Broadwater

Broadwater is far older than the state and national figures, with a typical age of 53 and 37.5% of residents aged 65 and over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.9% of the population, which is well below the national average of 18.2%.

While 73.4% of residents were born in Australia, 22.1% were born overseas, which is much higher than in most similar areas. English is the most common ancestry at 47.3%, followed by Australian at 39.8%.

English is the main language for 89.6% of the community. While a higher proportion of people here use another language at home (5.4%) compared to similar areas, this is still far below the Western Australian average of 18.4%.

A large portion of the community identifies as having no religion (44.2%), which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 46.4%.

About 42.4% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. Similarly, those with a bachelor degree or higher (14.2%) are well below the state average of 23.8%.

Typical incomes are lower than in most areas, with the usual household earning $1,232 a week compared to the state figure of $1,815. Only 12% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the state average.

Health needs are high here, with 38.2% of people living with a long-term health condition—far above the national average. This is consistent with the older population, as 12.7% of residents need help with daily activities.

The area has a strong history of service, with 5.2% of residents having served in the Defence Force, which is much higher than most similar areas. Volunteers make up 18.8% of the community, a little above the state average.

First Nations residents in Broadwater are notably younger, with a typical age of 18. This group has a high rate of Year 12 completion (38.0%) and a very low unemployment rate of 0.0%.

Homes tend to be smaller, with an average of 2.3 people per dwelling. About 27.8% of people live alone, which is a little above the national figure of 25.6%.

Most people live in separate houses (77.6%), and 34.9% own their home outright, which is well above the state average. However, typical weekly rents of $370 are much higher than in most similar areas.

The area is well served by public transport stops, and 99.5% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of one. Despite this, only 1.2% of people use public transport to get to work, with 64.6% driving.

The community is relatively stable, though 36.4% of residents moved in the last five years. This is a little below the state figure of 39.0%.

Far fewer adults are working or looking for work here (47.1%) compared to the state average of 63.9%, likely due to the high number of retirees. Common industries for those employed include accommodation and food (13.2%) and healthcare (13.0%).

While almost everyone lives within a short walk of a park or transport, the area is mostly car-dependent. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (16.3%) or health services (0.0%).