2420, NSW

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 8.1% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is ageing rapidly, with people aged 65 and over rising to 27.3% since 2011.

The area is overwhelmingly Australian born, with only 5.3% of people born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%. Those with overseas heritage most commonly cite English, Irish, or Scottish ancestry.

English is the primary language for 94.3% of the population. Very few people use another language at home (0.8%), and no one reported speaking little or no English, both of which are far below national figures.

Christianity is the most common faith at 57.6%. Those reporting no religion make up 34.7% of the population, a figure that has risen by 20 points since 2011.

Typical schooling levels are lower than most areas, with only 36.1% of residents completing Year 12. However, the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher has risen to 15.3% since 2011.

Weekly incomes are well below the national average, with the typical household earning $1,235. Only 12.3% of homes earn $3,000 or more per week, though this has risen by 7.4 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 36.3% of people. This is reflected in the 7.2% of residents who need help with daily activities, which is higher than the national average.

Local residents are more likely to volunteer (20.2%) and provide unpaid care (14.3%) than people in most other areas. A higher proportion of the community has also served in the Defence Force.

Homes are smaller than average with 2.3 people per dwelling. About 30.3% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

The area is dominated by separate houses (95.4%), with 44.4% owned outright—far above the national average of 31%. Typical weekly rent is $300, which is well below the national figure of $375.

Car dependence is high, with 57.7% of people driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. The drive to the city is very long, taking typically 150 minutes.

The population is stable, with only 30.4% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen to 1.9%.

About 53.2% of adults are working or looking for work, which is lower than the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, followed by construction and agriculture.

The area's overall advantage score is 944, which is lower than about 68% of similar areas. It ranks particularly low for education and job skills.

Walkability is very low, with a score of 2.8, meaning most residents rely on cars. Only 28.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average of 67.7%.