North West

First Nations people make up 14.1% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is generally older than the Australian average, though there are more children under 15 here than in most similar areas.

The area is overwhelmingly Australian or British in heritage, with 43.4% identifying as Australian and 39.3% as English. Only 11.7% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%.

English is the dominant tongue for 87.3% of the community, and very few people speak little or no English. Only 4.2% of residents use another language at home, which is well below the state average.

Nearly half of the population (47.7%) now report having no religion, a figure well above the national average. This reflects a sharp increase from 2011, when only 28.4% identified this way.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 32.3% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, and only 10.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household incomes are $1,356, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Very few households earn $3,000 or more a week, though incomes have risen since 2011.

Residents report fewer mental health conditions and a lower need for help with daily activities than most other areas. About 28% of the population lives with a long-term health condition, which is well below the state average.

Volunteering is common here, with 20.4% of people pitching in, which is well above the national figure. A higher proportion of residents also provide unpaid housework and childcare compared to most areas.

The First Nations community is relatively large and young, with a typical age of 25. While unemployment is lower than the national rate at 8.0%, Year 12 completion is far below the national average at 25.5%.

Family homes are common, with 55.1% being couples with children. About 25.9% of people live alone, which is roughly the same as the national average.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 97.3% of all dwellings. Renting is uncommon at 16.6%, and typical weekly rents of $200 are far below the national figure.

Reliance on cars is almost total, as no one commutes by public transport and only 1.6% of homes have no vehicle. Most households own two or more cars.

About 35.9% of residents moved in the last five years, which is slightly below the state average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.1% of the population, though this fell since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest employer, accounting for 32.6% of jobs. The unemployment rate is 3.8%, which is lower than both the state and national figures.

The area faces some challenges, with a low score for education and job skills. Overall advantage is lower than in 70% of similar areas.

North West is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,306mm, which is far above the Tasmanian average. It also has minimum temperatures that are much higher than the state average.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with a very low walkability score of 1.4. Most homes are far from groceries and health services, and no one lives within a 15-minute walk of a medical facility.