Butler - Merriwa - Ridgewood

The area is noticeably younger than the state and national average, with 22.2% of the population being children under 15. While the typical age is 34, the number of seniors has risen to 13.8% since 2011.

Born overseas numbers are far above the national figure, with 40.1% of people arriving from other countries. English is the most common ancestry at 45.7%, followed by Australian and Scottish heritage.

About 13.8% of people use a language other than English at home, which is well below the national figure. However, this has risen by 4.3 percentage points since 2011.

A large number of residents report no religion, at 47.8%, which is well above the national average. This is a significant shift, as the figure rose by 20 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than most areas, with only 12.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also well below the state and national figures at 53.4%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,542, which is a little below the national figure. Only 14.9% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this rose 7.0 percentage points since 2011.

Mental health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 10.3% of residents. Long-term health conditions are reported at 28.6%, about the same as the national average.

Many people here provide unpaid childcare, at 30.6%, which is much higher than most areas. Conversely, volunteering is much lower than most areas at 11.0%.

First Nations residents are notably young, with a typical age of 18. While the unemployment rate is 13.5%, Year 12 completion is 36.6%, which is well above the state average.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 20.9% of households. This helps explain why households are slightly larger, with 2.7 people per home.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 90.9% of dwellings. Renting is more common than in most areas at 30.2%, while only 13.5% of homes are owned outright.

Public transport use for commuting is much higher than most areas at 5.8%. While 98 stops serve the area, the trip to the city by transit takes 77 minutes, which is much longer than in most areas.

Recent overseas arrivals have fallen sharply since 2011, dropping from 30.6% to 6.4%. About 37.6% of the population moved into the area in the last five years.

The unemployment rate is 7.2%, which is a little above the state and national figures. People commonly work in health care, construction, and retail.

Overall advantage is lower than in most areas, with a score of 3 out of 10. This is consistent with lower education and job skill rankings compared to other regions.

The area receives 604mm of annual rainfall, which is far above the state average. Maximum temperatures are generally higher than most areas, averaging 25.2 degrees.

The suburb is very walkable, with 100% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or public transport. Most residents can also reach groceries and health services on foot within 15 minutes.