Jamestown

The community is far older than most, with a typical age of 49 and a significant 26.2% of residents aged 65 and over. The total population has remained stable at 4,596 since 2011, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population rose to 2.9%.

Jamestown is very homogenous, with 86.5% of people born in Australia and only 6.5% born overseas, which is far below the national figure. The most common ancestries are Australian (46.3%) and English (42.9%).

English is the primary tongue for 91.9% of the area. Only 2.0% of people use another language at home, and very few—just 0.2%—speak little or no English, placing the area among the lowest in the country for language diversity.

About half of the population are Christian, while 41.0% report having no religion. The proportion of people with no religion has risen significantly by 16 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 12.0% of adults holding a bachelor's degree. However, Year 12 completion rose by 7.7 points since 2011 to reach 40.2%.

Incomes are well below the national figure, with the typical weekly family income at $1,505. Only 9.5% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this is up 6.3 points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35.4% of people living with a long-term health condition. Additionally, 7.0% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a bit higher than the national figure.

The area shows high levels of local support, with 14.1% providing unpaid care and 27.2% doing significant weekly housework. This spirit of help is mirrored in the exceptionally high volunteering rate of 34.5%.

First Nations residents are noticeably older than the national average with a typical age of 27. This group faces significant hurdles, with an unemployment rate of 19.5% and a typical weekly personal income of $446.

Homes tend to be smaller, with only 2.2 people per dwelling. This is consistent with the high number of people living alone, which at 32.9% is well above the national average.

Housing is very stable and affordable, with 49.2% of homes owned outright and typical weekly rents of just $192. The vast majority of residents—96.8%—live in separate detached houses.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute via public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 14.7% of the workforce works from home.

The population is very settled, with only 27.0% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are also very few, falling to 5.7% since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are major employers, accounting for 26.6% of jobs. The unemployment rate is 3.3%, which is much lower than the national figure.

Overall advantage is lower than in 70% of similar areas, and population growth has been very slow at 0.7% since 2021. The area's overall advantage score is 949, which is below the national average.

The climate is cooler and wetter than the state average, with an average maximum temperature of 22.4 degrees and annual rainfall of 505mm.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.0. Many residents lack easy walking access to essentials, with only 39.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries.