Ashford

Ashford has a much higher proportion of seniors than most areas, with 30.5% aged 65 and over. This contributes to a typical resident age of 54, which is far older than the national figure of 38.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 84.2% born here. Only 4.2% of people were born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%.

English is the main language for 89.1% of residents. Only 2.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 26.6%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 60.4%. The share of people reporting no religion is 28.4%, which is well below the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 25.2% of people completing Year 12. Just 4.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, far below the national average of 26.3%.

Incomes are among the lowest at this level, with a typical household earning $855 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 3.3% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are common here, as 42.2% of people have a long-term health condition, far above the national figure of 27.7%. About 12.6% need help with daily activities, which is among the highest for similar areas.

Unpaid care is more common than average, with 13.8% of people providing support. However, the rate of people caring for children is much lower than the national figure, likely due to the older population.

First Nations people make up a significant part of the community, but they face hardship, with an unemployment rate of 21.6% and a typical personal income of $408, both far below state and national figures.

Living arrangements are varied, with 35.5% of people living alone, which is far above the national average. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most areas at 19.4%.

Home ownership is very high, with 52% of homes owned outright. While 96% of homes are separate houses, rents are much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of $185.

The area is entirely dependent on cars, as 0% of people use public transport to commute. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 54.3% of workers drive to their jobs.

The population is stable, with only 25.2% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%. There were no recent arrivals from overseas.

Working or looking for work is much lower than most areas at 44.1%. The unemployment rate is 10.5%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%, with many people working in agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.8. While health services are more accessible than in other parts of the state, there are no public transport stops within the community.