Culcairn

The typical resident is 46, making the town far older than the Australian average. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 27.7% of the population, which is 10 points higher than the national figure. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 6.1% of the community, a figure that has risen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia (83.2%), though the proportion of people born overseas has risen to 11.0% since 2011. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, Scottish, German and Irish.

English is the main language for 90.4% of the population. Only 4.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 56.2%. The number of people reporting no religion has risen sharply by 27 points since 2011 to reach 34.4%, though this remains well below the national average.

Education levels are lower than the national average, with only 10.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. About 30.5% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical weekly household incomes are $1,056, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Low earnings are common, with 48.0% of people earning under $650 a week.

Health challenges are much more common here than in most areas, with 39.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is reflected in the 9.6% of residents who need help with daily activities, well above the national rate of 5.8%.

Community spirit is high, with 20.7% of people volunteering, far above the national figure of 14.1%. There is also a strong presence of former Defence Force members at 4.7% and a high rate of unpaid carers at 16.4%.

Living arrangements vary, as 33.9% of people live alone and 20.4% live in one-parent families, which is well above the national average. Most homes hold about 2.3 people.

The town consists almost entirely of separate houses (95.8%), with 77.9% having three or more bedrooms. Rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly cost of $220, far below the national figure of $375.

Cars are essential for the community, as 0.0% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 67.7% of workers drive to their jobs.

The area has become more mobile, with 38.2% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have increased significantly to 19.7% since 2011.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the national average, at 45.9%. The local workforce is concentrated in health care, retail, and education, with technicians and trades as the most common occupation.

The town is very walkable, with 91.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of essential services. Almost every home is within a short stroll of a park, school and health clinic.