Wheat Belt - South

The community is far older than the national figure, with 22.6% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 7.6 points since 2011. Around 4.3% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is higher than most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia (75.6%), and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born people than the state or nation. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, together making up over 80% of the population.

English is the primary language for 84.8% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure. Very few residents speak little or no English.

A large number of residents report having no religion (43.7%), which is well above the national average. This figure has risen by 18 points since 2011.

The area has far fewer people with bachelor degrees (11.4%) and Year 12 completions (42.5%) than the state or national averages. However, there are a high number of schools per 1,000 children.

Typical household incomes are well below the national figure at $1,372 a week. While the number of households earning $3,000 or more weekly is much lower than most areas, this figure has risen 8.9 points since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 29.9% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 11.1% of the population.

Volunteering is very common, with 29.5% of people pitching in, a figure far above the national average. More people do 15 or more hours of unpaid housework than in most other areas.

First Nations residents have an unemployment rate of 22.1%, which is well above the national figure. Income for First Nations households is also among the lowest for similar areas.

Living alone is much more common here than in most areas, with 30.7% of households consisting of one person. This contributes to a lower typical household size of 2.3 people.

The area is dominated by separate houses (94.7%), and home ownership is very high, with 44.1% of homes owned outright. Typical rents and mortgage payments are far below national figures.

Cars are essential here, as only 1.1% of people use public transport to get to work. Public transport infrastructure is far below the state average, with very few stops and routes.

The community is very stable, with a far lower proportion of people moving house in the last five years compared to the rest of the country. Recent arrivals from overseas have also fallen since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the biggest industry, employing 31.4% of the workforce. Full-time employment is higher than the national average, and the unemployment rate is much lower than most areas.

The population grew by 2.4% since the last census, which is well below the state growth rate of 10.7%.

The region experiences lower average minimum temperatures than the state average. Annual rainfall is among the lowest for its level, though it remains far above the state average.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 44.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.