Mount Gambier - West

The typical resident is 41, making the area noticeably older than the national average. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22% of the population, a figure that has risen since 2016.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (11.4%) compared to the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 88% of households. The proportion of people using another language at home is 6.8%, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

Over half of the population (52.3%) report having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average. This represents a significant increase of 14 percentage points since 2016.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most similar areas, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure, though it has risen by 4.8 percentage points since 2016.

Weekly household incomes are well below the national average, and only 10.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week. Typical personal weekly income is $690, which is lower than most areas.

Health challenges are more common here, with 33.9% of people reporting a long-term health condition. Mental health and arthritis are the most frequent long-term conditions reported.

Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, though the rate fell from 22.1% in 2016 to 17.3% in 2021. Unpaid care for others is also higher than in most similar areas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 2.8% of the population. This community is noticeably younger than the national average, with a typical age of 21.

Homes here are smaller than usual, with only 2.2 people per household. This is consistent with a high number of people living alone, which accounts for 35.1% of all homes.

Renting is more common here than in most areas. While weekly rents are far below the national average at $220, the area has fewer large homes, with only 70.9% having three or more bedrooms.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.4% of people commute via public transport. Working from home is also very uncommon, at just 4.5%.

About 38.4% of residents moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 15.3% of the population, which is slightly higher than the national figure.

Health care and social assistance is the largest industry for local workers. The unemployment rate is 4.6%, which is about the same as the national figure.

The area ranks low for overall advantage and access to money and resources compared to similar regions. Population growth has been slower than the state average.

The local climate is much cooler than the state average, with a typical minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees. Rainfall is far above the South Australian average.

The area is somewhat walkable, and residents have better access to health services and groceries within a 15-minute walk than those in most other parts of the state.