West Tamworth

West Tamworth is noticeably younger than the rest of the state, with a typical age of 34 and children under 15 making up 20.5% of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 21.9% of the community, which is far above the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the most common ancestries are Australian and English. Only 10.7% of people were born overseas, which is far below the New South Wales average of 29.3%.

While 77.2% of people speak only English at home, the area has a higher proportion of people using other languages than most similar areas. A small number of residents speak little or no English.

Christianity is the most common religion at 45.9%, while 35.4% of people report no religion. This figure for those with no religion is well below the national average.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 30.3% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher, both of which are far below state levels.

Incomes are much lower than in most areas; typical weekly personal income is $624, well below the national figure of $805. Only 6.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.1% of people living with a long-term health condition and 13% reporting a mental health condition.

Volunteer rates are well below the national average at 9.6%. Similarly, fewer people report doing significant unpaid housework or caring for children compared to most other areas.

The First Nations community is large and young, with a typical age of 21. However, this group faces significant challenges, including an unemployment rate of 24.0%, which is far above the national figure.

One-parent families are very common, making up 34.1% of households, which is far above the national average. A large number of people also live alone.

Rental properties are very common, with 50.9% of households renting, far above the national figure of 30.6%. While 80.6% of homes are separate houses, only 26.6% are owned outright.

The area is well served by public transport with 45 stops, and 13.4% of homes have no motor vehicle. However, very few people use public transport to get to work.

There has been significant movement into the area, with recent arrivals from overseas accounting for 36.8% of the population, which is far above the national average.

Full-time employment is higher than in most areas, but the overall number of adults working or looking for work is much lower than the state average. Unemployment is high at 10.3%.

The area is very walkable, with 98.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 98.6% near public transport. However, over 45% of homes are further than 15 minutes from groceries.