Forbes

The population is noticeably older than the national average, with the typical resident being 43. A high proportion of seniors live here, as people aged 65 and over make up 23.6% of the community.

The area is very homogenous, with 85.8% of people born in Australia. Only 4.4% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.

English is the dominant language, spoken by 88.9% of the community. Very few people speak another language at home (2.1%), and almost everyone speaks English well.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 64.2%. While the number of people with no religion rose 15 points since 2011 to reach 25.2%, this is still far below the national figure.

The community has a lower level of formal qualifications, with only 12% of adults holding a bachelor degree. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 36.8%, though this has risen since 2011.

Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than the national figure, sitting at $1,257. Only 13.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is well below the state average.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 32.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 12%.

Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, with 18.6% of people giving their time. This is well above the national figure of 14.1%.

Forbes has a large First Nations community of 1,300 people. While the unemployment rate for this group is lower than the national average at 7.7%, Year 12 completion is much lower than most areas.

Single-person households are very common, making up 31.1% of the total. One-parent families are also much more frequent here than in most similar areas.

Most people live in separate houses, and 38.6% own their home outright. Both typical weekly rents ($230) and monthly mortgage payments ($1,257) are far below the state average.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, with 67% of people driving to work. Public transport use is very low, and only 0.4% of residents commute by bus or train.

The population is quite stable, as 31.8% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. However, recent arrivals from overseas have remained steady at 15.3%.

Full-time employment is much higher here than in most areas, at 63.4%. Many residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, or health and social assistance.

The town has a relatively low overall advantage score of 940. Recent population growth has been very low, falling 0.7% since 2021, which is well below the state trend.

The climate is characterized by an average annual rainfall of 641mm, which is a little above the state average. Minimum temperatures are typically lower than the state figure.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 4.0. Many homes are far from basic services, as only 38% are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.