Council (LGA) · Area profile
Collie
1,710 km²
Older adults and retirees are a prominent part of the community in Collie, where the typical resident is 44. This is noticeably older than the national figure, and the number of seniors has risen by 9.0 percentage points since 2011. The town is mostly made up of Australian-born residents, with a strong presence of separate houses and a declining population. It is a place where many people have lived for a long time, reflecting a stable but ageing regional character.
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The typical resident is 44, making the area noticeably older than the state and national average. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22.4% of the population, a figure that has risen significantly since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the town has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (11.4%) compared to the rest of the state. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for nearly 90% of the community. Only 2.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.
More than half of residents (51.9%) report having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average. This has seen a sharp increase of 22 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 30.1% of people completing Year 12. A bachelor degree or higher is held by just 5.8% of adults, far below the state average.
Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,234 a week. This is a decline of $105 since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.5% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are also more frequent, affecting 10.3% of the population.
Local residents are more likely to do unpaid housework than people in most other areas. Volunteering is also more common here than across Australia, though the rate has fallen slightly since 2011.
The First Nations community is notably young, with a typical age of 21. However, unemployment is much higher than average at 21.9%, and Year 12 completion is far below the national figure.
About 31.3% of people live alone, which is well above the state average. One-parent families are also more common here than in most other areas.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, with 93% of homes being detached. Many residents own their homes outright (40.7%), far exceeding the national figure.
The area is very car-dependent, with 66% of workers driving to work. Public transport is limited, and only 3.1% of people work from home, among the lowest in the country.
The community is very stable, with far fewer people moving in the last five years (29.3%) compared to the national average. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen sharply since 2011.
Unemployment is among the highest for its level at 7.9%. Many residents work in mining (17.8%) or as technicians and tradespeople, though the overall number of people working or looking for work has fallen since 2011.
The town ranks very low for overall advantage and job skills compared to other areas. It has a low access to money and resources, scoring 3 out of 10.
Collie is cooler than the state average, with a much lower typical minimum temperature of 9.0 degrees. It also receives far more rain than the Western Australian average.
The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.0. Very few homes are within a short walk of public transport or grocery stores compared to the state average.