Bowraville

The community has a strong First Nations identity, with 15.6% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is far above the national figure. Residents are generally older than those in the rest of the state, and about 21.4% are seniors aged 65 and over.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people than the state average. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, which together make up over 80% of the population.

English is the primary language here, with 85.5% of people using it only. This means the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national average.

A large portion of the community reports having no religion at 42.5%, a figure that is well above the national average. Christianity remains the next most common affiliation at 39%.

Education levels are much lower than in most other areas, with only 29.3% of people completing Year 12 and just 8.8% holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the state and national figures.

Income is very low across the board, with the typical personal weekly income of $521 being well below the national figure. Only 5.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is much lower than in most other areas.

Health challenges are common here, as 36% of people live with a long-term health condition—well above the national average. About 9.9% of residents need help with daily activities, which is much higher than in most other areas.

There is a high level of community support, with 15.1% of people providing unpaid care, which is well above the national figure. Volunteering is also more common here than in the rest of the state.

The First Nations community is a significant part of the town, though they face tough conditions with an unemployment rate of 24.1%. This is far above the national figure, and typical personal incomes for First Nations people are also a little below the national average.

Family structures are distinctive, with one-parent families making up 33.4% of households, which is far above the national average. Additionally, 32% of people live alone, which is well above the state figure.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, with 93.7% of homes fitting this description. While many residents own their homes outright, those who rent pay a typical weekly amount of $260, which is well below the national figure.

Most people rely on cars, as only 0.8% of workers use public transport. Working from home is also far less common here than across Australia, with only 9.8% of the workforce doing so.

While the local population is relatively stable, there has been a high number of recent arrivals from overseas, with 25% of people arriving in the last five years—far above the national average.

Finding work is difficult in Bowraville, as only 43.4% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure. The unemployment rate of 9.6% is well above the state and national averages.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 2.3. While many homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school, almost no one can walk to groceries or health services within that time.