West Wallsend - Barnsley - Killingworth

The community has a strong First Nations presence at 7.5%, which is much higher than most similar areas. It is a family-oriented place where children under 15 make up 19.2% of the population, and people in de facto relationships are far more common than in the state average.

This is a very traditional Australian community, with 91.1% of people born here. Only 5.7% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average.

English is the primary language for 94.4% of the population. Only 2.3% of people use another language at home, which is among the lowest rates in the region.

The area has seen a significant shift away from faith, with those reporting no religion rising by 24 points since 2011 to reach 46.0%. This is well above the national figure.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 10.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 34.8%, though this has risen 11 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,769, which is about the same as the national figure. Those earning high incomes of $3,000 or more a week make up 18.0% of households, an increase of 11 points since 2011.

Residents face higher health challenges than most, with 35.3% living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are among the highest at this level, affecting 12.9% of the people.

Unpaid care is common here; 32.4% of people care for children and 14.8% provide other unpaid care, both figures well above the national average. However, volunteering is much lower than in most areas at 9.9%.

The First Nations community is larger than in about 83% of similar areas. This group has a much lower unemployment rate than the national average at 5.9% and a typical personal income of $690.

Homes are typically larger, with 2.7 people per dwelling. One-parent families make up 14.9% of the population, while only 17.9% of people live alone, which is well below the state average.

The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (97.6%), with 89.3% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Renting is far less common here than elsewhere in the state, at just 14.9%.

Cars are essential for most residents, as only 0.5% commute by public transport and only 2.2% of homes have no vehicle. The drive to the city is among the longest for similar areas, taking about 117 minutes.

The population is relatively stable, with only 6.5% being recent arrivals from overseas. About 34.2% of people moved home in the last five years, which is lower than the national average.

The workforce is active, with 64.6% of adults working or looking for work—higher than the state average. Full-time employment is also slightly above the national figure at 60.0%, with many working in health or construction.

While the area has a fair level of access to money and resources, it ranks poorly for education and job skills. Overall, it is viewed as less advantaged than about 70% of similar areas.

The region is quite wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,147mm, which is far above the New South Wales average of 515mm. Temperatures are typical for the state.

While most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, the area is otherwise not very walkable. Only 35.2% of people can walk to groceries in 15 minutes, far below the state average.