Remote Australia

This is a young community where the typical resident is 36, and children under 15 make up 22.2% of the population, which is well above the national figure. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 11.9% of the population, a much higher share than in most other areas.

Most residents were born in Australia (70.1%), though 16.0% were born overseas, which is higher than most similar areas but far below the national average. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, each accounting for over 34% of the population.

English is the primary language for 76.5% of people, and only 0.6% speak little or no English, which is lower than the national figure. The proportion of people using another language at home rose to 9.2% since 2011.

People with no religion make up 45.7% of the population, which is well above the national average. This figure has risen sharply by 19 percentage points since 2011.

While 45.9% of residents completed Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%. However, the area has a higher share of bachelor degrees (14.2%) than most similar areas, with engineering and management as the most common qualifications.

Incomes are notably high, with typical weekly household earnings of $2,144, which is a little above the national figure. This trend is clear in the personal income, where 19.0% of people earn $2,000 or more a week, a much higher share than in most other areas.

Residents are generally healthier than the national average, with only 20.7% reporting a long-term health condition. Similarly, only 2.9% of people need help with daily activities, which is much lower than most other areas.

Volunteerism is very high at 21.0%, well above the national figure of 14.1%. This strong community participation is also seen in the 27.6% of people who provide unpaid childcare, which is higher than most areas.

First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, with 16.7% speaking a First Nations language. Typical household income for First Nations residents is $1,740, which is a little above the national figure.

Families tend to be larger here, with an average of 2.5 people per home. Couples with children make up 59.9% of households, while 26.7% of people live alone.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (82.3%) and large homes, with 78.0% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is much more common here than nationally, with 43.7% of households renting, though the typical weekly rent of $250 is well below the national figure.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as 63.8% of people drive to work and only 1.6% use public transport. Very few people work from home (7.2%), which is far below the national average.

The population is quite mobile, with 43.1% of people moving in the last five years, a little above the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.7% of the population, down 12 points since 2011.

Employment is strong, with 67.7% of people working full-time, which is well above the national average. The workforce is concentrated in mining (13.2%) and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (12.5%).

Most of the area is car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.4. While many homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, only 23.8% are within that distance of health services.