Council (LGA) · Area profile
Wellington
10,817 km²
Older residents have become a more prominent part of Wellington, where the typical person is now 44. The community has grown by 10% since 2011 and is marked by a high proportion of people who own their homes outright. It is a predominantly English-speaking area with a modest population of over 45,000 people. The region is largely car-dependent and characterized by spacious detached housing.
Wellington's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
Explore Wellington by topic
The population is noticeably older than the state and national figures, with 23.2% of residents aged 65 and over. This senior group has grown by 6.3 percentage points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (81.3%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the national average.
English is the dominant language, with only 3.9% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the national level.
People with no religion now make up 45.8% of the community, which is well above the national figure and represents a 20 percentage point increase since 2011.
Educational attainment is lower than the state and national figures, with only 38.8% of residents completing Year 12, though this rose 6.6 percentage points since 2011.
Typical incomes are well below the national average, including a typical household weekly income of $1,272.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.2% of people living with a long-term health condition.
Residents are more likely to provide unpaid care and do housework than those in most other areas, and 5.4% have served in the Defence Force.
First Nations people make up 2.0% of the population, with an unemployment rate of 13.9% which is well above the state average.
A high number of people live alone (30.3%), which is well above the national figure.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (91.7%), and 42.3% of homes are owned outright, far exceeding the national average.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.3% of people commuting by public transport.
Migration is steady, with 35.1% of people moving in the last five years, though recent overseas arrivals are well below the national average.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state average, with 11.5% of the workforce employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Wellington has 4,308 businesses and an overall advantage score that is smaller than about 58% of similar areas.
The region receives more rain than the state average, with 761mm of annual rainfall.
Rates of theft, burglary, and sexual offences are much higher than in most areas.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average and only 38.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of key amenities.