Council (LGA) · Area profile
Robe
1,092 km²
Nearly half of all homes in Robe are owned outright, reflecting a stable and mature community. The area is far older than the state and national averages, with a typical resident aged 52 and a large proportion of seniors. This maturity is seen in the housing and lifestyle, where large detached homes are the norm and many residents are retirees. It is a peaceful, predominantly English-speaking town with a strong culture of volunteering and a high level of overall advantage.
Modest local incomes, but the area's schools serve a more advantaged intake.
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Robe is a far older community than most, with the typical resident aged 52 and 28.6% of people aged 65 or over. The population grew by 10% since 2011, though the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 13.6%, which is well below the national figure.
The community is largely born in Australia, with only 9.6% born overseas, a figure far below the national average. English, Australian, and Scottish are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the primary language here, with only 2.9% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A majority of residents—51.3%—report no religion, a figure that is far above the national average and has risen significantly since 2011.
While 45.7% of residents have completed Year 12, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 13.9%, which is far below the national figure.
Typical weekly household income is $1,220, which is well below the national figure. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose from 1.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2021.
The area reports a long-term health condition rate of 29.2%, which is about the same as the national average. Those needing help with daily activities are much lower than in most similar areas at 3.8%.
Volunteering is very common here, with 33.2% of people volunteering—far above the national figure of 14.1%. This strong civic engagement is alongside a high rate of people performing unpaid housework.
First Nations people make up a small part of the community, with only 12 people identified. The typical age for this group is 44, which is far older than the national figure of 24.
Homes tend to be smaller in occupancy, with a typical 2.2 people per home. About 30.3% of people live alone, which is well above the national average.
The town is dominated by separate houses (96.2%) and large homes, with 85.2% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is less common here than elsewhere, with only 20.6% of households renting.
Cars are essential for travel, as 0.0% of people use public transport to commute. This is reflected in the fact that 43.1% of homes have two vehicles.
The area has seen significant movement, with 42.1% of people moving in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas have fallen to 7.4%.
The local economy relies heavily on agriculture, forestry and fishing (18.5%) and accommodation and food (16.9%). The unemployment rate is very low at 2.1%, well below the national figure.
Robe is a relatively advantaged area, scoring 8 out of 10 for overall advantage, which is higher than about 80% of similar areas.
The climate is milder than the state average, with a maximum temperature of 19.1 degrees and annual rainfall that is far above the South Australian average.
The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.3. While many people live near a park, none of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services.