Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Thamarrurr
3,353 km²
A typical weekly personal income of just $234 marks Thamarrurr as an area of significant financial hardship. This small community is entirely Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and is remarkably young, with the typical resident aged only 21. Most people here speak a First Nations language at home and live in large households. These combined factors create a unique community where family life and cultural identity are central, despite very low incomes and high unemployment.
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The community is exceptionally young, with 31.4% of people under 15 and a typical age of 21, which is far younger than the national figure of 38. It is entirely composed of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and seniors over 65 are very rare at just 1.6%.
Every resident was born in Australia, and there are no residents born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
Language diversity is very high, with 100% of people using another language at home, far above the national figure. About 29.8% of the community speak little or no English.
Faith is very common here, as 98.9% of the population identifies as Christian and no one reports having no religion.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 23.7% of people completing Year 12. No adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and most people have a Certificate I or II.
Incomes are among the lowest in the country, with a typical weekly household income of $860. No households earn $3,000 or more per week, and 95.7% of individuals earn under $650 weekly.
Long-term health conditions are much less common here than in the rest of Australia, affecting only 11.7% of people. Reported mental health conditions are at 0.0%.
Unpaid work is very common, with 92.8% of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly and 88.4% caring for children. This is far above the national figures.
The entire population of 188 people is First Nations. This community faces significant challenges, with a 56.6% unemployment rate and a typical personal income of $233, both far below national figures.
Homes are very crowded, with an average of 4.9 people per house. This helps explain why 30.6% of households contain six or more people and no one lives alone.
Every home is a separate house, and 50% are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. However, rental is also common at 52.8%, with a very low typical weekly rent of $30.
Car ownership is low, with 50% of homes having no motor vehicle. Many people get to work by walking, which 27.3% of the workforce does.
The population is relatively stable, with 26.3% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.
The workforce faces a stark divide, with a very high unemployment rate of 60.0%. Among those working, the most common roles are in community and personal service.
While there are no street intersections, the area has many parks, resulting in 53.2 walkable amenities per 1,000 residents, far above the state figure.