Far West

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 29% of the population, a figure far above the national average of 3.2%. The community is aging, with the typical resident now 43 and the proportion of seniors rising 7.3 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 4% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. This lack of recent international migration is reflected in the very low number of people born outside Australia.

English is the dominant language, with only 1.6% of people using another tongue at home. This is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%, and very few residents speak little or no English.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 43.4%, though the number of people reporting no religion rose 19 points since 2011 to reach 36.9%.

Education levels are much lower than the state average, with only 26.8% of residents completing Year 12. Only 9.3% hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%.

Weekly personal income is much lower than most areas, with the typical resident earning $583. This is well below the national figure of $805, and only 11.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are slightly less common here than in the rest of the state. Only 6% of residents report a mental health condition, which is much lower than most areas.

Volunteering is much more common here than in other areas, with 18.8% of people pitching in. However, the number of people providing unpaid care or looking after children has fallen since 2011.

First Nations residents face significant challenges, with a median personal income of $437 and an unemployment rate of 14.9%, which is well above the national average.

Living arrangements are distinctive, as 36.7% of people live alone and one-parent families are far more common here than across Australia.

Housing is very affordable, with typical weekly rents at just $150. A high 42.4% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%.

The area is almost entirely car-dependent; no one uses public transport to commute to work. While 12.6% of homes have no vehicle, 30.9% of the workforce now works from home.

The population is very stable, with far fewer people moving in the last five years compared to the rest of the state. Recent arrivals from overseas have also fallen sharply since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing employ 43.9% of the workforce, which helps explain the high rate of full-time employment at 73.1%.

The region experiences severe disadvantage, ranking at the lowest level for access to money and resources compared to other similar areas.

The climate is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 27.5 degrees and annual rainfall far below the state average.

Most residents rely on cars, as the walkability score is far below the state average. Only 43.6% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.