Section of State Range · Area profile
499 or less
232 km²
A far older population than the national average defines 499 or less, where the typical resident is 47. This community has shrunk by 17% since 2011, leaving a resident base that is notably more likely to be retired or older. It is a place of stability and home ownership, with very few renters and a strong preference for detached houses. The area is largely Australian-born and English-speaking, with a growing number of people reporting no religious affiliation.
Explore 499 or less by topic
The community is aging rapidly, with people aged 65 and over making up 23.2% of the population—well above the national figure of 17.2%. This trend is reflected in the typical age, which rose to 47 by 2021, making the area far older than most similar places.
The area is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 80.6% born here and only 10.5% born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the dominant language, spoken by 88.2% of residents. Only 4.0% use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
Nearly half of the population (49.0%) reports having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This represents a significant increase of 20 percentage points since 2011.
While more residents hold a bachelor degree or higher (15.7%) than in most similar areas, the figure remains far below the national average of 26.3%. More people have completed Year 12 than in 2011, reaching 42.7%.
Incomes are generally lower than the national figures, with a typical weekly household earning $1,285. However, there has been a notable rise in wealth since 2011, and 11.6% of households now earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, with arthritis being the most reported condition.
Residents are highly active in their community, with 20.4% volunteering—well above the national figure of 14.1%. Providing unpaid care is also more common here, affecting 14.5% of the population.
Living arrangements are often smaller, with 30.2% of people living alone, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%. Consequently, the typical home holds 2.3 people, slightly lower than the national average.
Housing is dominated by detached houses (96.2%) and high rates of outright ownership, at 44.7%. Renting is very uncommon here, with only 13.0% of households renting, far below the national average of 30.6%.
Car dependence is very high, as 0.4% of people use public transport for commuting. Only 3.0% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well below the national figure of 7.4%.
The population is relatively stable, with 32.1% moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas are also less common than across Australia.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (55.1%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. Full-time employment has also fallen since 2011, and the most common industries are health care and construction.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 83.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, access to health services is lower, with only 25.0% of homes within a 15-minute walk of such facilities.