6043, WA

The area is far older than most, with the typical age rising 10 years since 2011 to 59. This shift is clear in the age structure, as children under 15 now make up just 4.3% of the population, far below the national figure of 18.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia (73.0%), and English is the most common ancestry at 43.3%. The proportion of people born overseas is 15.9%, which is far below the Western Australian figure of 32.2%.

English is the primary language for 85% of the community. While those using another language at home rose slightly to 6.0% since 2011, this is still far below the national average of 22.3%.

About half the population identifies as Christian, while 38.6% report no religion. The share of people with no religion rose by 10 points since 2011, bringing it in line with the national figure.

Education levels are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 29.2% of residents completing Year 12. Those with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 7.2% since 2011, though this remains far below the national figure of 26.3%.

Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than most areas at $1,136, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 6.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in other areas, affecting 34.8% of residents. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 12.4%.

Volunteering is very high here, with 29.4% of people helping out, far above the national figure of 14.1%. Additionally, 5% of the population served in the Defence Force, which is higher than most areas.

The community is largely made up of small households, with 38.3% of people living alone. This is far above the state average and helps explain why there are only 1.7 people per home on average.

Home ownership is very high, with 48.7% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Renting is much less common here than in most areas, at just 13.9%.

The area is entirely car-dependent, with no one using public transport to commute and every single home owning at least one motor vehicle. The drive time to the city is very high at 93 minutes.

The population is relatively stable, as the share of people who moved in the last five years fell to 28.4% since 2011. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 10.8% of the community.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to most areas, at 45.2%. The local workforce is led by those in agriculture, forestry and fishing, who make up 21.1% of employees.

The area ranks low for overall advantage and education and job skills, though it sits in the middle for access to money and resources.

While most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park or groceries, the area is mostly car-dependent. There are no schools or health services within a 15-minute walk.