Dungog

Dungog is an older community, with the typical resident being 46 and 22.1% of people aged 65 or over, which is well above the national figure. There is a strong First Nations presence at 7.2%, a figure that has risen since 2011.

The area is very traditional in its roots, with 89% of people born in Australia and only 5.5% born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures.

English is the primary language for almost everyone here; only 1% of residents use another language at home, one of the lowest rates for any similar area.

While 55.8% of the community identifies as Christian, there has been a big shift since 2011, with the number of people reporting no religion rising by 21 points to 37.5%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 15.3% of adults holding a bachelor's degree and 38.5% completing Year 12, though both figures have risen since 2011.

Weekly incomes are a little below the national figure, with the typical family earning $1,856. However, there has been a steady increase in wealth, as the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose by 11 points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.1% of people living with a long-term health condition and 10.4% reporting a mental health condition.

This is a highly active community where volunteering is much more common than elsewhere. Many residents also provide significant unpaid support, with 29.2% doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly.

The First Nations community is substantial, with 690 people living in the area. Year 12 completion for this group is 25.7%, which is far below the national figure of 37%.

Families are the mainstay here, with 55.7% of households consisting of couples with children and 32.4% consisting of couples without children.

Housing is overwhelmingly detached, with 97% of homes being separate houses. Ownership is high, and 41.8% of residents own their home outright, far above the national average of 31%.

Car dependence is nearly universal, as 0.1% of people use public transport to commute and only 2.5% of homes have no motor vehicle.

The population is relatively stable; only 33.3% of residents moved in the last five years, and recent arrivals from overseas are among the lowest in the region at 1.3%.

The local workforce is spread across construction, health, and agriculture. While the unemployment rate is a low 3.4%, the percentage of adults working or looking for work is slightly below the national figure.

The area is moderately advantaged overall, with a strong score for access to money and resources, though it ranks lower for education and job skills.

The climate is wetter than the state average, with annual rainfall of 932mm, while average temperatures remain typical for the region.

Walkability is very low, with a score of 2.4. Most residents are car-dependent, as only 33.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.