Urban Area · Area profile
Broken Hill
170 km²
A high proportion of residents in Broken Hill work full-time, though typical incomes remain well below the national figure. This regional hub is an older community, with a typical age of 44 and a significant population of seniors. It is notably diverse in its heritage, with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population that is well above the state average. The area is largely detached housing and very walkable, though the total population shrank by about 929 people between 2011 and 2021.
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The population is noticeably older than the state average, with 23.2% of residents aged 65 and over. About 10% of the community is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure that rose 2.4 points since 2011.
The area is predominantly Australian born, with 86% born here. Only 5.2% of people were born overseas, which is far below the national figure.
English is the primary language for 88% of the community. Only 3.4% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the state and national averages.
Nearly half of the population (49.3%) reported no religion, a figure that rose 23 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.
Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 10.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the proportion of people completing Year 12 rose to 29.1% since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,173, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. While personal incomes are generally lower, the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose to 12.2% since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 38.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. This includes 11.8% with a mental health condition, which is well above the national average.
Volunteer rates are about the same as the national figure at 13.3%. Around 13% of the community provides unpaid care, while 22.6% care for children unpaid, which is well below the national average.
The area has a high number of people living alone (37.1%) and one-parent families (23.1%), both of which are far above the national average. Consequently, homes are smaller, with a typical 2.2 people per dwelling.
Separate houses make up 94.6% of dwellings, and 42% are owned outright, far above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is $220, which is far below the national average of $375.
Cars are the primary way to get to work for 70.2% of residents, as only 0.1% use public transport. Very few people work from home (4.2%), far below the state average.
The community is relatively stable, with only 28.6% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure. Despite this, recent arrivals from overseas rose to 20.5% since 2011.
Full-time employment is well above the national average at 61.7%, with many people working in health care, mining, and retail. However, the percentage of adults working or looking for work is much lower than most areas.
The area is very walkable, with 92.8% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed. Most residents can easily walk to groceries (87.6%), schools (87.2%), and parks (97.1%).