same as the national figure.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33.3% of people. This is well above the national average of 27.7%.
Volunteering is very common, with 23.3% of people helping out, far above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care for others is also a little above the state average.
First Nations residents are far older than those in other areas, with a typical age of 32. They have a very low unemployment rate of 7.6%, which is well below the national figure.
A high number of people live alone, accounting for 32% of households, which is well above the national figure. This is consistent with the ageing population.
Homes here are typically large, with 81.3% having three or more bedrooms. They are much more affordable than most areas, with a typical weekly rent of just $190.
The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 60.3% of people driving to work. Only 0.3% of residents use public transport to commute.
The population is very stable, as only 28.8% of people have moved in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%.
The workforce is dominated by agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which employs 36.4% of people. Full-time employment is well above the national average at 66.2%.
The area's overall advantage score is 951, which is slightly below the national average. It is larger than about 50% of similar areas.
The local climate is drier than the state average, with annual rainfall of 460mm, which is a little below the New South Wales figure.
The area sees a much higher rate of motor vehicle theft and sexual offences than most areas. However, the theft rate is much lower than usual.
Most residents are car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.8, far below the state average. Many homes are far from public transport, parks, and shops.