State Electorate · Area profile
Goulburn
18,811 km²
Driving is a central part of daily life in Goulburn, where most people live in large, detached houses and rely on cars to get around. The community is noticeably older than the national average, with a high proportion of seniors and a population that has grown by 17% since 2011. It is a predominantly Australian-born area with deep roots, where a strong tradition of volunteering and home ownership defines the local character.
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The area is noticeably older than most of Australia, with a typical resident aged 45 and 22.5% of the population aged 65 or over. The population has grown to 81,771 people, while the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents rose to 3.7% since 2011.
Goulburn is much less diverse than the state average, with 81.3% of people born in Australia and only 12.0% born overseas. English, Australian, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 87.9% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure at 5.2%. Very few residents, just 0.6%, speak little or no English.
Christianity remains the most common faith at 54.6%, though the number of people reporting no religion rose significantly by 18 points since 2011 to reach 34.5%.
More people have completed Year 12 than in 2011, though this figure is still far below the national average. Around 19.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, and there is a high number of schools relative to the number of children.
Typical weekly family incomes are about $2,091, which is similar to the national figure. Since 2011, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 15 points to 21.1%.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.3% of people living with a long-term condition and 9.8% reporting a mental health condition. Arthritis is the most frequent long-term health issue.
This is a highly active community where 18.0% of people volunteer, a figure well above the national average. There is also a stronger presence of former Defence Force members compared to most areas.
Most households are headed by couples with children (54.2%) or couples without children (32.0%). About 26.9% of people live alone, which is slightly above the national average.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 91.5% of homes. Home ownership is strong, with 39.9% of dwellings owned outright and a rental rate of 21.6%, which is far below the state average.
Car dependence is very high, with 61.6% of workers driving to work and only 0.5% using public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 37.6% have two.
The population is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years is lower than the national average. Recent overseas arrivals make up 8.9% of the community.
The unemployment rate is 3.4%, which is much lower than most areas. Many residents work in health care, social assistance, or public administration and safety.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Many homes are far from groceries, health services, and public transport.