Section of State Range · Area profile
499 or less
370 km²
A significant 25.8% of people in 499 or less are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is far above the national figure. This is a community with a high proportion of children and a growing number of seniors, though the total population shrank by 2.5% since 2011. It is a place where many residents face financial challenges, with typical incomes well below those in most other areas. Despite this, there is a strong culture of volunteering and unpaid care for others.
Explore 499 or less by topic
The typical resident is 41, making the area noticeably older than the national average. There are high numbers of children under 15, and since 2011, the proportion of people aged 65 and over has risen by 6.6 points to reach 20.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia, with 76.5% born here and only 13.0% born overseas, which is far below the national average. The most common ancestries are English and Australian.
Language use is diverse, as 16.8% of people use a language other than English at home—a figure that rose by 2.8 points since 2011. However, only 1.6% of people speak little or no English.
About 42.8% of people identify as Christian, while 39.1% report no religion. The number of people with no religious affiliation has risen by 15 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 34.9% of people completing Year 12. Only 9.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure.
Incomes are notably low, with the typical household earning $1,162 a week, well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 10.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, although this is 5.4 points higher than in 2011.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 27.8% of residents, which is about the same as the national average. This includes 9.3% with arthritis and 7.4% with a mental health condition.
Community spirit is high, with 20.2% of people volunteering, which is well above the national average. There is also a higher than usual rate of people providing unpaid care and housework.
Living arrangements are varied, with a high number of people living alone (32.9%) and a high proportion of one-parent families (19.2%).
The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 92.7% of homes. Renting is much more common here than in most areas, but the typical weekly rent of $140 is far below the national figure.
Most people drive to work, but 11.3% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is among the highest rates for similar areas. Very few people work from home, at just 4.8%.
The population is relatively stable, with 30.4% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen to 7.7% since 2011.
Full-time employment is slightly above the national average at 60.0%, but the overall rate of adults working or looking for work is far lower than usual. The unemployment rate is 7.7%, which is higher than most areas.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 77.9% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, only 38.7% of residents can walk to health services within 15 minutes.