Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Scone
109 km²
Set in the heart of the Upper Hunter Shire, Scone is a larger regional hub with a population of 5,824. It is a community where traditional roots meet new arrivals, marked by a much higher proportion of First Nations people than most areas. The town feels established yet active, with a high number of full-time workers and a significant amount of recent overseas migration. It is primarily a place of spacious separate houses and family living.
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First Nations people make up 7.0% of the population, which is well above the national figure. The community is slightly younger than most, with 19.7% of residents being children under 15.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 11.7% of the population, which is far below the state and national figures.
English is the main language for 87.6% of people, though 6.8% use another language at home, a figure higher than in similar areas.
The community is more religious than most, with 61.1% identifying as Christian and a much lower proportion of people with no religion (30.8%) compared to the national figure.
Educational attainment is lower than the state average, with only 13.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 41.5% completing Year 12.
Typical family incomes are about the same as the state average, though a higher share of households earn $3,000 or more a week compared to similar areas.
About 30.1% of people live with a long-term health condition, which is well above the New South Wales average.
Volunteer rates are around 14.0%, which is about the same as the national figure, and 27.0% of people provide unpaid childcare.
Scone has one of the largest First Nations populations at this level. Typical personal incomes for First Nations people are $614 a week, which is a little above the national figure.
The area has a higher rate of people living alone (29.0%) and one-parent families (14.3%) than most similar communities.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (84.3%), with 80.3% of homes having three or more bedrooms, far above the state average.
The town relies heavily on cars for work, as 67.6% of people drive, while 0.0% of residents commute using public transport.
Scone has seen significant movement, with 42.0% of people moving in the last five years and a very high proportion of recent overseas arrivals (36.5%).
The workforce is strong, with a full-time employment rate of 65.9% that is well above the national average. Many people work in mining, manufacturing, and health care.
The area is somewhat walkable, though far fewer homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport compared to the state average.