Council (LGA) · Area profile
Wattle Range
3,926 km²
A far older population than the national average marks Wattle Range, where the typical resident is 48. This South Australian community is defined by its aging demographic, with a quarter of residents now aged 65 or over. It is a predominantly rural area where people live in large, detached homes and experience a much slower pace of life. The region is distinctive for its low levels of overseas migration and a strong trend toward having no religious affiliation.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The population is noticeably older than the rest of Australia, with the typical resident aged 48 and a significant 24.9% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown by 7.9 percentage points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (83.1%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born people than the state or national figures. English, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries after Australian.
English is the primary language for 90.3% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure, sitting at just 3.0%.
A majority of the population (52.2%) reports no religion, which is far above the national figure. This shift is striking, with the number of people claiming no religion rising by 21 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 36.9% of residents completing Year 12. The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is also far below the national average at 9.6%.
Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,180 a week. Only 10% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national average.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 34.6% of the population. This is consistent with the older age of the community, where 7.2% of people need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is well above the national average at 23.0%, although this has fallen since 2011. Unpaid care is also common, with a higher-than-usual proportion of people performing unpaid housework and care.
First Nations people make up 2.3% of the population. This group faces significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 20.7% and a typical personal income of $456, which is much lower than most areas.
About 31.9% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure. Most families are couples, with 49.3% having children and 36.5% without.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (91.9%) that are often large, with 82.9% having three or more bedrooms. A far-above-average 43.3% of homes are owned outright, and typical rents are far below the national figure.
The area is almost entirely dependent on cars, with only 0.1% of people commuting by public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, and very few people work from home compared to the national average.
The community is relatively stable, with a lower proportion of people moving in the last five years compared to the state or nation. Recent overseas arrivals are also far fewer than the national average.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 22.2% of the workforce. The percentage of adults working or looking for work is well below the national figure at 54.4%.
Wattle Range is ranked as having low overall advantage, scoring in the bottom 20% of areas. This is reflected in lower levels of job skills and limited access to money and resources.
The region is much cooler and wetter than the state average, with an average annual rainfall of 783mm and a much lower average maximum temperature of 18.9 degrees.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Most residents live far from public transport, groceries, and health services, though many are within walking distance of a park.