5577, SA

The area is far older than the national figure, with 27.7% of residents aged 65 or over. Children under 15 make up only 12.9% of the population, a figure well below the Australian average. Meanwhile, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population rose to 3.5% in 2021.

Most residents were born in Australia (80.3%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure at just 9.1%. English, Scottish, and German are the most common ancestries after Australian.

English is the primary language for 87.8% of the community. Only 2.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average, and no one in the area reported speaking little or no English.

A majority of residents (51.9%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This trend has grown significantly, rising 22 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most other areas, with only 33.5% of residents completing Year 12. Only 6.8% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, though this has risen slightly since 2011.

Typical weekly household incomes are far below the national figure, sitting at $968. Only 7.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is well below the South Australian average.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 34.8% of people. This is consistent with the older population, as 7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is slightly above the national figure.

Volunteering is much more common here than across Australia, with 24% of people pitching in. Unpaid care is also more frequent, with 15% of residents providing support to others.

Small households are the norm, and 39.2% of people live alone, which is far above the national figure. On average, there are only 2.0 people per home.

The area is dominated by separate houses (97.9%), and over half of all homes (50.4%) are owned outright. Rents are much lower than the national average, with a typical weekly rent of just $160.

The community is almost entirely dependent on cars, as 0.0% of people commute using public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, with 36.9% owning two and 15.7% owning three.

The population is relatively stable, with only 24.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national average. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main industries, employing 31.9% of the workforce. Only 50.9% of adults are working or looking for work, and the unemployment rate is 7.5%, which is slightly above the national figure.

The area ranks among the lowest for overall advantage and job skills. It sits in the bottom 20% of areas nationwide for its overall advantage score of 911.

The overall crime rate is higher than in most areas, and the number of recorded offences has risen by 85.7% over the last five years. Theft and assault are the most common offence types.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.2, far below the state average. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services or groceries.