Urban Centre · Area profile
Lismore
40 km²
Far more people in Lismore identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander than in the typical Australian area. The community is noticeably older than the national average, with 20.8% of residents aged 65 and over. While it is one of the larger places at this level, the population shrank by 23% between 2011 and 2021. It is a place where many people live alone or in single-parent families, contributing to a distinct social character in the region.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 7.3% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The typical resident is 41, which is noticeably older than the Australian average of 38.
Only 9.9% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 87.6% of the area, and while those using another language at home rose to 5.8% since 2011, this is still far below the national figure of 22.3%.
The number of people with no religion has risen sharply since 2011 to reach 42.7%, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
The area has a higher proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher than most similar areas, though this 19.2% remains well below the state average of 27.8%.
Typical household income is $1,230 a week, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 9.8% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than elsewhere, with 14.5% of people reporting a mental health condition and 36.6% having a long-term health condition, both of which are well above national figures.
Volunteer rates are a little above the national average at 16.1%, and 14% of people provide unpaid care, which is higher than most similar areas.
Single-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 23.7% of households. A high number of people live alone, at 34.4%.
Renting is much more common here than in similar areas, with 33.8% of households renting. Separate houses are very common, making up 76.7% of all homes.
Most people drive to work, and only 0.4% use public transport, which is a little below the national average. Working from home rose to 10.7% by 2021.
The area has seen a lot of movement, with 40.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 13.1% of the population.
Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer, with 23.2% of the workforce in this field. The unemployment rate is 5.9%, which is about the same as the national figure.
The area is somewhat walkable, and 89.3% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, only 54.7% of homes are within 15 minutes of groceries, which is far below the state average.