Coonamble

About 32.6% of the population are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a figure far above the national average. The community is relatively young, with 21.9% being children under 15, while the typical resident is 38 years old.

The area has a very low proportion of overseas-born residents at 3.2%, which is far below the New South Wales figure. Most people identify as Australian or English, with very few residents born outside of Australia.

English is the primary language for the vast majority of the community. Only 2.1% of people use another language at home, and the proportion of people who speak little or no English is among the lowest in the state.

Christianity is the most common faith at 63.2%. While the number of people with no religion rose 13 points since 2011 to reach 21.4%, this is still far below the national figure.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 34.1% of residents completing Year 12. This is reflected in the fact that just 10.6% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,261 a week. Only 11.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, though this rose 7.6 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.1% of people. About 6.8% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the state average.

Volunteering is much more common here than elsewhere, with 18.4% of people participating. However, the number of people doing 15 or more hours of unpaid housework fell 5.7 points since 2011.

First Nations residents face significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 15.3% and a typical household income of $1,098, both of which are well below state and national figures.

One-parent families are very common at 24.4%, far above the national average. A high number of people also live alone, accounting for 31.4% of households.

The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 93.6% of homes. Rents are very low compared to the rest of the state, with a typical weekly rent of $190.

The community is almost entirely car-dependent, as only 0.2% of people commute by public transport. This is consistent with the very low number of public transport stops available per person.

While few people have moved in the last five years, there has been a notable increase in recent arrivals from overseas, which rose 8 points since 2011 to 23%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main industries, employing 29.5% of the workforce. Full-time employment is much higher than most areas, though the overall rate of people working or looking for work is well below the state average.

The area is ranked as very disadvantaged, scoring 1 out of 10 for overall advantage compared to all other areas. Population growth since 2021 has been much lower than the state average.

Coonamble experiences high temperatures, with an average maximum of 27.0 degrees, which is much higher than most areas. Annual rainfall is relatively low at 549mm.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 28.3% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.