Goulburn Surrounds

Seniors aged 65 and over make up 23.4% of the population, which is well above the national figure. While the number of children has fallen slightly since 2016, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 3.7%.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian or British in origin, with 81.7% born in Australia. Only 9.3% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average.

English is the primary language for 88.2% of the community. Only 3.5% of people use another language at home, and very few residents—just 0.3%—speak little or no English.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 59.8%. The proportion of people reporting no religion has risen by 9.5 percentage points since 2016 to reach 28.8%, though this is still well below the state average.

Education levels are lower than in most areas, with only 14.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree. While Year 12 completion rose to 40.7% since 2016, it remains far below the national figure.

Typical weekly household income is $1,516, which is a little below the national figure. Higher earners are becoming more common, with the share of households earning over $3,000 a week rising by 8.1 percentage points since 2016.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33.3% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 13.6% of the population.

Residents are highly active in their community, with 18.9% volunteering and 13.8% providing unpaid care, both of which are much higher than in most areas. A higher-than-average 3.5% of people have served in the Defence Force.

The First Nations community is relatively prosperous compared to other areas, with an unemployment rate of only 3.6%, which is well below the national figure. Household income for First Nations families is also well above the state and national averages.

Most households consist of couples, with 53% having children and 36.4% without. One-parent families are much less common here than in most other areas, making up only 10.1% of households.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 97.8% of dwellings. Home ownership is very high, with 48.5% of homes owned outright, and only 12.6% of the population renting.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.2% of people commuting by public transport. Almost every home has a vehicle, and 38.8% of households own two.

The population is very stable; only 30% of people moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are also among the lowest for its level at 3.7%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are major employers, making up 18.5% of jobs. The unemployment rate is low at 3.3%, which is a little below the national figure.

The area has a high number of businesses, with 2,109 total, ranking it higher than 90% of similar areas. Overall, residents have a moderate level of advantage and access to resources.

The climate is notably cooler than the state average, with an average minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees. Rainfall is also much higher than the New South Wales average, at 939mm annually.

The area is highly car-dependent, with a very low walkability score of 1.4. Only 18.3% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities, far below the state average.