Armidale

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 7.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is also ageing, with 20.4% of residents aged 65 and over, a figure that has risen by 4.9 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (13.1%) than the New South Wales average of 29.3%. Those with overseas roots most commonly cite English, Irish, or Scottish ancestry.

English is the main language for 82.1% of the population, which is far higher than the state average. However, the number of people using another language at home has risen to 8.5% since 2011.

Christianity is the most common faith at 48.8%. The number of people reporting no religion has risen sharply by 16 points since 2011 to reach 35.1%, though this is still well below the national figure.

The area has a higher proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher (24.8%) than most similar areas. It is also well-served by schools, with 5.07 schools per 1,000 children, which is much higher than most places.

Typical household incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical weekly income of $1,383. However, there has been a notable increase since 2011, with typical family incomes rising by $593 per week.

More people here live with a long-term health condition (30.5%) than in the rest of the state. Arthritis, mental health, and asthma are the most common reported conditions.

Volunteering is very common here, with 21.1% of people helping out, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care is also slightly more common than usual, with 12.8% of people providing help.

The First Nations community is larger than in 75% of similar areas, though it faces significant challenges. Typical personal incomes are much lower than the national figure, and the unemployment rate is 14.1%, which is well above the national average.

A large number of people live alone here (31.0%), which is well above the national figure of 25.6%. This contributes to the typical home being smaller, with 2.3 people per household.

Detached houses are very common (86.8%), and 77.1% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Housing is generally more affordable than in the state, with a typical weekly rent of $280.

Car use is dominant, and only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. In contrast, 23.1% of the workforce works from home, which is higher than in most similar areas.

The area has seen a significant increase in recent arrivals from overseas, who now make up 33.2% of the population. This is far above the national figure of 14.5%.

Jobs are concentrated in education and training (17.8%) and health care (14.3%). About 56.8% of adults are working or looking for work, which is a little lower than the national figure.

The population grew by 1.4% since 2021, which is much lower than the New South Wales average of 6.1%.

The area is cooler than the state average, with an average minimum temperature of 7.0 degrees, among the lowest for its level. Rainfall is also higher than the state average.

The area is somewhat walkable, but many homes are far from essentials; for example, fewer than half of residents live within a 15-minute walk of groceries.