Council (LGA) · Area profile
Plantagenet
4,877 km²
Most people in Plantagenet rely on their cars to get around a landscape of detached houses and open space. This is a far older community than the national average, with a typical resident aged 48 and nearly a quarter of the population being seniors. It has grown by 10% since 2011, attracting a population that is increasingly likely to report no religion. The area's character is shaped by a strong presence of retirees and a workforce heavily involved in agriculture.
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The population is significantly older than most areas, with the typical age at 48 and 24% of residents aged 65 and over. While children under 15 make up 16.6% of the community, this figure has fallen by 2.9 points since 2011.
English and Australian ancestries are the most common, though 19.2% of residents were born overseas. This is far below the Western Australian figure of 32.2%.
English is the primary language for 82.1% of the community. Only 6.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half the population (47.8%) reports having no religion, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen by 17 points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than the state and national figures, with 41% of residents completing Year 12 and 12.1% holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are much lower than in most other areas; the typical weekly household income is $1,181, which is well below the state figure of $1,815.
Health challenges are more common here, as 32.1% of people have a long-term health condition and 6.6% need help with daily activities.
Volunteerism is very high at 24.8%, far above the national figure of 14.1%. Additionally, 13.1% of people provide unpaid care, which is a little above the state average.
First Nations people make up a small part of the community, with a typical age of 26 and an unemployment rate of 6.6%, which is well below the state average.
Families with children make up 49.1% of households. About 27.5% of residents live alone, a figure that has risen by 3.5 points since 2011.
Detached houses dominate the landscape at 96.9%, and home ownership is very high, with 44.7% of homes owned outright.
Car dependence is nearly total, with 60% of people driving to work and only 0.5% using public transport. Only 2.2% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The community is relatively stable, as only 30.7% of people moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest industry at 25.8%. Only 53.4% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state average.
The area has an overall advantage score of 929, which is lower than the national average and places it below about 68% of similar areas.
Plantagenet is cooler and wetter than much of the state, with an average maximum temperature of 21.2°C and annual rainfall of 672mm.
The area is highly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.9. Only 20% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.