Bulahdelah - Stroud

The area is significantly older than the national figure, with 26% of people aged 65 and over and a typical age of 51. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.7% of the population, a figure that rose 3.0 points since 2011 and is well above the state average.

Residents are predominantly born in Australia (81.8%), leaving the overseas-born population at 8.6%, which is far below the national figure. Ancestry is mostly Australian or English, with smaller groups of Irish and Scottish heritage.

English is the primary language for 89.2% of the community, and only 2.0% of people use another language at home. This is among the lowest rates for this level, and very few residents speak little or no English.

Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 36.9% report no religion. The number of people with no religion has risen by 19 points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than most areas, with only 10.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 31.7%, though this has risen 6.2 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,189, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 11.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a rate far below the state average.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.4% of people living with a long-term condition. About 8.3% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than the national figure.

Volunteering is more common than in most areas, with 16% of people pitching in. There is also a higher rate of unpaid care and a strong presence of former Defence Force members at 3.9%.

There are 351 First Nations people in the area, who are typically older than those in the state. Their typical personal income of $478 is well below the national figure, and Year 12 completion is among the lowest at 19.4%.

Households are usually small, with about 2.4 people per home. Roughly 26.9% of people live alone, while couples with children make up 48.4% of families.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (98%) and a high rate of outright ownership at 46.6%, which is far above the national figure. Weekly rent is much lower than the national average at $300.

Cars are essential here, as 0% of people commute by public transport and very few homes lack a vehicle. Working from home has become more common, rising to 18.3% since 2011.

The population is very stable, with only 30.9% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much lower than in most other areas at 5.1%.

Only 50.3% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure. The workforce is spread across construction, agriculture, and healthcare.

The area ranks low for overall advantage and job skills compared to other regions. It has 591 businesses and a population that has grown by 4.9% since 2021.

The region is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,307mm, which is far above the state average. Temperatures are typical for the area, with a maximum average of 23.1 degrees.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.7. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, health services, or parks compared to the state average.