2535, NSW

The area is far older than most of Australia, with 36.7% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 7.4 points since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.0%, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia (79.0%), and the community has a strong English and Australian ancestry. The proportion of people born overseas is 15.2%, which is far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.

English is the primary language for 92.1% of the community. Only 2.7% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.

A larger share of the population identifies as having no religion (41.2%) compared to the national figure of 38.9%. This trend has grown significantly, rising 18 points since 2011.

Education levels are rising, with 24.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, up 7.5 points since 2011. However, the 48.7% who completed Year 12 is far below the New South Wales average of 58.9%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,384, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Despite this, 19.0% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, a figure that rose 13 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in other areas, affecting 35.6% of residents. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, with arthritis being the most reported condition.

Volunteerism is high, with 22.2% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. The area also has a much higher share of former Defence Force members (4.8%) than most other areas.

Households are smaller than usual, with only 2.2 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of people living alone (28.3%) and couples without children (44.9%).

Home ownership is very strong, with 55.0% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Most people live in separate houses (79.8%), though typical monthly mortgage payments are much higher than in most areas at $2,167.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute via public transport and the drive time to the city is very long at 100 minutes. However, working from home has become more common, rising to 23.5% since 2011.

The population is relatively stable, with recent arrivals from overseas at only 4.0%, which is far below the national figure of 14.5%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (46.8%) compared to the national average of 61.1%, likely due to the high number of retirees. Health care, construction, and education are the most common industries for those employed.

The community is quite advantaged, ranking higher than about 80% of similar areas for its access to money, resources, and job skills.

The area is only somewhat walkable, as many homes are far from essential services. For example, only 17.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 57.1%.