Urban Centre · Area profile
Lake Cargelligo
6 km²
A strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence defines Lake Cargelligo, where 20.7% of the population identifies as such. This community is notably young, with children under 15 making up 22.2% of the people—well above the national figure. While the population has grown slightly to 1,169 people, it remains a place where many live in one-parent families or alone. It is a highly walkable town where most residents can easily access health services, schools, and shops on foot.
Explore Lake Cargelligo by topic
The area has a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most others, at 20.7%. Children are also well represented, making up 22.2% of the community, while 21.0% of residents are seniors aged 65 and over.
Most people here were born in Australia, and only 7.0% were born overseas, which is far below the New South Wales average. Australian, English, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 81.4% of residents, though the number of people using another language at home has risen to 4.4% since 2011. Very few people, just 0.9%, speak little or no English.
Christianity is the most common religion at 61.3%. The proportion of people reporting no religion has risen significantly since 2011 to 22.4%, though this is still far below the national figure.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 8.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose to 32.6% since 2011.
Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the usual household earning $1,106 a week. Only 6.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is much lower than most areas.
About 33.3% of residents have a long-term health condition, a figure well above the state average. Asthma (13.6%) and arthritis (9.2%) are the most common conditions reported.
Volunteerism is very high here, with 24.1% of people volunteering, which is far above the New South Wales average. Conversely, fewer people provide unpaid care or do heavy housework compared to similar areas.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 21.3%. There is also a high number of people living alone, making up 34.7% of all households.
Housing is very affordable, with typical weekly rents at just $170 and typical monthly mortgage payments at $867. Most homes are separate houses (89.2%), and 39.4% are owned outright.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 65.3% of people driving to work. Working from home is rare, at 4.4%, which is far below the national figure.
While fewer people have moved house in the last five years compared to the state average, there has been a significant increase in recent arrivals from overseas, who now make up 31.7% of the population.
About half of adults are working or looking for work, with 57.5% employed full-time. The most common industries for locals are education and training, agriculture, and manufacturing.
The town is very walkable, with 90.3% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 89.3% near health services. This high access to amenities is far above the state average.