Council (LGA) · Area profile
Barkly
322,710 km²
A very high proportion of First Nations people live in Barkly, where 66.6% of the population identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This is a remarkably young community, with a typical resident aged just 30 and a high number of children under 15. The area is sparsely populated across a massive land area, with a population that shrank by 7.4% since 2011. These factors combine to create a distinct regional community where traditional languages and large family households are common.
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The community is far younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 24.8% of the population. Only 7.2% of residents are seniors, which is far below the Australian average of 17.2%.
Most people were born in Australia, and the area has a lower proportion of overseas-born residents than the state and national figures. English and Australian are the most common ancestries reported.
Half of the population uses a language other than English at home, a figure far above the national average of 22.3%. This trend has risen by 7.0 percentage points since 2011.
Christianity is the most common religion at 53.2%. Those reporting no religion make up 30.2% of the community, which is well below the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 28.7% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Typical weekly family income is $1,035, which is far below the national figure of $2,120. Personal incomes are also very low, with 51.4% of people earning under $650 a week.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than the national average, with only 18.3% having one. Mental health conditions are also among the lowest at this level at 2.8%.
Unpaid care for children is very common, with 37.8% of people providing this support, well above the national figure. However, volunteering is much lower than most areas at 9.1%.
First Nations people make up a huge part of the community, and 65.6% speak a First Nations language. Unemployment is well above the national average at 28.0%.
Homes are typically large, with 3.2 people per household. One-parent families are far more common here than in the rest of Australia, accounting for 27.4% of households.
Renting is very common at 59.6%, far above the national figure. Weekly rent is among the lowest in the country at just $115.
Many homes lack a motor vehicle, with 34.0% having none, which is far above the national figure. Over a quarter of the workforce walks to their jobs.
Recent arrivals from overseas make up 25.7% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 14.5%.
A high proportion of the workforce is employed full-time at 73.4%. However, only 45.6% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the national figure of 61.1%.
Barkly is among the most disadvantaged areas in the country, ranking 1 out of 10 for overall advantage and access to resources.
The area is very hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 34.9 degrees and annual rainfall of 384mm.
The area is somewhat walkable, with many homes within a 15-minute walk of schools and health services. However, there is no public transport available within the area.