Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Parkes
235 km²
A significant First Nations population sets Parkes apart, with 12.7% of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This community is largely Australian-born and English-speaking, with a population that has remained steady at around 10,919 people. While it has a high number of children and seniors, the area faces challenges with lower typical incomes and higher rates of long-term health conditions compared to the rest of the state. It is a predominantly residential hub of detached houses in regional New South Wales.
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The community is diverse in age, with a high proportion of children under 15 (20.6%) and seniors aged 65 and over (20.1%). The First Nations population is among the highest for its level, rising 5.3 percentage points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (86.7%), and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born residents at 6.0%, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the primary language for 89.6% of the community. Only 3.9% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
Christianity is the most common faith at 62.9%, though the number of people reporting no religion has risen 18 percentage points since 2011 to reach 28.0%.
Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen 8.2 percentage points since 2011 to 37.7%.
Typical weekly household incomes are well below the national figure, sitting at $1,389. There has been an increase in higher earners, with the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week rising 9.5 percentage points since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.7% of people living with a long-term health condition and 10.8% experiencing a mental health condition.
Volunteering is more common than in most areas at 16.2%, though this has fallen since 2011. A little more than a quarter of people (27.8%) provide unpaid care for children.
The First Nations community is larger than in most similar areas and is notably younger, with a typical age of 21. Unemployment is slightly higher than the national rate at 12.4%.
Living arrangements are distinctive, with a high number of people living alone (30.8%) and a much higher share of one-parent families (18.7%) than the state average.
Most people live in detached houses (88.0%), and typical costs are much lower than elsewhere, with weekly rents averaging $260 and monthly mortgage payments averaging $1,300.
Cars are essential for most, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Very few people work from home (7.7%), which is far below the national figure of 21.0%.
About 36.7% of residents moved in the last five years, a rate slightly below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.5% of the population.
Full-time employment is much higher than most areas at 63.8%. The most common industries for local workers are health care, retail, and mining.
The area ranks low for overall advantage and access to resources, with an overall advantage score of 918, which is lower than about 83% of similar areas.
The region is wetter than the state average, with annual rainfall of 693mm, while minimum temperatures are much lower than in most areas.
The area is somewhat walkable, but access to essentials is limited; fewer than half of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (47.4%) or health services (46.2%).