Inverell Surrounds - East

The area is far older than most of Australia, with a typical age of 47 and a growing senior population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 12% of the community, which is well above the state and national figures.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 6.9%, which is far below the national average. English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries are the most common following Australian.

English is the dominant language, with only 1.3% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure, and very few residents speak little or no English.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 56.3%. While the number of people with no religion has risen by 13 points since 2011, it is still much lower than in most other areas.

Education levels are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 8.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 32.4%.

Typical weekly household incomes are far below the national figure at $1,057. Only 7.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is among the lowest at this level.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.3% of people reporting a long-term condition. About 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.

Volunteering is much higher here than in most areas, though the rate fell to 18.6% since 2011. Unpaid care is also common, with 15.3% of people providing such support.

First Nations residents are a significant part of the community, but they face higher unemployment at 16.2% and a typical personal income of $451, which is much lower than most areas.

Family sizes are around the national average, with 2.4 people per home. One-parent families are a little more common here than in most areas, at 15.6%.

Homes are almost all separate houses, and 48.3% are owned outright, which is far above the national average. Renting is much less common than elsewhere, and typical weekly rent is very low at $200.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 97.2% of homes owning at least one vehicle. Public transport use is very low, with only 0.2% of people commuting this way.

Residents tend to stay put, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are also lower than average at 7.8%.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the main industry, employing 31.7% of the workforce. However, the proportion of adults working or looking for work is much lower than in most areas.

The area ranks low for overall advantage and access to resources, with a score of 2 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been very low at 0.3%.

The local climate is warmer than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 26 degrees. Annual rainfall is 681mm, which is well above the New South Wales average.

This is a car-dependent area with a low walkability score of 2.0. Most homes are far from essential services, with only 16.1% within a 15-minute walk of groceries.