Picton - Tahmoor - Buxton

The population grew 24% since 2011 to reach 18,987 people. It is a relatively young community with a typical age of 37, and 21% of residents are children under 15. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 5% of the population, which is a little above the state and national figures.

The area is far less diverse than the state and nation, with only 11.1% of people born overseas. Most residents claim Australian (43.6%) or English (41.8%) ancestry.

English is the main language for 90.1% of the community. Only 5.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.

Over half the population identifies as Christian (54.9%), while those with no religion make up 36.9%. The number of people reporting no religion rose significantly by 20 percentage points since 2011.

Educational qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 13.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure, though it rose by 7.3 percentage points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,886, which is a little above the national figure. Incomes have risen steadily since 2011, and 23.4% of households now earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31% of residents. Mental health conditions are also slightly more frequent than the state average, at 9.9%.

More people here provide unpaid care for children (29.2%) and do housework (24.6%) than in most other areas. However, volunteering has fallen by 5.1 percentage points since 2011.

The First Nations community is large for this level, with a typical personal income of $732, which is well above the national figure. Unemployment among First Nations people is very low at 4.2%.

Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per household. Couples with children make up 60% of families, which helps explain why the area has so many children.

The area is dominated by separate houses (91.6%) and large homes, with 85.8% having three or more bedrooms. Typical monthly mortgage payments are $2,175, which is slightly above the state average.

Cars are essential here, as only 0.5% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, and the drive time to the city is much longer than in most areas at 65 minutes.

About 39.1% of residents moved in the last five years, a rate similar to the state and national averages. Recent overseas arrivals are very rare, making up only 3.8% of the population.

The unemployment rate is very low at 3.3%, which is well below the national figure. Many people work in construction (15.9%) or health care and social assistance (12.9%).

The area is growing rapidly, with a population increase of 18.5% since 2021, far above the state average. It is generally considered as advantaged as most other areas in terms of money and resources.

The area receives much more rainfall than the state average, with 1,017mm annually. Average temperatures are also slightly lower than across New South Wales.

The area is only somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.7. Many homes are far from essential services, particularly health services and schools, compared to the state average.