South Kempsey

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 20% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. The area is also home to more children under 15 than most other similar areas.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 81.1% born here and only 5.8% born overseas, a figure far below the New South Wales average.

English is the primary language for 86% of residents, and very few people use another language at home compared to the rest of the state.

Religious affiliation is split, with 44.7% identifying as Christian and 39.4% reporting no religion, which is well above the state figure.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 27.7% of residents completing Year 12, far below the national average of 58.8%.

Incomes are much lower than most areas, with a typical weekly household income of $1,074, which is far below the national figure of $1,746.

Health challenges are common here; 36.6% of people have a long-term health condition and 13.4% have a mental health condition, both well above national levels.

Providing unpaid care is much more common here than in most areas, although volunteering rates are a little below the national average.

The First Nations community is a significant part of the area, though it faces hardship with a much higher unemployment rate of 18.4% compared to the national 12.3%.

Families here tend to be larger, and there is a very high proportion of one-parent families at 26.4%, which is far above the national figure.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, with 90.4% of homes being detached, and typical weekly rents of $270 are well below the state average.

Most people rely on cars to get to work, and very few residents work from home compared to the rest of Australia.

The population is relatively stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years than the state average and almost no recent arrivals from overseas.

The area struggles with a high unemployment rate of 10.6%, and far fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the national average.

The area is mostly car-dependent, as many homes are far from health services and groceries, though there is a high number of walkable parks.