Basalt

The typical resident is 45, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. This is reflected in the age structure, where seniors aged 65 and over make up 20.9% of the community, a figure well above the Australian average.

The community is very traditional in its roots, with 75.3% born in Australia and only 3.3% born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.

English is the only language used at home for 79.1% of the population, and there are no residents who speak little or no English, placing the area far below state and national levels for language diversity.

Religious affiliation is common here, as the 23.7% of people with no religion is far below the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 7.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 36.6% completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

While typical personal income is about the same as the national figure at $835 a week, the typical household income is well below the Australian average at $1,375.

Residents here have fewer health struggles than most, with the 19.5% of people reporting a long-term health condition being well below the national figure of 27.7%.

Local participation is high, with 19.4% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%.

First Nations residents in Basalt are far older than the national average, with a typical age of 51 compared to 24 years across Australia.

Living arrangements are skewed toward single residents, as the 29.7% of people living alone is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

Housing is very affordable and stable, with 41.9% of homes owned outright—far above the national average—and a typical weekly rent of $160, which is far below the national figure of $375.

The area is highly car-dependent with no public transport stops, yet 50.9% of the workforce works from home, a figure far above the national average of 21.0%.

The population is relatively stable, with 29.0% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.

The local economy is dominated by agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which employs 85.7% of the workforce, and the area has a very low unemployment rate of 0.0%.

The community is entirely car-dependent with a walkability score of 0.0, as there are no groceries, health services, or schools within a 15-minute walk.