Cobar

The community is younger than average, with a typical resident aged 37 and 20.2% of the population being children. Notably, 15.3% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a figure far above the national average.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 7.3% were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 80.9% of the community. Only 4.4% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average.

Over half of the population identifies as Christian, while 27.6% report no religion. This last figure has risen by 14 points since 2011, though it remains well below the national figure.

The area has a low rate of university qualifications, with only 9.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Certificate III or IV qualifications are most common at 37.6%.

Typical personal weekly income is $880, which is higher than most similar areas. Weekly family income is also high at $2,232, consistent with a high proportion of full-time work.

About 26.6% of people have a long-term health condition, which is around the middle for its level. Only 6.7% of residents have a mental health condition, a figure much lower than most areas.

Volunteering is around the middle for its level at 14.0%. However, the proportion of people providing unpaid care is much lower than in most similar areas.

There are 631 First Nations people in the area. The typical age is 27, which is noticeably older than the state and national figures, and Year 12 completion is far below the national average.

The area has a high number of people living alone at 33.4%. One-parent families are also slightly more common than in most other areas.

Most people live in separate houses, with 90.2% of homes being detached. Rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $190, which is far below the national figure.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.8% of people commute by public transport. Public transport stops are far fewer than in other parts of the state.

The population has become more stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years compared to 2011. However, recent arrivals from overseas are much higher than in most similar areas.

Mining is the dominant industry, employing 30.7% of the workforce, followed by agriculture and forestry. The unemployment rate is 3.6%, which is much lower than most areas.

Overall advantage is low, with a score of 3 out of 10. This is linked to low education and job skills scores, despite the relatively high typical incomes.

Cobar is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 26.2 degrees and annual rainfall that is among the lowest for its level.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.4. Only 34.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average.