Tamworth - East

The population is around the national typical age of 38, but it has a higher proportion of both children and seniors than most areas. Notably, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has grown by 5.6 percentage points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 8.1% of the population, which is far below the national figure. This low proportion of overseas-born residents is reflected in the dominant Australian and English ancestry.

English is the main language for 87.4% of the community, though the use of other languages at home rose to 6.0% since 2011. Despite this increase, the proportion of people who speak little or no English remains well below the state average.

Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 32.2% report no religion. This last figure has risen sharply by 21 percentage points since 2011, though it remains lower than most other areas.

Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 13.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion has improved, rising 7.5 percentage points since 2011 to reach 41.4%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,383, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While incomes have risen since 2011, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week remains lower than most areas.

Health challenges are common here, with 34.3% of people living with a long-term condition—well above the national average. Mental health conditions are also much more frequent than in most other areas.

Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as the rate of people providing unpaid care is higher than most areas. However, the number of volunteers has fallen by 5.8 percentage points since 2011.

This is a major hub for First Nations people, who have a typical age of 21, making them noticeably younger than the national average. Employment is a challenge, with an unemployment rate of 11.9%, which is higher than most areas.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most other areas, at 19.8%. Additionally, nearly 30% of people live alone, which is well above the state and national figures.

Homes here are typically large, with 80.5% having three or more bedrooms, and 85.9% are separate houses. Rent is well below the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of $300.

The area is heavily dependent on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. While there are many bus stops available, very few people use them, and only 10.9% of the workforce works from home.

The community is quite mobile, with 41.6% of people having moved in the last five years. Interestingly, recent arrivals from overseas have jumped to 30.3% since 2011.

Full-time employment is much higher than the national average at 62.9%. The local workforce is concentrated in health care, retail, and education, with professionals and labourers being the most common occupations.

The area is ranked as having low overall advantage, sitting in the bottom 20% of similar areas. This is consistent with the low typical incomes and lower levels of formal qualifications found across the community.

The area experiences warmer maximum temperatures than the state average. It also receives more rainfall than the New South Wales average, though minimum temperatures are generally lower than in other areas.

Most residents can easily walk to a park or public transport stop. However, the area is far below the state average for walking distance to health services, with only 35.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk.