Carnamah

The population is far older than the state and national typical age of 38. This shift is clear in the data, as the proportion of seniors rose 9.1 points since 2011, while the number of children fell significantly over the same period.

Most residents were born in Australia, though 14.3% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English, Scottish, and Irish ancestries are the most common backgrounds after Australian.

English is the dominant language here, with only 3.6% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%, and there are no residents who speak little or no English.

About 43.8% of residents identify as Christian, while 39.7% report no religion. The number of people with no religion has risen by 20 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 8.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure of 26.3%, and only 38.4% of residents completed Year 12.

Typical weekly household income is $1,234, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While incomes have risen since 2011, the proportion of households earning over $3,000 a week remains far below the national average.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.3% of residents. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, with arthritis and mental health being the most reported conditions.

Local spirit is very high, with 28.5% of people volunteering, which is far above the national rate of 14.1%. A higher number of residents have also served in the Defence Force compared to most areas.

There are 22 First Nations people in the community, and they are far older than the national typical age of 24. A high 22.7% speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure.

Homes tend to be small, with only 2.0 people per home. This is well below the national average of 2.5, partly because 38.4% of people live alone, a figure far above the national average.

The town is dominated by separate houses, and 45.2% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Rent and mortgage payments are also much lower than in most other areas.

Cars are essential here, as only 2.4% of homes have no motor vehicle. While public transport stops are relatively high for the population size, only 2% of people use it to get to work.

About 34.6% of residents moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas since 2016.

The workforce is heavily tied to the land, with 25% of people working in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Full-time employment is much higher here than in most areas, though the unemployment rate has risen since 2011.

The town has 110 businesses and an overall advantage score of 937, which is lower than the national average. Population growth since 2021 has been modest at 4.4%.

The area receives 389mm of annual rainfall, which is far above the Western Australian average. The average maximum temperature of 27.1°C is slightly lower than the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.4. Residents have very limited access to health services within a 15-minute walk, and access to groceries is far below the state average.