Young Surrounds

The area is far older than the national figure, with 26% of people aged 65 or over. It also has a First Nations population of 5.2%, which is much higher than most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people at 6.6%. Australian, English, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language here, with only 2.9% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure, and very few people speak little or no English.

Christianity remains common at 64.2%, though the number of people reporting no religion rose 10 points since 2016 to reach 24.5%.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 12.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 36.6% completing Year 12. Many residents hold Certificate III or IV qualifications.

Incomes are well below the state and national figures, with a typical household earning $1,169 a week. Only 11% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is much lower than most areas.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 34.2% of people. Arthritis and asthma are the most reported conditions.

Volunteering is much higher than the national figure at 19.9%, although this fell since 2016. Unpaid care for others is also more common than in most areas.

There are 401 First Nations people in the area. This group is noticeably older than the state average with a typical age of 29, and they face significant gaps in school completion and income.

Living alone is much more common here than in most areas, with 31.1% of households consisting of one person. This helps explain why the typical home has only 2.3 people.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, making up 95.2% of all homes. Home ownership is very high, with 47.7% of properties owned outright, and typical rents are much lower than the national figure at $220 a week.

The community is almost entirely car-dependent, with 61.4% of workers driving to work and only 0.1% using public transport. Very few homes are without a motor vehicle.

The population is very stable, with one of the lowest rates of people moving in the last five years (27.4%). Recent arrivals from overseas are also well below the national average.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 31.1% of the workforce. Full-time employment is slightly higher than the national figure, and unemployment is lower than the state average at 3.8%.

The area ranks lower than most similar regions for overall advantage and job skills. Population growth has also been well below the state average since 2021.

The climate is characterized by higher rainfall than the New South Wales average and minimum temperatures that are among the lowest in the state.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 33.9% of homes have basic amenities within a 15-minute walk.