Cobar

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is 14.7%, which is far above the national figure of 3.2% and has risen 14 points since 2011. Families are often large, with 21% of residents being children under 15, and de facto relationships are much more common here than in most areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (8%) compared to the New South Wales figure of 29.3%. The most common ancestries are Australian and English.

English is the main language for 79.4% of the community. While the proportion of people using another language at home has risen to 5% since 2011, this is still far below the national average of 22.3%.

Over half the community identifies as Christian. Those with no religion make up 28.4%, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%, though this group has grown by nearly 10 points since 2011.

The area has a lower rate of higher education than most places, with only 10.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Qualifications are heavily weighted toward trade and technical skills, with 37% of residents holding a Certificate III or IV.

Typical incomes are much higher than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly personal income of $946. This is a little above the national figure and has risen by $357 since 2011, reflecting the high pay in the local mining sector.

Residents are slightly less likely to have long-term health or mental health conditions than the national average. Only 4.6% of people need help with daily activities, which is a little below the national figure of 5.8%.

Volunteering has fallen sharply since 2011, dropping from 30.1% to 13.1%. The number of people providing unpaid care or doing significant housework is also much lower than in most other areas.

Living arrangements vary, with a high number of people living alone (34.4%) and a higher-than-average rate of one-parent families at 17%. On average, there are 2.3 people per home.

Renters make up 36.5% of households, which is well above the national figure. While 81.3% of homes have three or more bedrooms, the typical weekly rent of $200 is far below the national average of $375.

The community relies heavily on cars, with 68.2% of workers driving to work. Very few people use public transport for commuting (0.6%), and only 3.2% of the workforce works from home.

Recent arrivals from overseas make up 19.4% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 14.5% and has risen since 2011.

The workforce is dominated by mining, which accounts for 34.6% of jobs. Full-time employment is very high at 67.3%, well above the national figure of 58.9%, and the unemployment rate is low at 3.4%.

The area is somewhat walkable, with nearly all homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 71.9% near health services. However, it is far below the state average for access to public transport and groceries.