Dowerin

Dowerin is an older community where the typical age has risen to 47. The population has shrunk by 6.3% since 2011, and the proportion of children under 15 has fallen by 5.1 points over the same period.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 11.5% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 44.5% and 43.2% respectively.

The community is very linguistically uniform, with 88.9% of people speaking only English at home. Only 2.5% of residents use another language, a figure far below the national average.

Religion is less common here than it once was; those with no religion rose by 19 points since 2011 to reach 42.2%. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 45.7%.

Educational qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 9.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 41.1%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,202, which is well below the national figure. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose by 7.5 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33.6% of the population. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 11.3% of residents.

Volunteering is very common in Dowerin, with 32.4% of people helping out, a figure far above the national average. About 11.8% of residents also provide unpaid care.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 4.7% of the population. This group is generally younger than the wider community, with a typical age of 25.

Many people live alone here—36.0% of households—which is far above the national figure. Consequently, the typical home has only 2.2 people, slightly lower than the rest of the state.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 94.9% of all dwellings. A high 47.7% of these are owned outright, and typical weekly rent is very low at $163.

The town is heavily car-dependent, with 57.8% of people driving to work and only 1.0% using public transport. Public transport options are very limited, with only one route serving the area.

Dowerin is a very stable community; only 26.9% of people moved in the last five years, far below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals also fell by 12 points since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main industries, employing 34.9% of the workforce. Full-time employment is high at 62.7%, and the unemployment rate is very low at 3.5%.

The area has an overall advantage score of 945, which is lower than the national average. Population growth since 2021 has been slow at 1.7%, well below the state average.

The area is quite dry, with an average annual rainfall of 281mm. Average maximum temperatures are 26.7 degrees, which is slightly lower than the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.3. While there are many parks within a 15-minute walk, only 18.6% of homes are near public transport.