Council (LGA) · Area profile
Copper Coast
773 km²
Lower typical incomes mark the Copper Coast, where the usual household earns $997 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. This is a significantly older community, with a typical resident aged 54 and over a third of the population aged 65 or more. The area is largely residential and non-diverse, with a high proportion of people owning their homes outright. Since 2011, the population has grown by 16% to 15,050 people.
A fast-growing area where schools haven't kept pace per child.
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The population is far older than the state and national averages, with seniors making up 32.7% of the community. This shift is evident in the trend since 2011, as the typical age rose by 7 years to 54.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born people (9.6%) than the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 90.9% of the community. Only 2.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half of the population (49.2%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This represents a significant shift from 2011, when the figure was 29.3%.
Educational qualifications are much lower than most areas, with only 8.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 31.6% of residents completed Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Weekly incomes are far below the national average, with typical personal income at $551. Just 7.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this has risen since 2011.
Health challenges are common here, as 40.3% of people have a long-term health condition. This is far above the national average, and 8.9% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteerism is higher than the national average at 20.0%, although this fell since 2011. A higher than usual proportion of residents also provide unpaid care.
First Nations people make up 3.5% of the population, with a typical age of 22. Unemployment is much higher than most areas at 16.7%, and typical personal income is $440.
Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.2 people per household. People living alone are more common than in most areas, accounting for 31.1% of homes.
Separate houses are very common at 92.2%, and a far higher proportion of people own their homes outright (44.9%) compared to the national figure of 31.0%.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 67.9% of people driving to work. Public transport use is very low, and only 0.4% of people commute using it.
Migration is relatively stable, with 35.4% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are far fewer than in most other areas at 4.0%.
Only 44.6% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is 7.3%, which is higher than most areas.
The area ranks low for overall advantage and job skills. However, recent population growth of 8.2% since 2021 is much higher than the state average.
The local climate is drier than other parts of the state, with average annual rainfall of 333mm. Minimum temperatures are also lower than the state average.
Most of the area is car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.4. Only 32.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.