Urban Centre · Area profile
Cobden
4 km²
Far older than the state and national average, Cobden is a community where the typical resident is 51. It is a stable, overwhelmingly Australian-born town with a strong sense of local ownership, as nearly half of its homes are owned outright. The population has shrunk significantly since 2011, and the area is now defined by a high proportion of seniors and a workforce largely employed in manufacturing and healthcare. Most residents live in detached houses and enjoy a very walkable layout with easy access to local services.
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The community is significantly older than most areas, with 30.3% of people aged 65 and over, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. Children under 15 make up 15.2% of the population, a figure well below the Australian average.
Cobden is very homogenous, with 88.2% of residents born in Australia and far fewer overseas-born residents (5.7%) than the state average of 30%. English, Irish, and Scottish ancestries are the most common after Australian.
English is the primary language for 93.7% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home has fallen to just 1.5%, far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 51.6%, though the number of people reporting no religion rose by 13 points since 2011 to reach 41.3%.
Educational qualifications are much lower than in most areas; only 7.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,134, well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more per week rose by 5.6 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in other areas, with 38.9% of residents affected. This is reflected in the 9.8% of people who need help with daily activities, well above the national average.
Volunteering is very high, with 22% of residents helping out, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care for others is also slightly more common than in the state average.
A high 34.3% of people live alone, well above the national figure of 25.6%. One-parent families are also more common here than in most areas, making up 17.3% of households.
The area is dominated by separate houses, and 48.5% are owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%. Typical weekly rent is $220, which is far below the national figure of $375.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 70.2% of workers driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute, and only 5.1% of residents work from home.
The population is very stable, with only 28.6% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%.
Manufacturing (16.1%) and healthcare (14.4%) are the main industries. The unemployment rate is 3.1%, which is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.
The town is highly walkable, with 91.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a 'city walkshed' and 98.2% within reach of a park, both far above the state averages.