Dubbo Surrounds

The community has a significant First Nations population at 8.4%, which is well above the national figure and has risen since 2011. Children under 15 make up 21.1% of the population, which is higher than in most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people at 3.9%, far below the state and national figures.

English is the primary language for almost everyone, with only 0.9% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the New South Wales average.

Christianity is the most common faith at 64.2%, though the number of people reporting no religion has risen 13 points since 2011 to reach 25.1%.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 39.9% of residents completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical weekly household incomes are a little above the national figure at $1,952, and the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen 15 points since 2011.

Residents are slightly more likely to have a long-term health condition than the national average, though the proportion needing help with daily activities is much lower than most areas.

Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas at 19.1%, and there are higher rates of people providing unpaid care and doing housework compared to the state average.

First Nations households earn more than the national typical income, and the unemployment rate for this group is 6.7%, which is well below the national figure.

Homes are larger than usual, with a typical 2.8 people per household, and a very low 17.1% of people living alone compared to the national average.

Housing is dominated by large separate houses, with 87.8% of homes having three or more bedrooms and 41.9% owned outright, far above the national figure.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 65% of people driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. Very few homes lack a motor vehicle.

The population is quite stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is among the lowest at 24.2%, far below the national average.

Employment is strong, with a 63.6% full-time work rate and an unemployment rate of 2.1%, which is among the lowest at this level.

The region has a high level of access to money and resources, ranking higher than about 90% of similar areas.

The area receives more annual rainfall than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 24.7 degrees.

The region is strictly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 0.8 and almost no homes within a 15-minute walk of health services or groceries.