Urban Centre · Area profile
Inverell
20 km²
A large regional hub in New South Wales, Inverell is a town where a growing population meets a strong Indigenous presence. It is a place of contrast, with a high number of single-parent families and people living alone alongside traditional large family homes. While the community has grown by 16% since 2011, typical incomes have fallen and the unemployment rate is now higher than the national figure. The area remains predominantly Australian-born, though it has seen a significant increase in recent overseas arrivals.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 12.3%, which is well above the national figure. The community is ageing, with the proportion of people aged 65 and over climbing to 23.0% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people than the state average. English, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.
While English is the main language, the number of people using another language at home rose to 5.6% since 2011. This is still far below the state and national figures.
About 55.2% of people identify as Christian, while those with no religion make up 33.0%. The share of people with no religion has risen by 12 points since 2011.
The area has far fewer people with a bachelor degree or Year 12 completion compared to the rest of the state. Certificate III and IV qualifications are the most common highest level of education.
Incomes are generally well below the national figure, and typical household weekly earnings have fallen by $428 since 2011. Only 7.7% of households earn $3,000 or more a week.
A higher number of people need help with daily activities compared to most areas, and 32.8% have a long-term health condition. Arthritis and asthma are the most common reports.
Volunteer rates have fallen to 13.3%, and fewer people provide unpaid housework than in other similar areas. Around 12.4% of residents provide some form of unpaid care.
One-parent families are far more common here than in the rest of Australia, at 24.9%. There has also been a sharp increase in people living alone, now reaching 34.5%.
Separate houses are very common, and while 32.3% of homes are owned outright, rental rates are much higher than the national average. Typical weekly rents are $270, which is well below the national figure.
Cars are the primary way to get to work, as public transport use is very low at 0.2%. The number of homes without a motor vehicle has risen to 9.1%.
The area has seen a high influx of people, with recent arrivals from overseas rising to 28.8% since 2011. About 39.4% of residents moved house in the last five years.
Full-time employment is slightly above the national average, though the unemployment rate of 7.6% is higher than the state figure. Many residents work in health care, manufacturing, or retail.
Most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, but far fewer have easy access to groceries or health services compared to the state average.