Narooma

Narooma is far older than the rest of Australia, with a typical age of 58 and 37.9% of residents aged 65 and over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 12%, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia (77.8%), though 15% were born overseas, which is higher than in similar areas. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, Irish, and Scottish.

English is the dominant language, spoken by 89.4% of the community. Only 3.8% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.

People with no religion make up 45.1% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is also common at 43.6%.

Educational attainment is lower than the state average, with only 41% of residents completing Year 12 and 15% holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the New South Wales figure for degrees, which is 27.8%.

Incomes are much lower than in most areas; the typical household earns $926 a week, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 6.3% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 39.7% of people reporting a long-term health condition. This is far above the national rate of 27.7%, with arthritis being the most frequent condition.

Volunteering is common, with 18.4% of people helping out, which is well above the national average. There is also a higher rate of people doing unpaid housework compared to the state.

The First Nations community is significant, making up 5.9% of the population. However, this group faces challenges, with an unemployment rate of 17%, which is much higher than in most areas.

Living arrangements are dominated by small households, with 40.9% of people living alone—far above the national figure of 25.6%. Consequently, the typical home has only 2.0 people.

Home ownership is very high, with 53.3% of homes owned outright, far above the national average of 31%. Rent is also much lower than typical New South Wales levels, at $260 a week.

The area is heavily dependent on cars, with 60.7% of workers driving to work. Public transport use is very low, with only 0.4% of people commuting by bus or train.

About 34.2% of residents have moved in the last five years, though this is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals make up 5.4% of the population.

Working ages are lower than usual, with only 40.8% of adults working or looking for work. The most common industries for local jobs are retail trade, health care, and accommodation.

The town is somewhat walkable, with 78.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far above the state average. However, access to parks and schools is further away than in most NSW areas.