Murray

The typical resident is 44, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 23.4% of the population, a figure well above the Australian average of 17.2% and one that has risen since 2011.

This is a community with deep local roots; only 9.4% of people were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, each claimed by 40.1% of residents.

English is the primary tongue for 86.9% of the population. Only 5.6% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the 22.3% national average.

About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 37.5% report no religion. This last group has grown significantly, rising 19 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are lower than in most areas, with 40.8% of residents having finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. Only 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical incomes are lower than the national average, with the usual household earning $1,341 a week. Only 13.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is much lower than the 22.6% seen across Australia.

Health challenges are more common here, as 33.2% of people have a long-term health condition, well above the national figure of 27.7%. About 10.2% of residents live with a mental health condition.

Volunteering is a strong local feature, with 18.2% of people pitching in, well above the national figure of 14.1%. There is also a higher rate of unpaid carers at 13.1% compared to the rest of the country.

First Nations people make up about 4% of the population. The community is quite young, with a typical age of 22, though Year 12 completion is well below the national figure at 29.2%.

Homes here tend to be smaller in occupancy, with 2.3 people per house. A high proportion of residents live alone, at 30.5%, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

Detached houses are the norm for 86.1% of homes, far above the national figure of 72.3%. Many residents have security of tenure, with 37.8% owning their home outright, while typical weekly rents are much lower than the national average at $250.

Cars are essential, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, and just 10.8% of the workforce works from home, far below the national figure of 21%.

The population is relatively stable, with 37.2% of people having moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.

The local workforce is largely in health care, agriculture, and construction. Unemployment is low at 4.0%, which is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.

The population has grown by 5.4% since 2021, which is about the same as the growth rate seen across New South Wales.

The region is quite dry and warm, with average annual rainfall of 372mm, which is well below the state average of 515mm.

Walking to services is difficult for many; only 51.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries. This results in a walkability score of 4.4, which is well below the New South Wales average of 6.2.