Salt Ash

The area has a strong First Nations presence, with 6.9% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, well above the national figure of 3.2%. It is an older community, where 21.1% of residents are aged 65 and over, compared to 17.2% across Australia.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born people (8.6%) than the New South Wales average of 29.3%. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, together making up over 86% of the population.

English is the dominant language, spoken by 90.5% of residents. The proportion of people using another language at home is 2.4%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Over half the community identifies as Christian (51.7%). Those with no religion make up 36.3%, which is a little below the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most similar areas, with only 8.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the New South Wales average of 27.8%.

Incomes are generally lower than the state and national figures. The typical weekly household income is $1,461, and typical personal weekly income is $610, which is well below the national figure of $805.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions affect 10.6% of residents, which is a little above the national figure of 8.8%.

Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 15.2% of people provide unpaid care, a much higher rate than most areas. There is also a strong history of service, with 4.8% of residents having served in the Defence Force.

The First Nations community is larger than in 84% of similar areas. While household income is well above the national figure, the unemployment rate for First Nations people is much higher at 18.8%.

Homes in Salt Ash are larger than usual, with 2.7 people per household. This is consistent with a high number of couples with children, who make up 55.4% of families.

Almost every home is a separate house (97.6%), and 87.5% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms. Ownership is high, with 40.7% of homes owned outright, well above the national figure of 31.0%.

The area is heavily car-reliant, with 33.9% of homes owning two vehicles and 23.8% owning three. While there are many bus stops, the walk to the nearest one can take up to 30 minutes.

The community is very stable, as only 24.1% of people have moved in the last five years, which is far below the national average of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas are also very few at 3.2%.

Full-time employment is much lower than in most similar areas at 52.3%. The local workforce is concentrated in construction and healthcare, though the unemployment rate is a little above the national figure at 6.8%.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.4, far below the New South Wales average of 6.2. Very few residents can walk to health services or groceries within 15 minutes.