State Electorate · Area profile
Chaffey
30,006 km²
A noticeably older population defines Chaffey, where the typical resident is 47. This community has seen its share of seniors rise significantly since 2011, with over a quarter of the population now aged 65 or over. While the area has grown by 15% in the last decade, it remains a quiet place where many people own their homes outright. This creates a stable environment with low rental prices and a workforce heavily tied to agriculture and health services.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The area is far older than the national figure, with children under 15 making up only 15.9% of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 3.6% of the community, which is a little above the South Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 11.4% of the population, far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by German at 14.8%.
English is the main language used at home for 84.6% of residents. Only 8.3% of people use another language, which is well below the state average.
A large proportion of the community reports no religion at 44.5%, a figure that has risen 19 points since 2011. Christianity is also common, accounting for 42.4% of the population.
Educational attainment is among the lowest for its level, with only 9.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 36.2%.
Incomes are generally low, with a typical household earning $1,129 a week, well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 9.0% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. Around 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.
Volunteerism is very high at 20.1%, well above the national figure. However, the proportion of people caring for children unpaid is much lower than in most other areas.
Living arrangements lean toward smaller groups, as 31.7% of people live alone. This contributes to a typical household size of 2.3 people, which is much lower than most similar areas.
Separate houses are very common at 87.9%, and 39.7% of homes are owned outright. This helps keep costs down, with the typical weekly rent of $200 being far below the national figure.
The community is heavily reliant on cars, as only 1.2% of people commute using public transport. Very few people work from home at 8.0%, far below the national average.
The population is relatively stable, with 30.8% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.2% of the community.
About 54.0% of adults are working or looking for work, which is much lower than most areas. The local economy is led by agriculture, forestry and fishing, where nearly 20% of workers are employed.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 2.9. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of public transport, parks, or health services compared to the state average.