Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Norfolk Island
39 km²
An older population defines Norfolk Island, where the typical resident is 50 years old. This community is far older than the national figure, with over a quarter of the population aged 65 and over. While the population grew by 25% since 2016 to reach 2,188 people, it remains a small and distinct society. The area is marked by a high rate of home ownership and a strong tradition of volunteering.
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Residents are noticeably older than those in other territories, with a typical age of 50. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 25.2% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 17.2%.
The community is predominantly Australian (28.3%) and English (27.4%) by ancestry. About 26.1% of people were born overseas, though this fell by 4.7 percentage points since 2016.
Many residents use a language other than English at home (36.0%), which is far above the national figure of 22.3%. However, this trend fell by 13 percentage points since 2016.
About 36.2% of the population report no religion, a figure that rose by 8.9 percentage points since 2016. This is well above the rate seen in other territories.
Education levels are far below the national average, with only 16.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Those who completed Year 12 make up 47.5% of the population, which is 11 percentage points lower than the national figure.
Typical incomes are much lower than most areas, with a typical weekly household income of $1,184. Only 8.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national figure of 22.6%.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 24.9% of people, which is a little below the national figure. Mental health conditions are much less common here (5.2%) than across Australia (8.8%).
Volunteering is very common, with 29.0% of people participating—far above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid housework is also more common here than in most other areas.
A small number of First Nations people live here, but they are far more likely to speak a First Nations language (52.2%) compared to the national figure of 12.3%.
Homes are generally smaller than average, with 2.1 people per home. A high number of people live alone (38.1%), which is far above the national figure of 25.6%.
The area is dominated by separate houses (95.5%), and 41.1% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Rent is much lower than the national average, typically costing $240 per week.
The community is almost entirely car-dependent, with 0.0% of people commuting by public transport. Most homes have one or two vehicles, and very few (2.6%) have no car at all.
Movement into the area has increased, with 37.1% of people moving in the last five years. However, the number of recent overseas arrivals fell by 6.8 percentage points since 2016.
Adults are more likely to be working or looking for work (63.7%) than in most other areas. However, full-time employment is well below the national figure at 50.7%.
The area is rated as having lower overall advantage than most other territories, scoring 4 out of 10. Recent population growth has also been lower than the state average.
The area is mostly car-dependent, though many residents live within a 15-minute walk of a park. Access to groceries on foot is far below the national figure for other territories.