Northfield

Northfield is much younger than most areas, with a typical resident aged 35 and a small proportion of seniors. There is a strong First Nations presence, as 6.8% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure.

The area is very diverse, with 40.8% of people born overseas, a figure far above the national average. Indian ancestry is particularly prominent at 14.3%, and India is the most common overseas birthplace at 15.3%.

Consistent with its high overseas birth rate, 41.5% of people use a language other than English at home. Punjabi and Hindi are the most common non-English languages, and the proportion of people who speak little or no English is well above the national average.

The community is far more religious than the state or national average, with only 24.1% of people reporting no religion. Hinduism is a significant faith here, accounting for 13.1% of the population.

A good number of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher (24.2%), which is higher than most similar areas. While the area is well-qualified, Year 12 completion at 51.5% is well below the national figure.

Typical incomes are generally lower than the state and national figures, with the typical household earning $1,420 a week. Only 11.3% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national average.

Residents here experience far fewer long-term health conditions (21.8%) than the national average. However, the rate of people needing help with daily activities is higher than in most similar areas.

Community participation is notably low, with volunteers (8.8%) and people providing unpaid care (9.2%) both falling well below state and national figures. Unpaid housework is also much less common here than in other areas.

The First Nations community is one of the largest at this level. While the unemployment rate for this group is well below the national average, Year 12 completion is among the lowest at 14.8%.

Homes tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per dwelling and a high number of couples with children (64%). Interestingly, 28.4% of people live alone, which is a little above the national figure.

Renters are very common here, with 40.6% of households renting, far above the state average. Very few people own their homes outright, and the area is dominated by separate houses (80.6%).

Public transport use is high, with 6.5% of people commuting by bus and 10.8% of homes having no car. The area is well connected, with most homes within a 4-minute walk of a stop.

The area is a hub for new arrivals, as 20.6% of residents moved here from overseas recently. This is well above the national figure and helps explain the high linguistic diversity.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (48.6%) compared to the state average. The unemployment rate of 7.2% is a little above the national figure, with many people working in health care and social assistance.

The area has a much higher crime rate than most similar places, particularly for assault, property damage and motor vehicle theft. Recorded offences per 100,000 people are much higher than average.

Northfield is very walkable for health services, parks and schools, with nearly all homes within a 15-minute walk of these. However, very few homes (6.8%) are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.