Wagin

The community is far older than most areas, with the typical age at 48 and seniors making up 24% of the population. This older profile has grown over time, as the proportion of people aged 65 and over rose 7.1 percentage points since 2011.

Wagin is far less diverse than the state and national averages, with only 12.8% of people born overseas. Most residents claim English (47%) or Australian (41.8%) ancestry.

English is the primary language here, with only 2.6% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%, and very few people report speaking little or no English.

A little over 44% of residents report having no religion, which is higher than most areas. This is a significant shift for the town, as the number of people with no religion rose 19 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, and far fewer people have completed Year 12 (43.3%) compared to the national figure of 58.8%. Only 11.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical household incomes are well below the state and national figures, with a typical weekly income of $1,355. However, there has been a trend toward higher earnings, as the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 9.7 percentage points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in the state and national averages, affecting 29.4% of people. Arthritis is the most frequent condition, reported by 11.5% of residents.

Volunteering is very high in Wagin, with 30.3% of people helping out, which is far above the national average of 14.1%. This strong civic participation exists alongside a lower rate of unpaid childcare compared to most areas.

The First Nations community is small, with a typical age of 29, which is noticeably older than the state and national figure of 24. Unemployment is higher here, at 16.3%, and Year 12 completion is far below the national average.

Homes tend to be smaller, with a typical size of 2.3 people, which is a little below the national figure. A higher than usual 29.4% of people live alone, a figure that has risen since 2011.

Home ownership is very high, with 47.7% of houses owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%. The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses, and typical weekly rents are among the lowest in the country at $190.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, as only 1% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, and the typical drive time to the city is very long at 124 minutes.

Wagin is a very stable community with low turnover; only 25% of people moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main drivers of the local economy, employing 38.7% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.8%, which is well below the state average.

The area has a lower overall advantage score than most other similar areas. This is consistent with the lower typical incomes and education levels found across the community.

Wagin experiences a climate with a very low average minimum temperature of 9.2 degrees. Its average annual rainfall is 486mm, which is far above the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Many residents live more than 15 minutes away from basic services like groceries, health clinics, or parks.