Carpentaria

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 62.2% of the population, which is far above the national figure. The community is notably young, with the typical resident aged 30 and children under 15 making up 24.1% of the population, far above the state average.

Most residents were born in Australia (85.2%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national average at just 4.6%.

While 80.3% of people speak only English, the use of other languages at home rose to 10.2% by 2021. Very few people speak little or no English, at just 0.1%.

People with no religion now make up 43.2% of the community, a figure that rose by 23 percentage points since 2011. This is well above the national figure.

Education levels are much lower than the state and national averages, with only 27.6% of residents completing Year 12. Only 7.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Incomes are among the lowest in the country; the typical weekly family income is $1,159, which is far below the national figure of $2,120. The typical personal weekly income is also very low at $483.

Residents report fewer long-term health conditions (18.1%) and mental health conditions (2.9%) than most other areas, which is well below the national average.

Volunteering is much lower than most areas at 10.4%, and only 9.8% of people spend 15 or more hours a week on unpaid housework.

There are 3,062 First Nations people in the area, and 13.2% speak a First Nations language, which is a bit higher than the state average. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 17.9%, well above the national figure.

Homes are often crowded, with a typical 3.0 people per home. One-parent families are very common here at 26.9%, far above the national average of 14.1%.

Renting is the most common tenure for 64.3% of households, far above the national average. Rents are very low, with the typical weekly rent at just $125.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with no public transport stops or routes available. About 23.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is far above the national figure.

Recent arrivals from overseas make up 17.0% of the population, which is higher than the national average. However, only 28.9% of people moved in the last five years, much lower than most other areas.

While 67.8% of workers are employed full-time, the overall percentage of adults working or looking for work is very low at 44.5%. The unemployment rate is 8.2%, which is well above the national average.

The region ranks as one of the most disadvantaged in the country across all measures, including access to money, job skills, and overall advantage.

The climate is intensely hot, with average maximum temperatures of 34.9 degrees and minimums of 21.2 degrees, both of which are among the highest in the country.

The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.4. While many homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school or groceries, there is no public transport access.