Hamilton

The typical resident is 45, which is noticeably older than the state and national figures of 38. People aged 65 and over make up 26.3% of the population, a figure well above the national average of 17.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 7.9% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 90.8% of the community. Only 3.7% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Nearly half of the population identify as Christian, while 41.4% report having no religion. This last figure has risen by 19 points since 2011.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 41.6% of residents having completed Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%. Only 15.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than most areas, sitting at $1,247 compared to the national figure of $1,746. Only 9.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here, with 35.3% of people reporting a long-term health condition, which is well above the national figure. Those needing help with daily activities are also much more common than in most areas.

Volunteer rates are well above the national average at 21.1%, although this has fallen since 2011. Unpaid care for others is also more common here than in most similar areas.

The First Nations community is notably younger, with a typical age of 19 compared to 24 nationally. Unemployment among First Nations people is also much lower than the national figure.

A high number of people live alone, accounting for 35.7% of households, which is far above the national figure of 25.6%. This helps explain why there are fewer people per home than usual.

Detached houses are very common, making up 91.2% of homes. Ownership is high, with 41.8% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%.

Most people drive to work, and only 0.1% use public transport for their commute. Working from home is also much less common here than across Australia.

About 36.5% of residents moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.8% of the population, though this is down nearly 10 points since 2011.

The unemployment rate is 3.1%, which is a little below the national figure. Health care and social assistance is the most common industry for local workers.

The town is rated lower than most similar areas for overall advantage, with a score of 944. Population growth has been very slow, rising by only 0.1% since 2021.

The area is cooler than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 18.8 degrees. Rainfall is well above the state figure, averaging 657mm annually.

The town is somewhat walkable, with 84.4% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, access to groceries and health services within a 15-minute walk is far below the state average.