Roma Surrounds

The population is noticeably older than the national figure, with a typical resident aged 42. It is also a family-oriented area where 20.8% of people are children under 15, a figure much higher than in most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has one of the lowest proportions of overseas-born people at 4.1%. English, Scottish, and Irish ancestries are the most common after Australian.

English is the primary language for 87.5% of the community. Very few people use another language at home (1.5%) or speak little to no English, both of which are far below the national figures.

Christianity is the main faith for 61.1% of residents. While the number of people reporting no religion has risen by 13 points since 2011, this figure remains far below the national average.

Education levels are much lower than most areas, with only 39.2% of people finishing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, though this has risen by 6.5 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,436, which is a little below the national figure. While 14.7% of homes earn $3,000 or more a week, this is still well below the Australian average.

The community is generally healthier than most, with fewer people needing help with daily activities (4.2%) and a much lower rate of mental health conditions (6.1%) compared to the rest of the state.

Volunteering is exceptionally common here, with 28.3% of people volunteering—far above the national figure of 14.1%. About 10.8% of residents also provide unpaid care.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.9% of the population, which is well above the national average. This group is typically younger than other residents, with a typical age of 27.

The area has a high proportion of couples with children (58.5%) and a much lower rate of one-parent families (9.1%) than most other areas.

Homes are overwhelmingly separate houses (95.9%), and 43% are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Rent is also very affordable, with a typical weekly cost of $155.

Cars are essential here, as 0.5% of people use public transport and there are no public transport stops. However, 23.3% of the workforce works from home, which is well above the state average.

The population is very settled, with only 26.8% of people moving in the last five years—far below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen sharply since 2011.

Full-time employment is very high at 68.9%, far above the national figure. Most people work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (38.3%), and the unemployment rate is a very low 1.6%.

The area has a fair amount of business activity with 1,653 businesses. Overall, its advantage score is about the same as the national average, though it ranks lower for education and job skills.

The area experiences high temperatures, with an average maximum of 29.4 degrees. Rainfall is relatively low at 473mm per year, which is among the lowest for similar areas.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.4. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (17.1%) or health services (20.5%).