Gilgandra

The area is much older than most, with the typical resident aged 46 and a quarter of the population aged 65 or over. First Nations people make up 14.1% of the community, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%.

Born in Australia for 84.1% of residents, the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people in the region at just 3.3%.

English is the primary language for almost everyone, with only 1.5% of people using another language at home, far below the national figure.

While 61.6% of residents identify as Christian, the share of people reporting no religion has risen by 15 points since 2011 to reach 25.0%.

Education levels are much lower than the national average, with only 11.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree and 31.5% completing Year 12.

Typical weekly household income is $1,151, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 9.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 32.0% of residents. This is consistent with the older age of the community, where 6.9% need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is very high, with 21.5% of residents helping out, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%.

First Nations residents face significant challenges, with a much higher unemployment rate of 16.1% and a typical personal income of $485, which is a little below the national figure.

The area has a high number of one-parent families (18.9%) and people living alone (29.7%), though the typical home still houses 2.3 people.

Detached houses are the norm for 92.9% of homes, and 41.3% are owned outright. Typical weekly rent is very low at $200, far below the national figure.

Most people rely on cars, with 55.8% driving to work. Public transport use is very low, with only 0.9% of people using it to commute.

The population is relatively stable, as only 24.1% of residents moved in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest industry, employing 28.1% of the workforce. Full-time employment is higher here than in most areas at 61.3%.

The area is ranked as having low overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10 compared to all areas.

The climate is warm, with an average maximum temperature of 25.7 degrees, and annual rainfall is slightly above the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.1. Only 40.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.