6511, WA

The area is far older than most of Australia, with a typical age of 55 and a senior population that rose to 32.7% since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 11.7%, which is well below the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those with European roots are common, with English and Australian ancestries being the most frequent. About 15.4% of people were born overseas, which is far below the state and national averages.

English is the primary language for 87.9% of the community. Only 4.4% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the Western Australian average of 18.4%.

A large portion of the community reports no religion, at 44.6%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 22 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 32.3% of residents having completed Year 12. Only 7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national average of 26.3%.

Incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,044 a week. Only 11.3% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, though this has risen since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 35% of residents. Arthritis and mental health are the most frequently reported conditions.

Volunteering is very high at 29.6%, far above the national figure of 14.1%. The area also has a higher number of former Defence Force members than most other places.

Living arrangements are small, with only 2.0 people per home. Many residents live alone (36.9%), which is far above the national average and consistent with the older age of the population.

Home ownership is very strong, with 54.9% of homes owned outright—far above the national figure of 31%. Most residents live in separate houses, and 83.1% of these homes have three or more bedrooms.

Almost every home has a motor vehicle, as only 1.6% of households have none. Commuting is dominated by cars, and the drive time to the city is much higher than in most areas.

The community is relatively stable, with 29.4% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the rest of the state. Jobs are primarily in agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as accommodation and food services.

The area ranks low for overall advantage, particularly in education and job skills, where it is lower than about 90% of similar areas.

Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, school, or health service, but no one can walk to a grocery store within 15 minutes.