Katoomba - Leura

This is an older community where the typical resident is 50, far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 27.4% of the population, a figure that rose 8.0 points since 2011, while children under 15 have fallen to 13.0%.

Most residents were born in Australia, though 23.1% were born overseas, which is a rise of 3.5 points since 2011. English is the most common ancestry at 43.0%, followed by Australian and Irish.

English is the primary language for 85.6% of the community. Those using another language at home make up 9.8% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A majority of residents—54.1%—report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This figure has risen sharply by 22 points since 2011.

The area is highly qualified, with 33.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, well above the national figure. Year 12 completion has also risen 13 points since 2011 to reach 62.5%.

Typical weekly household incomes of $1,238 are 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 similar areas.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 35.5% of people. Mental health conditions are particularly high at 13.3%, well above the national figure of 8.8%.

Volunteering is much more common here than in most similar areas, with 19.5% of people giving their time. Unpaid care and housework are also more frequent, though fewer people are caring for children compared to the state average.

There are 354 First Nations people in the area. This group is noticeably older than the national average, with a typical age of 27, and 7.3% speak a First Nations language, which is well above the state figure.

Living alone is very common, with 38.5% of people in single-person homes, far above the national figure of 25.6%. Consequently, the typical home is smaller, with only 2.1 people per household.

Detached houses make up 83.3% of dwellings, far above the national figure. Home ownership is also strong, with 39.8% of homes owned outright, which is well above the national figure.

Working from home is very popular here, with 34.6% of the workforce doing so, far above the national figure. While there are many public transport stops, only 1.5% of people use them to commute.

About 39.7% of the population moved in the last five years, which is about the same as the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals make up 8.6% of the community, which is well below the national average.

The workforce is smaller than in most similar areas, with only 51.6% of adults working or looking for work. Full-time employment is also among the lowest for its level at 45.3%.

The area ranks well for education and job skills, scoring an 8 out of 10. However, it scores lower for access to money and resources, which is a 3 out of 10.

The climate is notably cool and wet, with an average maximum temperature of 19.0 and annual rainfall of 1,611mm, both of which are far apart from the state averages.

The area is very walkable, with 96.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. It has far more walkable amenities per 1,000 residents than the state average, though it is far below the state figure for walkability to schools.