Suburb / Locality · Area profile
West Arnhem
30,875 km²
Daily life in West Arnhem is shaped by a strong First Nations presence and a very young population. Almost 96% of the 785 residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and the typical resident is only 27. This creates a community where large, multi-generational households are common, and a high proportion of people speak a First Nations language. The area is remote and distinct, with a culture far removed from the national average in both language and age.
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This is a very young community, with 24.1% of people under 15 and only 1.9% aged 65 or over. It is also overwhelmingly First Nations, with 95.9% of residents identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure far above the national average.
The population is almost entirely Australian-born, with only 0.4% of people born overseas, which is far below the figures for both the Territory and the nation.
Language diversity is very high, as 94.9% of people use a language other than English at home. This is far above the national figure, and 22.4% of residents speak little or no English.
Most residents identify with a faith, with 68.5% of people identifying as Christian. Those with no religion make up only 11%, which is far below the national average of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 17.9% of people completing Year 12 and just 0.5% holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the area has a high number of schools per 1,000 children.
Weekly incomes are among the lowest at this level, with the typical personal income being just $234. Only 2.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national figure.
Health profiles are better than in many other areas, with long-term health conditions affecting 17.8% of people and mental health conditions affecting only 1.4%, both of which are well below national levels.
Caregiving is a major part of life, as 65.7% of people care for children unpaid, a figure far above the national average. In contrast, only 2.9% of people are volunteers.
First Nations people make up the vast majority of the population, with 95.4% speaking a First Nations language. The unemployment rate for this group is 24.3%, which is far above the national figure.
Homes are very large, with an average of 5.6 people per household, far above the national average of 2.5. This is reflected in the fact that 58.1% of households contain six or more people.
Housing is crowded, with 2.2 people per bedroom, and no one owns their home outright. Most people live in separate houses, and typical weekly rent is very low at $30.
The area is highly dependent on walking and cars, with 64.2% of homes having no motor vehicle. There are no public transport stops or routes, and 68.4% of people walk to work.
The population is very stable, with only 7.1% of people having moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.
Only 20% of adults are working or looking for work, and the unemployment rate is very high at 21%. Those who are employed often work in arts and recreation or agriculture.
The area is completely car-dependent with a walkability score of 0.0. There are no grocery stores, health services, or parks within a 15-minute walk for any residents.