State Electorate · Area profile
Swansea
134 km²
A noticeably older population defines Swansea, where the typical resident is 46 and a quarter of the community are seniors. This shift toward an older demographic is stark, as the typical age has climbed by 14 years since 2011. The area is predominantly Australian-born and English-speaking, with a high proportion of homes owned outright. While it remains a significant regional hub with over 74,000 people, the population has shrunk by 31% over the last decade.
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Seniors aged 65 and over make up 25.2% of the community, a figure well above the national average. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has also risen to 5.7%, which is much higher than most similar areas.
The area is far less diverse than the state average, with only 10.1% of people born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 45.2% and 42.7% respectively.
English is the dominant language, used by 92.3% of residents at home. This is far below the national figure for other languages, and the number of people using another language has fallen sharply since 2011.
More than 40% of residents report having no religion, which is well above the New South Wales average. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 52.3%.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 14.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The share of residents who completed Year 12 has also fallen significantly since 2011.
Incomes are generally low, with the typical household earning $1,381 a week, which is well below the national figure. This trend is consistent with the lower levels of university qualifications in the area.
Health challenges are more common here, with long-term health conditions affecting 37.2% of people. This is far above the state average, and 7.4% of residents need help with daily activities.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 13.8% of people provide unpaid care and 23.7% do over 15 hours of housework weekly. Interestingly, there is a higher-than-average number of former Defence Force members.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 17.2%. While many live in couples with children, about 27.2% of people live alone.
Home ownership is very strong, with 42.1% of homes owned outright and 86.6% being separate houses. Renting is far less common than across the state, at just 21.8%.
The area is heavily dependent on cars, with 56.5% of workers driving and only 0.5% using public transport to commute. However, nearly 20% of people now work from home.
The community is relatively stable, as the share of people moving in the last five years is much lower than in most areas. Recent arrivals from overseas have also fallen sharply since 2011.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the national average, at 53.2%. The most common industries for employment are health care and social assistance, followed by construction.
Most residents live within a short walk of a park or public transport, but the area is far below the state average for access to groceries and health services.