Penola

Penola is far older than the national average, with the typical resident aged 47. This trend has accelerated, with the proportion of people aged 65 and over rising by 7 percentage points since 2011 to reach 22.6%.

The community is predominantly Australian and English in ancestry, with 82.6% of people born in Australia. This is far below the national figure for overseas births, which ever so slightly rose to 9.0% in 2021.

English is the primary language for 90% of the population. Only 3.1% of residents use another language at home, a figure far below both the state and national averages.

A little over half of the community identifies as religious, with 40.5% being Christian. The proportion of people reporting no religion has risen sharply by 21 percentage points since 2011 to 48.5%.

Education levels are much lower than most similar areas, with only 12.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion has risen slightly since 2011 to 41.0%, though this remains far below the national figure.

Typical weekly household incomes are well below the national average at $1,314. While these figures have risen since 2011, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week is much lower than most areas at 10.7%.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in the rest of Australia, affecting 32% of residents. This is consistent with the older population, and the number of people needing help with daily activities rose to 6.2% by 2021.

Volunteering is very high in Penola, with 25.3% of people volunteering—a figure far above the national average. Unpaid housework is also more common here than in most areas.

First Nations people make up 1.6% of the population. This group is noticeably older than the state average, with a typical age of 29, and enjoys a much lower unemployment rate of 0.0%.

Many residents live alone, accounting for 31.2% of households, which is well above the national figure. This helps explain why the typical number of people per home is 2.3, slightly lower than the usual Australian household.

Housing is very affordable compared to the rest of the country, with typical weekly rents at $181 and home-loan payments at $896. A high 41.3% of homes are owned outright, and 82.9% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 65.3% of people driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. Public transport access is very limited, with only one stop serving the area.

The population is quite stable, as 30% of people moved in the last five years—much lower than the national figure. However, recent arrivals from overseas rose to 12.2% by 2021.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary employers, accounting for 30.8% of jobs. Full-time employment is higher than the state average at 61.4%, and the unemployment rate is low at 3.8%.

Overall advantage is lower than most similar areas, with a score of 2 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been very slow at 0.7%, well below the state average.

The local climate is cooler and wetter than the state average. The average maximum temperature is 20.1 degrees, and annual rainfall is far above the state figure at 663mm.

Penola is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.5. Many residents live far from essential services, with only 20.5% within a 15-minute walk of health services.