Urban Area · Area profile
Murray Bridge
98 km²
A growing population of over 18,000 people defines Murray Bridge, which has aged noticeably since 2011. The community is now older than the national average, with a significant rise in seniors and a move toward more detached housing. While the area is largely Australian-born, it is marked by a strong trend toward secularism and a high proportion of residents who need help with daily activities. It remains a place of modest incomes and a high number of renters compared to other similar areas.
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The typical resident is 42, making the area noticeably older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22.9% of the population, a figure that rose 4.9 points since 2011. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is 6.0%, which is well above the state average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people than the state or national figures. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, and the proportion of people born overseas has barely changed since 2011.
English is the main language for 82.5% of the community. While 9.1% of people use another language at home, this is far below the national figure. The number of people who speak little or no English fell 1.8 points since 2016.
A large number of people report having no religion, at 47.5%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant shift in the community, with the number of non-religious residents rising 20 points since 2011.
Educational qualifications are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 8.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose 8.7 points since 2011.
Typical incomes are well below the state and national figures, and this area is among the lowest for similar places. The typical weekly household income is $1,077, and only 6.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is reflected in the 9.2% of residents who need help with daily activities, a figure that rose since 2011.
Volunteer rates are higher than most areas, though they fell 4.3 points since 2011. There is also a higher-than-usual proportion of people providing unpaid care, which is consistent with the larger number of elderly residents.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 19.7%. People living alone also make up 32.7% of households, which is well above the national figure.
Detached houses are very common, making up 87.3% of homes. Renting is much more frequent here than in most areas, at 35.0%, though the typical weekly rent of $240 is well below the national figure.
The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 71.2% of people driving to work and only 0.3% using public transport. Working from home is much less common here than in the rest of the country.
The population is relatively stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years compared to most areas. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 15.9% of the community, which is a drop of 11 points since 2011.
Only 50.0% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state and national figures. The unemployment rate of 6.9% is a little above the national average, and many residents work in health care or retail.
The area is only somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.4, which is well below the state average. Only half of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a variety of amenities, and access to health services is lower than the state average.