Muswellbrook Surrounds

The area has a much higher First Nations population than most, at 7.4%, which has risen since 2011. While the typical resident is older than the state average, there are still plenty of children, with 18.8% of the population under 15.

This is a very traditional Australian community, with 85.2% born in Australia and only 7.2% born overseas, which is far below the national figure.

English is the primary language for almost everyone, with only 1.7% of people using another language at home—among the lowest rates in the country.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 63.9%, though the number of people reporting no religion has risen by 15 points since 2011 to reach 27.5%.

Educational attainment is much lower than the state average, with only 33.1% of residents completing Year 12 and 8.8% holding a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household income is $1,741, about the same as the national figure, though a higher-than-usual 14.6% of people earn $2,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 30.6% of people, with arthritis and asthma being the most reported.

Volunteering is more common here than in the rest of the state, with 18.1% of people giving their time, despite a fall since 2011.

First Nations residents have a lower unemployment rate (6.5%) and higher household incomes than those in the rest of the state, though Year 12 completion is much lower at 27.5%.

Families make up the majority of the community, with 56.4% of households being couples with children and a typical home hosting 2.5 people.

The landscape is dominated by separate houses (91.3%), most of which have three or more bedrooms. Rent is much lower than the state average, typically $280 a week.

Car dependence is very high, as only 0.2% of people use public transport and only 3.2% of homes do not have a motor vehicle.

While fewer people have moved here in the last five years compared to other areas, there has been a well-above-average flow of recent arrivals from overseas.

The workforce is very strong, with a low unemployment rate of 2.9% and a high proportion of full-time workers, largely employed in agriculture (20.5%) and mining (19.7%).

The community generally has good access to money and resources, though it ranks poorly for overall education and job skills.

The area receives more rain than the New South Wales average, with a typical annual rainfall of 762mm and notably low minimum temperatures.

This is a mostly car-dependent area where walkability is far below the state average, with very few homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services.