Tomago

The community is far older than the national figure, with a typical resident now aged 60. This trend is striking as the population of seniors rose 30 points since 2011, while the share of children under 15 fell by 12 points.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people compared to the rest of the state. English and Australian are the most common ancestries reported.

English is the primary language here, and the share of people using another language at home is far below the national figure. However, the proportion of people who speak little or no English rose slightly since 2016.

About half of the residents identify as Christian, while those with no religion make up 28.6%. This figure for people with no religion is far below the national average, though it has risen since 2011.

The area has very few adults with a university degree, at 4.5%, which is far below the national figure. The number of people who completed Year 12 also fell significantly since 2011.

Household incomes are among the lowest at this level, with a typical weekly household income of $788. This is far below the national figure and represents a drop of over $1,100 since 2011.

Health challenges are common here, as the share of people with a long-term health condition is far above the state average. This is consistent with the older population, with 7.4% of people needing help with daily activities.

Participation in unpaid work and volunteering is very low compared to other areas. For instance, the share of volunteers fell 27 points since 2011 to just 2.8%.

Living arrangements are unusual for the region, with 58.3% of people living alone. This is far above the state average and helps explain why the typical home only has 1.7 people.

Home ownership is high, with 56.7% of homes owned outright, which is far above the national figure. However, there are very few large homes; only 22% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms.

The area is highly dependent on cars, as 0% of people commute by public transport. About 12.1% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is higher than in most other areas.

About 35.2% of residents moved in the last five years, though the area saw no recent arrivals from overseas. This suggests the population is changing internally rather than through international migration.

Job prospects are a challenge, as the unemployment rate is 13.3%, which is well above the national figure. Only 33.6% of adults are working or looking for work, a far below average result.

The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Most residents cannot reach a school, health service, or grocery store within a 15-minute walk.