Mer Island

The community is far younger than the national figure, with 26.4% of people under 15 and only 10.1% aged 65 or over. A high proportion of residents—36.8%—live in de facto relationships, which is far above the state average.

The population is almost entirely Australian-born, with only 1.5% born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%.

Language diversity is very high, with 87.9% of people using another language at home and 21.2% speaking little or no English, both figures far above the state and national levels.

The community is strongly religious, with 84.7% identifying as Christian and only 10.1% reporting no religion, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 4.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 40.7% completing Year 12, far below state and national figures.

Incomes are among the lowest in the region, with a typical weekly family income of $906 and a typical personal income of $351, both far below the national figures.

Residents report fewer long-term health conditions (19.0%) and mental health conditions (1.2%) than is typical for most areas.

While 7.5% of people have served in the Defence Force—well above the national average—only 6.6% of residents are volunteers, which is well below the national figure.

First Nations people make up the vast majority of the population, with 94.8% speaking a First Nations language, a figure far above the national average.

Homes are typically large and crowded, with an average of 3.9 people per home and 27.6% of households containing six or more people.

Rentals are the norm here, with 92.0% of homes rented and none owned outright. While typical weekly rent is very low at $150, 83.9% of homes have three or more bedrooms.

Transport is limited, as 48.2% of homes have no motor vehicle—far above the national figure—and 30.8% of people walk to work.

The population is very stable, with only 22.8% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%.

Only 33.2% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the state average. Most employees work in public administration and safety (41.8%) or education and training (16.5%).

The area is considered car-dependent with a walkability score of 0.0, as there are no schools, health services, or grocery stores within a 15-minute walk.