Meckering

The typical resident is 45, making the area noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 25.4% of the population, which is well above the Australian average of 17.2%, though 20.3% of the community are children under 15.

About 72.4% of residents were born in Australia, while 15.5% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.

English is the only language used at home by 89.2% of the community. No one in the area reported using another language at home or speaking little or no English, which is far below the national average.

Over half the population (51.7%) report no religion, a figure that is far above the national average of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 33.2%.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 2.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 36.1% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical incomes are well below the national average, with the usual household earning $1,083 a week. No households in the area earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the state average.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 37.5% of people reporting a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly high at 14.7%, well above the national figure of 8.8%.

Unpaid housework is more common here than in most areas, with 28.1% of people doing 15 or more hours a week. Around 19.3% of residents are volunteers, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%.

There are four First Nations people in the area. Those identified as First Nations are far older than the national typical age, with a typical age of 66 compared to 24 nationwide.

Living alone is very common here, with 35% of people in single-person households, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%. Couples with children make up 58.5% of families.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, and 53.8% of homes are owned outright, far above the national average of 31%. Renting is rare at 11.3%, and typical weekly rents are much lower than elsewhere at $183.

Every home in the area has at least one motor vehicle. While public transport use is a little above the national average, the walk to the nearest stop is very long, taking about 51 minutes.

The community is very stable, with only 20% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. There were no recent arrivals from overseas.

Only 50.5% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries are agriculture, forestry and fishing, followed by education and training.

The area is highly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.6, far below the state average of 5.4. No homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services.