2541, NSW

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 10% of the population, which is well above the national figure. The area has a high proportion of seniors, with 22% aged 65 and over, and about 19% of residents are children under 15.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the New South Wales average. English, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries after Australian.

English is the dominant language, with only 6.9% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the state and national averages. However, this has more than doubled since 2011.

People with no religion make up 41.3% of the community, which is a little above the national figure. This has risen sharply by 23 percentage points since 2011, though Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 46.3%.

Education levels are far below the national average, with only 13.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. While the number of people who completed Year 12 has risen since 2011, it remains much lower than in most other areas.

Typical weekly family income is $1,536, which is well below the national figure of $2,120. Only 10.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a rate much lower than most areas.

Health challenges are common here, with 36.9% of people living with a long-term health condition. This includes a high rate of mental health conditions at 13.8%, which is well above the national average.

The area has a very high proportion of Defence Force veterans at 7.2%, well above the state average. However, the volunteer rate has fallen since 2011 and is now much lower than in most similar areas.

One-parent families are very common at 21.1%, which is well above the national figure. There is also a higher than usual number of people living alone, accounting for 30.6% of households.

Detached houses are very common, and 77.6% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Renting is much more common here than in most areas, with 36.7% of households renting their home.

Most people drive to work, and the trip to the city is much longer than in most areas. While the area has many public transport stops, very few people actually use them to commute.

The population is quite mobile, with 40.3% of people having moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have also increased, now making up 12.8% of the population.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the national average, and the unemployment rate is slightly higher at 5.8%. Many residents work in health care and social assistance.

This area ranks low for overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10. This is driven by lower levels of income, education, and job skills compared to 80% of other similar areas.

While most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, the area is not very walkable for errands. Far fewer people can walk to groceries or health services compared to the state average.