Bridgewater - Gagebrook

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 18.5% of the population, which is far above the state and national figures. The area is notably young, with 25.9% of residents being children under 15 and a typical age of 31, while seniors aged 65 and over are much less common than in most areas.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian born, with 84.1% born here and only 5.1% born overseas, which is far below the national figure. Most residents claim Australian or English ancestry.

English is the primary language for 87.4% of the population. Only 3.3% of people use another language at home, and those who speak little or no English are much less common than in most other areas.

More than half the population (55.3%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This trend has grown significantly, rising 28 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 31.1% of residents completing Year 12 and just 5.4% holding a bachelor degree or higher. There are many schools relative to the number of children, but the average school advantage score is among the lowest for its level.

Financial struggle is common here, as typical weekly household income is just $971, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 5% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is among the lowest rankings for similar areas.

Health challenges are more prevalent here than in most areas, with 35.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are especially common, affecting 15.6% of the population.

While 14% of people provide unpaid care—a rate much higher than most areas—volunteer rates are very low at 7.9%, which is far below the Tasmanian figure of 18%.

The area is home to 1,506 First Nations people, who are typically younger and have lower personal incomes than the broader community. The unemployment rate for this group is 16.2%, well above the national figure.

Family structures are distinctive, with one-parent families making up 39.4% of households, far above the national average. Homes tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per home.

Renting is very common, with 55.6% of households renting their homes, while only 17.9% own theirs outright. Most people live in separate houses, and typical weekly rent is $250, which is well below the national figure.

Public transport use is higher than usual, with 11.04 stops per 1,000 people. However, car dependency remains high, and 13.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the national figure.

The community is relatively stable, as only 30.3% of people moved in the last five years, which is far below the national rate. Interestingly, recent arrivals from overseas rose sharply to 17.6% since 2011.

The unemployment rate is 13.1%, well above the state and national figures. Many of those working are in health care, social assistance, or retail, and only 46.9% of adults are working or looking for work.

The area ranks among the lowest for overall advantage, with a score of 738. It has a small number of businesses and very low scores for access to money and job skills compared to similar areas.

The local climate is warmer than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 17.2 degrees. Annual rainfall is also much lower than the Tasmanian average.

The area is somewhat walkable, and most residents live within a 15-minute walk of a school, park, or groceries. However, access to health services on foot is far below the state average.