Sheffield

Sheffield is much older than most similar areas, with a typical age of 54 and 32.2% of residents aged 65 or over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 12.8% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia (76.6%), and English is the most common ancestry at 43.4%. Around 13% of the population were born overseas, which is far below the national average of 27.7%.

English is the primary language for 87.9% of the community. Only 3.1% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.

Nearly half of the population (48.4%) report having no religion, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 38.5%.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 29.7% of residents completing Year 12, compared to 58.8% nationally. Only 11.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical incomes are much lower than across Tasmania and Australia, with the typical household earning $970 a week. Only 8.5% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national average of 22.6%.

Reflecting its older population, 39.5% of people have a long-term health condition, and 10.7% need help with daily activities. Both figures are well above the national averages.

Volunteering is common here, with 20.5% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. There is also a higher than average number of former Defence Force members at 4.7%.

First Nations people make up 4.7% of the population. While their typical personal income of $479 is lower than the national figure, the unemployment rate for this group is 0.0%, which is far below the national average.

Living arrangements are often solitary, with 31.8% of people living alone, which is well above the national average of 25.6%. Consequently, the typical home is small, with only 2.1 people per household.

Home ownership is strong, with 48.2% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%. Most people live in separate houses (91%), and typical weekly rents are much lower than the national average at $200.

The town is heavily dependent on cars, as 0.0% of people commute by public transport. Driving times to the city are among the highest at 159 minutes.

The community is relatively stable, though 34.1% of people have moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 5.7% of the population, which is well below the national figure.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (43.8%) compared to the national average of 61.1%. The unemployment rate of 6.5% is a little above the national figure.

The town is somewhat walkable, with 64.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services and groceries, which is far above the Tasmanian average.