Somerset

The community is ageing quickly, with the typical resident now 48 and the proportion of seniors rising to 25.1%. This is far older than the national figure of 38. First Nations people make up 8.0% of the population, which is well above the Australian average of 3.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia, with only 8.0% born overseas—a figure far below the national average of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, who together make up over 90% of the population.

English is the primary language here, with 92.5% of people using it only. Only 2.3% of residents use another language at home, which is among the lowest rates in the country.

More than half of the population (51.4%) now report no religion, a figure that has risen by 21 points since 2011. This is far above the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 10.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 29.0% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national average of 58.8%.

Incomes are generally low, with the typical household earning $1,100 a week, well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 9.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the Australian average.

Health challenges are common, as 37.9% of people have a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure of 27.7%, and 10.0% of residents need help with daily activities.

Unpaid work is common, with 24.5% of people doing over 15 hours of housework weekly, which is well above the national average. About 13.2% of the community provides unpaid care.

First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, though they face challenges with an unemployment rate of 14.3%. Year 12 completion is 25.4%, which is far below the national average of 37.0%.

Homes are smaller than usual, with a typical size of 2.2 people. A high number of residents live alone (32.8%) or in one-parent families (18.8%), both of which are well above national figures.

Most people live in separate houses (89.9%) and 39.9% own their home outright. Rent is relatively affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $240, well below the national figure of $375.

Cars are essential, as 73.6% of people drive to work and only 1.0% use public transport. Despite this, there are more public transport stops per 1,000 people than in most similar areas.

The population is relatively stable, with 33.5% moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals are also very low at 6.5%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work here (52.6%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, and retail trade.

The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country, scoring 1 out of 10 for overall advantage. It also has very low rankings for education and job skills.

The area is warmer than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 16.8 degrees. Annual rainfall is 970mm, slightly above the Tasmanian average of 805mm.

Somerset is somewhat walkable, with 64.5% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries. This is far above the state average of 53.4%.