Kangaroo Island

The area is far older than most of Australia, with 27.1% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 10 points since 2011. While the population grew by 477 people over the decade, the proportion of children under 15 fell slightly to 15.9%.

Most residents were born in Australia (76.6%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 44.6% and 40.5% respectively.

English is the dominant language, with only 4.1% of people using another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%. Consequently, very few residents speak little or no English.

A majority of the community reports no religion (56.3%), a figure that is far above the national average and has risen 19 points since 2011. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 31.2%.

Year 12 completion (44.7%) and bachelor degrees (17.2%) are both well below the national figures. However, these numbers have improved, with the proportion of people finishing Year 12 rising 6.6 points since 2011.

Incomes are much lower than in most areas, with a typical weekly household earning $1,128. Only 9.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national figure of 22.6%.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most of Australia, affecting 30.8% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 10.7%.

Volunteering is very common, with 33% of people pitching in—far above the national figure of 14.1%. A high proportion of residents also spend 15 or more hours a week on unpaid housework.

First Nations people make up 1.7% of the population. While unemployment is well above the national average at 20.5%, Year 12 completion is far higher than the national figure at 50.0%.

Homes are smaller than usual, with only 2.2 people per household. A high number of people live alone (33.9%), which is well above the national average of 25.6%.

Housing is dominated by detached houses (94.8%) and high levels of ownership, with 43.5% of homes owned outright. Rents and mortgage payments are among the lowest in the country.

Car use is essential, as only 0.7% of people commute by public transport. While there are more stops per 1,000 people than in similar areas, the actual number of departures is far below the state average.

The community is relatively stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years (34.0%) compared to the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals also fell to 6.9%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing is the largest industry, employing 21.2% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.6%, which is much lower than in most other areas.

The area is ranked as having lower overall advantage than 60% of similar areas, with a score of 952. This is consistent with the lower typical incomes and qualification levels found across the island.

The climate is much cooler and wetter than the South Australian average, with a maximum temperature of 20.0 degrees and far higher annual rainfall.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.4. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school (13.7%) or health services (11.9%).