Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Coonabarabran
956 km²
Daily life in Coonabarabran is centered around a mature, car-dependent community with a strong First Nations presence. The town is far older than the national average, with nearly a third of residents aged 65 or over. This older population is reflected in the local character, where many people own their homes outright and a high number of residents volunteer. It is a place of modest incomes and a slower pace of life compared to the state average.
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Coonabarabran has a typical resident age of 50, making it far older than both New South Wales and Australia. This is reflected in the high proportion of seniors, who make up 30.2% of the population, while children under 15 account for 16.5%.
The community is predominantly Australian or English in ancestry and has a very low proportion of overseas-born residents at 6.6%, which is far below the national figure.
English is the primary language for 82.2% of the population. Only 3.0% of residents use another language at home, a figure far below that of New South Wales.
Christianity is the most common religion at 53.4%, while 29.0% of residents report having no religion, which is much lower than the national average.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 11.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 34.8% having completed Year 12, both far below the state average.
Incomes are much lower than the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,154 a week. Only 9.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, compared to 25.2% in New South Wales.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.2% of people living with a long-term health condition and 8.8% requiring help with daily activities.
Volunteering is a strong feature of the town, with 22.2% of people volunteering, well above the national average of 14.1%.
The First Nations population is among the largest at this level, numbering 438 people. However, this group faces challenges, with an unemployment rate of 18.8%, which is well above the national figure.
The area has a high number of people living alone (32.6%) and a much higher rate of one-parent families (21.2%) than the national average.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (94.0%), and many residents have high security of tenure, with 46.5% owning their home outright. Typical weekly rents are far below the state average at $210.
The town is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.2% of people commute via public transport and the walk to the nearest stop can take up to 83 minutes.
The population is relatively stable, with only 28.4% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure.
A smaller proportion of adults are working or looking for work (45.3%) compared to the state average. The local workforce is largely employed in health care, education, and agriculture.
The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.8. Only 39.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities, far below the state average.