2834, NSW

About 20.1% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is aging rapidly; the typical resident is 53, and nearly 30% of people are seniors, a figure that has risen 6.6 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 15.1% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. Common ancestries include Australian and English, followed by Irish and Scottish.

English is the primary tongue for 70.1% of the community. While 8.9% of people use another language at home, this is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 39.4%. A significant 36.1% of residents report no religion, a figure that has risen by 17 points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than most areas, with only 27.9% of residents completing Year 12, compared to 58.8% nationally. Only 8.0% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household income is just $793, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 5.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, placing the area among the lowest for income.

Health needs are high here, with 10.2% of people needing help with daily activities—well above the national average of 5.8%. Long-term health conditions affect 34.9% of the population, most commonly arthritis.

Unpaid care for others is common at 13.8%, though the rate of people caring for children is far below the national figure. Volunteers make up 15.0% of the community, down 6.3 points since 2011.

Living arrangements are distinctive, with 44.1% of people living alone and 24.6% of families being one-parent households, both of which are far above national levels. Small households are the norm, with only 2.0 people per home.

Nearly half of all homes (49.1%) are owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Rents and mortgage payments are also much lower than usual, with typical weekly rent at just $195.

Most people rely on cars to get to work, and very few (0.7%) use public transport. Only 9.2% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure of 21.0%.

The population is relatively stable, with only 27.8% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals make up 8.7% of the community.

Job market challenges are evident, with a 10.8% unemployment rate that is well above the national figure of 5.1%. Only 37.3% of adults are working or looking for work.

The area faces severe disadvantage, ranking in the lowest 10% of all areas for access to money, resources, and job skills.

The area is somewhat walkable, with 82.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services, far above the state average. However, only 40.4% of homes are within 10 minutes of public transport.