Bowenfels

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 11.4% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The area is also home to more seniors and children than most similar places.

The community is predominantly Australian and English in ancestry, with only 8.4% of people born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.

English is the main language for 82.4% of residents. While 5.0% use another language at home—which is higher than in many similar areas—this is still far below the state average of 26.6%.

About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 33.4% report having no religion, which is about the same as the New South Wales figure.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 6.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 26.8% completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical weekly household income is $917, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 10.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are common here; 36.0% of people have a long-term health condition and 12.4% need help with daily activities, both of which are well above the national average.

Volunteer rates are much lower than most areas at 9.8%, and unpaid care and housework are also slightly below the national figures.

The First Nations community is a significant part of the area, with 9.4% of people speaking a traditional language. However, the unemployment rate for this group is very high at 26.3%.

Household structures are distinctive, with 36.3% of people living alone and 29.9% of families being one-parent homes, the latter of which is far above the national average.

Renting is very common at 45.3%, and typical weekly rent is just $185, which is far below the national figure of $375. Most homes are separate houses.

While 16.5% of homes have no car, the area is well served by public transport stops. Only 7.5% of people work from home, which is far below the state average.

The population is relatively stable, with 30.0% moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 9.3% of the community.

Working or looking for work is much less common here than elsewhere, with only 40.5% of adults in the workforce and a high unemployment rate of 10.8%.

The area is very walkable, with 77.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries. However, almost no one lives within 15 minutes of a health service.