Smithton

The population is notably older than the national average, with a typical age of 42 and 22.6% of residents aged 65 or over. A strong First Nations identity is evident here, as 20.7% of the community is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is far above the Tasmanian figure of 5.4%.

Most residents were born in Australia (81.3%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (9.3%) than the national average of 27.7%. English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries are the most common heritages alongside Australian.

English is the dominant language, used by 87.3% of the community. Only 4.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the Australian average of 22.3%.

Religious affiliation is split nearly evenly, with 43.6% identifying as Christian and 42.7% reporting no religion. The proportion of people with no religion is well above the national figure.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most similar areas, with only 9.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 27.0% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the Tasmanian average of 47.1%.

Incomes are generally low, with a typical weekly household income of $1,189, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 8.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a rate far below the Australian average.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.6% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 6.5% of residents need help with daily activities, which is about the same as the state average.

Volunteering is strong, with 19.2% of people offering their time, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Around 12% of the community provides unpaid care.

With 816 First Nations people, this is one of the largest populations at this level. While the unemployment rate for this group is lower than the national average at 7.3%, Year 12 completion is far below the national figure at 24.7%.

Homes are slightly smaller than average, with 2.3 people per dwelling. A high number of residents live alone (30.8%), which is well above the national average of 25.6%.

The area is dominated by separate houses (92.2%), and rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $222. However, the proportion of households renting (27.0%) is much higher than in most similar areas.

Most people rely on cars, as only 0.2% commute via public transport. Working from home is rare here (4.0%), which is far below the national average of 21.0%.

The community has seen significant movement, with 36.9% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 24.3% of the population, which is well above the national figure.

Manufacturing (20.2%) and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (14.2%) are the main industries. Labourers make up the largest occupational group at 24.5%.

The town is somewhat walkable, with 63.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 68.5% near health services. This is far above the state averages for both amenities.