Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Norfolk Island
39 km²
A far older population defines Norfolk Island, where the typical resident is 50 years old. This is a community of 2,188 people with a strong presence of seniors, who make up over a quarter of the population. Many residents have roots in Australia and New Zealand, and a high proportion of households consist of people living alone. Life here is largely car-dependent, with a workforce heavily involved in tourism and retail.
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The typical resident is 50, making the area far older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over are very common, accounting for 25.2% of the population, which is well above the national average.
People born overseas make up 26.1% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, and New Zealand is the second most frequent country of birth.
Language diversity is high, with 36% of people using a language other than English at home—far above the national figure. Despite this, very few people speak little or no English.
Nearly half of the population identifies as Christian. About 36.2% of residents report having no religion, which is a little below the national figure.
Education levels are lower than the national average, with 16.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Those who completed Year 12 make up 47.5% of the population, which is far below the national figure.
Incomes are generally low; the typical household earns $1,184 a week, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 8.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a rate far below the national average.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 24.9% of people, which is a little below the national figure. Mental health conditions are notably rare here, affecting only 5.2% of residents.
Volunteering is very common, with 29% of people helping out—far above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid housework is also more frequent than in other territories.
There are 23 First Nations people living here, who are far older than the national average with a typical age of 51. Over half of this group speaks a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure.
Homes are smaller than usual, with only 2.1 people per home. A high number of people live alone (38.1%), which is far above the national average.
The vast majority of homes are separate houses (95.5%). While 41.1% are owned outright—well above the national figure—typical weekly rents of $240 are well below the national average.
Residents rely almost entirely on cars, as there are no public transport routes or stops. Only 7.3% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure.
The area has seen a fair amount of movement, with 37.1% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 8.6% of the population.
More people are working or looking for work (63.7%) compared to the national figure. Full-time employment is much lower than usual at 50.7%, with many residents working in accommodation, food, and retail.
The area is mostly car-dependent, though 62.3% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park. Access to groceries on foot is very limited, with only 31.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk.