State Electorate · Area profile
Braddon (Murchison)
19,151 km²
Daily life in Braddon (Murchison) is centered around detached housing and a population that has grown 15% since 2011. It is a noticeably older community where the typical resident is 44, and about 22% are seniors. This area is distinctive for its high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who make up 10.1% of the population. With incomes generally below the national figure, it is a place where many residents have a strong connection to the land and a high rate of home ownership.
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The area is much older than most, with the typical resident aged 44 and a significant 22% of people aged 65 and over. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 10.1% of the community, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (10.7%) than the national average. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, together accounting for over 87% of the population.
English is the dominant language, with 89.2% of people using it only at home. Only 4.1% of residents use another language, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
Nearly half of the community (49.6%) reports having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This is a significant shift for the area, as the number of people with no religion rose 21 points since 2011.
The area has much lower rates of higher education than most, with only 12.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 34.2% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Typical weekly household incomes are among the lowest at this level at $1,174, well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 10.3% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national average.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.5% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than the national figure.
Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, with 17.9% of people contributing their time. This is alongside a high rate of unpaid care, as 13% of residents provide unpaid care for others.
A large number of people live alone (32.8%), which is well above the national average of 25.6%. This helps explain why the average home has only 2.3 people, which is much lower than most areas.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (92%), and 38.7% of homes are owned outright. Rent is very affordable compared to the rest of the country, with a typical weekly rent of $220.
Cars are essential for getting around, as only 0.5% of people commute by public transport. Very few people work from home (6.7%), which is far below the national average of 21%.
About 36.1% of residents moved in the last five years, which is a little below the state average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.1% of the population, which is about the same as the national figure.
The workforce is smaller than in most areas, with only 54.5% of adults working or looking for work. Many residents work in health care, social assistance, or agriculture, forestry and fishing.
The area is somewhat walkable, and residents have better access to health services within a 15-minute walk than the state average. However, only 58.2% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.