State Electorate · Area profile
Braddon (Mersey)
709 km²
The population of Braddon (Mersey) grew by 20% since 2011, adding about 6,438 people to the community. It is a noticeably older area where the typical resident is 45, and nearly a quarter of the population are seniors. The community is largely Australian-born and English-speaking, with a strong trend toward having no religion. Low typical incomes and a high proportion of people needing help with daily activities suggest a place with significant social and health challenges.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The area is older than most, with a typical age of 45 and a high proportion of seniors at 24.2%. It also has a much higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population than most areas, reaching 7.1%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 10.9%, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 90.3% of the community, and only 4.9% use another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
More than half of the population (51.2%) report having no religion, a figure that rose 22 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.
Education levels are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 34.8% of residents completing Year 12 and 13.0% holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Typical incomes are much lower than most areas; the usual family earns $1,505 a week, which is well below the national figure of $2,120.
Health challenges are common here, as 36.4% of people have a long-term health condition and 8.3% need help with daily activities, both among the highest for similar areas.
Unpaid care is a key feature here, with 13.4% of people providing unpaid care. There is also a strong history of service, as 3.9% of residents served in the Defence Force.
Single-person households are common at 30.3%, and one-parent families (17.8%) are much more frequent than in most other areas.
Most people live in separate houses, and a high 37.6% own their home outright. Typical weekly rent is $250, which is well below the national figure.
The area is very dependent on cars, as only 0.8% of people commute by public transport and just 5.5% of the workforce works from home.
Movement into the area has increased, with 38.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals also rose to 17.3% since 2011.
Working or looking for work is less common here than elsewhere, at 54.9%, and the unemployment rate is 5.6%. Many people work in health care and social assistance.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 82.8% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport, far above the state average.