Harden

The population is much older than most areas, with 32.6% of residents aged 65 and over. This age profile helps explain why children under 15 make up a smaller share of the community at 15.5%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 7.8% were born overseas, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 29.3%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 90.7% of the community. Very few people use another language at home (3.3%), which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Christianity is the main faith here, with 66.6% of residents identifying as such. The proportion of people with no religion is 25.2%, which is far below the national average of 38.9%.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 8.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 29.7% of residents completed Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Incomes are much lower than most areas, with the typical household earning $973 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 37.8% of people living with a long-term condition. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.9% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is common at 19.2%, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. More people provide unpaid care and do housework than in most other areas.

The First Nations community is larger than in most similar areas, with a typical age of 28. Year 12 completion is much lower than the state average at 24.5%.

Living arrangements are distinctive, with 36.2% of people living alone, far above the national figure of 25.6%. One-parent families are also much more common than in most areas at 18.3%.

Detached houses are the norm for 93.1% of homes. Home ownership is high, with 46.4% of homes owned outright, and typical weekly rents are much lower than the national figure at $220.

Most people rely on cars, as 68.7% drive to work. Very few people work from home (6.1%), which is far below the New South Wales figure of 31%.

The population is relatively stable, with 27.5% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (46.2%) compared to most areas. Common industries include health care, public administration, and agriculture.

The town is somewhat walkable, with a score of 5.2. Residents have good access to schools and health services within a 15-minute walk, but few live within 10 minutes of public transport.