Wagga Wagga

The typical resident is 36, making the area noticeably younger than the New South Wales average. Children under 15 make up 20% of the population, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has grown to 7.0%, which is well above the national figure.

Most residents were born in Australia, and 11.9% were born overseas, which is far below the state and national averages. Australian and English ancestries are the most common, each accounting for nearly 40% of the community.

English is the main language for 85.2% of people. While 9.6% use another language at home, this is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 57.3%. Those reporting no religion make up 31.6% of the population, which is among the lowest for similar areas and well below the national figure.

The community is relatively well-qualified, with 19.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Nearly half of residents completed Year 12, a figure that has risen 8.5 points since 2011.

Typical personal weekly income is $814, which is about the same as the national figure. Weekly family incomes are typically $2,024, and the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen to 17.5% since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in the rest of the state, affecting 32.2% of people. Mental health conditions are reported by 10.7% of residents, which is a little above the national figure.

Unpaid childcare is common, with 28.0% of people providing this care. The area also has a higher-than-average number of Defence Force veterans, at 4.7%.

Family homes are common, and the area has more people per home (2.5) than most similar areas. However, people living alone have increased to 29.2%, which is well above the state average.

Separate houses dominate the landscape at 83.9%, and 78.6% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Renting is more common here than in most areas, while outright home ownership has fallen to 29.4%.

Cars are the primary way to get around, with 70.3% of people driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute, at just 0.6%, and only 7.4% of the workforce works from home.

The area is seeing a lot of movement, with 43.8% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals have risen sharply to 28.7%, which is far above the national average.

The workforce is strong, with 63.2% of adults working or looking for work. Many residents are employed in health care and social assistance, and the unemployment rate is lower than most areas at 4.4%.

The area is somewhat walkable, and most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, only about half of households can walk to groceries or health services within 15 minutes.