South West Rocks

The area is far older than most of Australia, with the typical resident aged 58. While the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is a little above the national figure at 6.1%, the proportion of children under 15 is well below the national average at 12.6%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 9.9%, which is far below the national figure. English is the most common ancestry at 46.5%, followed by Australian at 40.1%.

English is the primary language for 91.1% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 2.7%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 39.1% report no religion. This last figure has risen by 20 points since 2011 and is now well above the New South Wales average.

Qualifications are lower than the national average, with only 12.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. About 33.6% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the state and national figures.

Incomes are much lower than typical areas; the typical weekly household earns $997, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.9% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this has risen since 2011.

Health needs are high, with 40.6% of people living with a long-term health condition, far above the national figure. This is reflected in the 9.3% of people who need help with daily activities, which is well above the state average.

Unpaid care for children is well below the national average, likely due to the small number of children in the area. However, 13% of people provide some form of unpaid care, and 15.8% of the community are volunteers.

Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.1 people per dwelling. Nearly half of all households are couples without children, and 30.3% of people live alone, which is well above the national average.

Home ownership is very high, with 54.0% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure. Most residents live in separate houses (82.4%), and 75.4% of homes have three or more bedrooms.

Cars are the primary way to get around, with 61.6% of workers driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. About 12.1% of people work from home, which is higher than most similar areas.

The community is relatively stable, though 38.8% of people moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 8.0% of the population, which is well below the national figure.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (40.2%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. The local workforce is concentrated in health care, social assistance, and the hospitality sector.

The area is somewhat walkable, though it is far below the state average for access to parks and schools. Residents have good access to health services, with 67.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk.