Clarence Valley

The typical resident is 49, which is far older than the national figure of 38. This older profile is reflected in the high proportion of seniors, while the share of children under 15 has fallen to 16.0% since 2011.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 84.4% born here. Only 8.2% of people were born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.

English is the primary language for almost everyone, with only 2.8% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

About 38.4% of the population report no religion, which is about the same as the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 19 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most similar areas, with only 11.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 34.6%.

Incomes are well below the national average, with the typical weekly household earning $1,126. Only 9.0% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 25.2%.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas; 36.6% of people have a long-term health condition. Additionally, 8.5% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.

Unpaid care is a common part of life, with 14.2% of people providing unpaid care. The area also has a higher proportion of former Defence Force members than most other areas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 8.1% of the population, well above the national average of 3.2%. This community is younger than others, with a typical age of 25, though they face a much higher unemployment rate of 13.5%.

Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.3 people per household. There is a higher than usual number of people living alone (28.8%) and one-parent families (17.5%).

Housing is mostly detached houses, and ownership is very high, with 45.2% of homes owned outright. This helps keep costs down; typical weekly rents of $310 are well below the national figure.

The region is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and very few people work from home compared to the state average.

The population is relatively stable, with 34.7% of people moving in the last five years, which is lower than most of Australia. Recent overseas arrivals are also much lower than the national average.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (46.4%) compared to most areas. The unemployment rate is 6.2%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.

The population has grown by 5.2% since 2021, which is about the same as the growth rate for New South Wales.

The area has a warm, wet climate with an average annual rainfall of 1,173mm, which is far above the New South Wales average of 515mm.

The region is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.8. Only 40.6% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average of 67.7%.