Maitland

This is a young community where 22.2% of people are children under 15, a figure well above the national average. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 7.6% of the population, which is much higher than most areas and has risen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 9.0% were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures. English, Scottish, and Irish ancestries are the most common after Australian.

English is the primary language for 90.2% of the community. Only 5.8% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure, and very few people speak little or no English.

A large proportion of the community reports no religion at 43.8%, which is well above the national figure. This is a significant increase from 2011, when only 17.3% identified this way.

Schooling is a local focus, with five schools serving a large number of enrolments. However, the percentage of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 15.7%, which is far below the national average.

Typical weekly household incomes are about $1,756, which is about the same as the national figure. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 12 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 34.0% of people. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent, with 14.5% of residents affected, which is well above the national average.

Caring for children is a common activity, with 32.6% of people providing unpaid childcare, a rate well above the national figure. Conversely, volunteering is much lower here than in most areas.

The First Nations community is larger than in about 86% of similar areas. This group is notably young, with a typical age of 21, and personal incomes are well above the national figure.

Homes tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 58.4% of families.

Most people live in separate houses, and 77.7% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Renting is more common here than the national average, while outright home ownership has fallen since 2011.

While the area has many public transport stops and routes, only 1.1% of people use it to commute. Most people rely on cars, and the drive time to the city is among the highest for similar areas.

Maitland is a high-turnover area, with 52.5% of residents moving in the last five years, which is far above the national average. Recent overseas arrivals make up 10.5% of the population.

More adults are working or looking for work compared to most areas, at 66.2%. The most common industries for local workers are health care, social assistance, and retail trade.

The area has seen strong population growth since 2021, rising 13.2%, which is well above the state average. Overall, its advantage score is slightly below the national average.

The area is wetter than the state average, with annual rainfall far above the New South Wales figure. Average maximum temperatures are around 25 degrees.

The community is very walkable, with 81.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of local amenities. Residents have particularly easy access to schools and health services compared to the state average.