Young - Yass

The community is noticeably older than the national figure, with 21.2% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown by 1.6 percentage points since 2016. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 4.2% of the population, which is higher than most similar areas.

The area has a very strong Australian and British heritage, with 84% of people born in Australia. Only 9.1% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%.

English is the dominant language, used by 89.1% of the population. Only 4.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.

Christianity remains the most common faith at 56.2%. The proportion of people reporting no religion has risen significantly by 11 percentage points since 2016 to reach 33.1%.

Educational attainment is lower than the state average, with 47.8% of people completing Year 12. However, more people have finished high school than in 2016, and the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher has risen to 19.1%.

Typical weekly family income is $2,077, which is about the same as the state figure. Household incomes have trended upwards, with those earning $3,000 or more per week rising by 8.5 percentage points since 2016.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33% of residents. This includes arthritis at 12.2% and mental health conditions at 9.7%.

Volunteerism is much higher than the national figure, with 20% of people volunteering. Unpaid care is also common; 13.8% of people provide unpaid care, and 24.2% spend 15 or more hours a week on housework.

There are 1,585 First Nations people in the area. The unemployment rate for this group is 8.8%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

Families with children are common, making up 56.9% of households. Most homes are larger than average, with 2.5 people per home, which is consistent with national trends.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 92.7% of all dwellings. This explains why 81.5% of homes have three or more bedrooms, and a high 38.9% of people own their home outright.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 63.4% of people driving to work and only 0.4% using public transport. Very few homes are without a vehicle, at just 3.9%.

The population is relatively stable, with 33.8% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals are also rare at 7.7%.

Jobs are concentrated in public administration, safety, and agriculture, which together employ over a quarter of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, which is much lower than most similar areas.

Population growth since 2021 has been 2.1%, a figure that is well below the New South Wales growth rate of 6.1%.

The area is wetter than the state average, with 824mm of annual rainfall. It is also cooler, with average minimum temperatures among the lowest in the region at 7.1°C.

Most residents are car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.8. Only 37.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities, far below the state average of 71.9%.