Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Coonamble
1,514 km²
Spanning over 1,500 square kilometres of the New South Wales interior, Coonamble is a regional hub with a strong First Nations presence. About 39.5% of the population is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure far above the national average. The community is notably young, with a high proportion of children under 15 and a typical resident aged 38. It is a place where traditional family structures and a deep connection to country shape daily life.
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The area has a very high First Nations population and a large number of children under 15, who make up 21.9% of the community. While the typical age is 38, about 19.9% of residents are seniors aged 65 and over.
Most residents were born in Australia, and only 3.6% were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, Irish and Scottish.
English is the primary language for 83.2% of the community. Very few people use another language at home (2.7%), and only 0.2% speak little or no English, which is well below the national average.
The community is more religious than most, with 64.2% identifying as Christian. Those with no religion make up 19.3%, a figure far below both the state and national averages.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 30.7% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.1% holding a bachelor degree or higher. There are 5.15 schools per 1,000 children, which is higher than most areas.
Incomes are well below the national figure. The typical household earns $1,206 a week, and only 10.8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the state average.
Health challenges are more common here, as 33% of people have a long-term health condition and 8% need help with daily activities, both of which are higher than the national figures.
Volunteer rates are 15.8%, slightly above the state and national figures. However, the percentage of people providing unpaid care for children or doing housework is lower than in most areas.
There are 1,054 First Nations people in the area, though they face significant disadvantage. Household income for this group is well below the national average, and the unemployment rate of 14.1% is higher than most areas.
One-parent families are very common at 30.7%, far above the national figure. Meanwhile, 32.3% of people live alone, which is well above the state average.
Separate houses make up 92.5% of dwellings, far above the national figure. Rent is very affordable at a typical $190 a week, and 36.6% of homes are owned outright.
Cars are essential here, as 69.1% of people drive to work and no one uses public transport for commuting. Only 5.5% of people work from home, far below the state average.
About 28.9% of residents moved in the last five years, which is far below the national average. However, 20% of the population are recent arrivals from overseas, a figure well above the national average.
While full-time employment is slightly higher than the national figure, the overall rate of adults working or looking for work is far below average. The unemployment rate is 7.7%, which is higher than most areas.
Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, but far fewer are within reach of public transport or parks compared to the state average. The overall walkability score is 4.9, which is somewhat walkable.