Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Lord Howe Island
16 km²
Bicycles and walking are the primary ways people get around Lord Howe Island. It is a small, older community where the typical resident is 46, far older than the national figure. The population is modest at 445 people, with a notably high proportion of seniors and a strong presence of people in de facto relationships. It is a place where many residents are without a religion and a high number of people volunteer their time.
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The community is older than most, with 22.5% of people aged 65 and over, which is well above the national figure. It also has a higher rate of de facto relationships at 19.4% compared to 11.5% across Australia.
Australian, English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries are the most common. While 17.3% of residents were born overseas, this is far below the New South Wales rate of 29.3%.
Most people speak only English at home, though 7.2% use another language, which is higher than in most similar areas. However, this is still far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Nearly half the population (48.8%) reported having no religion, a figure well above the national average of 38.9%.
The area has a higher rate of adults with bachelor degrees (19.3%) and Year 12 completions (54.5%) than most similar areas, though both figures remain well below the state average.
Typical personal weekly income is $961, which is a little above the national figure. However, only 10.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, far below the national rate of 22.6%.
Residents are generally healthier than those in other areas, with a long-term health condition rate of 21.6%, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%.
Volunteering is very common here, with 29.0% of people volunteering, far above the national figure of 14.1%. More people also do unpaid housework and care for children compared to the state average.
There are five First Nations people in the area. The typical First Nations resident is far younger than in other parts of the state, with a median age of 15.
Living arrangements vary, with a high number of people living alone (32.3%) compared to the national figure. However, 51.8% of households are couples with children.
Separate houses are very common, and 41.6% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Renting is also more common here than in most areas.
Public transport is non-existent, which explains why 22.4% of people cycle to work and 20.8% of homes have no motor vehicle, a rate far above the national figure.
Around 32.0% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals make up 11.7% of the population.
Working or looking for work is more common here than in most areas, though full-time employment is far below the national average. Most people work in accommodation and food services.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 81.0% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far above the New South Wales figure of 67.7%.