Bega - Tathra

The typical resident is 46, making the area far older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 24.5% of the population, a figure that rose 5.4 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 9.6% were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures. English and Irish are the most common ancestries after Australian.

English is the primary language for 89% of the community. Only 3.9% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average.

The area has seen a major shift toward secularism, with those reporting no religion rising 21 points since 2011 to reach 46.6%.

The area has a high number of schools per 1,000 children. However, only 44.3% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure.

Typical weekly household income is $1,276, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 8.5 points since 2011 to 12.1%.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 35% of people. Mental health conditions are also well above the state and national figures.

Residents are very active in their community, with 22.4% volunteering, which is well above the national figure. Unpaid care for others is also much higher than in most areas.

First Nations people make up a larger share of the population than in most areas. This group is noticeably younger than the general population, with a typical age of 20.

People are more likely to live alone here than in most areas, accounting for 31.3% of households. One-parent families also make up a higher share than the national average.

Homes are mostly separate houses, and 42.1% are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is $320, well below the national average.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.4% of people commuting by public transport. Very few people work from home compared to the rest of the state.

About 36% of residents moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas rose slightly to 8.8% since 2011.

The unemployment rate is 3.4%, which is a little below the national figure. Health care and social assistance is the largest employer in the area.

The area ranks lower than most similar regions for overall advantage, with a score of 3 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been lower than the state average.

The area receives 903mm of annual rainfall, which is far above the New South Wales average. Temperatures are generally a little lower than the state figure.

While the area has many walkable amenities per resident, overall walkability is well below the state average. Only about half of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.