Urban Centre · Area profile
Gilgai
5 km²
A significantly higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Gilgai than in the rest of the state. This small community is noticeably older and more likely to face health challenges than the national average. With a typical resident aged 46 and an increasing number of seniors, the area has a relaxed pace of life where most people own their homes outright. It is a quiet residential pocket in the Inverell region where local ties are strong and few people move in or out.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population rose to 17.0% in 2021, which is far above the national figure of 3.2%. Residents are generally older, with 23.8% aged 65 and over, a figure well above the New South Wales average.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 80.5% born here. Only 5.3% of people were born overseas, which is far below the national average of 27.7%.
English is the only language used at home for 84.5% of the population. No one in the area speaks little or no English, a figure well below the state and national averages.
About 38.8% of residents report having no religion, which is about the same as the national figure. This represents a significant increase from 2011, when the figure was 23.2%.
Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 3.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The typical resident has completed Year 10, and only 25.2% finished Year 12.
Typical weekly household incomes are far below the national figure, sitting at $961. Very few households earn $3,000 or more a week, with only 2.8% reaching this level.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 10.3% of people needing help with daily activities. This is consistent with 36.8% of the population living with a long-term health condition.
More people provide unpaid care here than in most other areas, at 16.4%. However, volunteering has fallen since 2011 and is now well below the national average at 7.9%.
One-parent families make up 19.9% of households, which is well above the national average of 14.1%. Most homes are occupied by couples, either with or without children.
Every single home in Gilgai is a separate house. Ownership is high, with 43.7% of homes owned outright, and rent is well below the national average at a typical $248 per week.
Cars are essential here, as 69.3% of workers drive to work and no one uses public transport. Only 2.9% of homes do not have a motor vehicle.
The population is very stable, with only 24.5% of people moving house in the last five years. This is far below the national figure of 40.7%, and no recent overseas arrivals were recorded.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the rest of the state, at 44.5%. The unemployment rate is 8.8%, which is well above the national average of 5.1%.
While most homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, there is a total lack of health services within that distance. The area is considered somewhat walkable, though it is far less connected to public transport than the state average.