Urban Centre · Area profile
Harden - Murrumburrah
6 km²
A far older population than most areas defines Harden - Murrumburrah, where the typical resident is 52. The community has shrunk slightly since 2011 and is now home to 1,789 people. It is a predominantly Australian-born town with a high proportion of retirees and a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence. These factors contribute to a quieter, more established character with lower typical incomes compared to the state and national figures.
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The area is far older than the national average, with 32.7% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 13 points since 2011. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is 8.4%, which is well above the New South Wales figure of 3.4%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and only 7.5% were born overseas, which is far below the state average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though the share of overseas-born residents rose 3.2 points since 2011.
English is the primary language for 91.0% of the community. Only 3.1% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average, although this has risen slightly since 2011.
Christianity is the most common faith at 67.2%. People with no religion make up 25.6% of the population, which is among the lowest for similar areas and far below the national figure.
Educational qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 8.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Around 33.4% of residents left school at Year 10, though Year 12 completion rose 3.0 points since 2011.
Incomes are far below the state and national figures, with a typical weekly household earning $973. Only 5.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is much lower than in most other areas.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than elsewhere, affecting 38.0% of people. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.9% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is higher than most areas at 19.2%, though this fell 3.7 points since 2011. More people do 15 or more hours of unpaid housework per week than in most other areas.
A high 36.6% of people live alone, which is far above the state average. Homes are smaller on average, with 2.1 people per household, a figure that has moved down since 2011.
The area is dominated by separate houses (92.7%), and 45.4% are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is $220, far below the New South Wales average of $420.
Most people drive to work, and only 0.6% use public transport. Very few people work from home at 5.0%, which is far below the state and national figures.
The community is relatively stable, with only 28.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals fell 9.2 points since 2011.
Working or looking for work is less common here than in most areas, at 46.3%. The most common industries for those employed are health care and social assistance, followed by public administration and safety.
The town is somewhat walkable, with most homes within a 15-minute walk of a school (95.2%) or a park (92.9%). However, only 42.7% of homes are within 10 minutes of public transport, far below the state average.