Orange - North

The area has a strong First Nations presence at 7.4%, which is well above the national figure and has risen since 2011. It is noticeably younger than both New South Wales and Australia, with a typical age of 34.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 11.3% of the population, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 87% of the community. Only 8.4% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the state and national averages.

Christianity is the most common faith at 58.8%. The proportion of people reporting no religion has risen sharply since 2011 to reach 32.2%.

About 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is well below the national figure. However, Year 12 completion has risen by 9.6 points since 2011 to reach 52%.

Typical weekly household income is $2,002, which is a little above the national figure. This is a prosperous area, with 25% of households earning $3,000 or more per week, a 14 point increase since 2011.

Mental health conditions are reported by 10.8% of residents, which is much higher than most similar areas. About 29.6% of people live with a long-term health condition.

The community is very active in childcare, with 33.5% of people providing unpaid care for children—well above the national figure. About 15.6% of residents are volunteers.

First Nations people in the area are noticeably younger than those in the state, with a typical age of 20. The unemployment rate for this group is 8.2%, which is well below the national figure.

Families with children make up 60.7% of households, which helps explain why there are more people per home (2.7) than is typical across Australia.

Separate houses are very common here, making up 90.2% of all homes. Large homes are the norm, with 88.2% having three or more bedrooms, far above the state average.

Cars are essential for most, as 69.6% of people drive to work and only 0.4% use public transport. Very few homes (3.8%) are without a motor vehicle.

The area is seeing significant movement, with 46.5% of residents having moved in the last five years, well above the national average.

Job prospects are strong, with a much higher percentage of people working or looking for work (67.5%) and a low unemployment rate of 3.1%.

The area sits above the national average for overall advantage, scoring 1,005. It is home to 1,494 businesses, which is more than 77% of similar areas.

The climate is notably cooler than the state average, with an average minimum temperature of 6.3 degrees. Annual rainfall is also far higher than the NSW average.

While most homes are within a short walk of public transport, the area is generally less walkable than the state average, particularly for accessing groceries and health services.