Blackwood

The community is far older than the national average, with a typical age of 47. While the proportion of seniors fell since 2011, there has been a big increase in people in de facto relationships, now at 17.4%.

English and Australian are the most common ancestries, and 79% of residents were born in Australia. While the number of people born overseas is higher than in many similar areas, it remains far below the state and national figures.

English is the main language for 86.6% of the community. Those who speak another language at home make up 7.3% of the population, which is much higher than in similar areas but far below the state average.

The area is defined by a very high proportion of people with no religion, which rose 54 points since 2011. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 26.5%.

Blackwood is highly qualified, with 30.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This reflects a strong upward trend since 2011, and 62.5% of residents have completed Year 12, which is well above the national figure.

Typical weekly household income is $1,416, which is higher than in most similar areas. While this is a little below the state average, the number of people earning $2,000 or more a week has risen to 9.7%.

Mental health conditions are much more common here than in most similar areas, affecting 13.4% of residents. Overall, long-term health conditions are well above the national figure.

The area has a very high rate of volunteering at 25.5%, which is far above the national average. There is also a notably high number of people who have served in the Defence Force.

Single-person households are very common, with 37.1% of people living alone, far above the national average. One-parent families are also much more common than in similar areas, making up 20.9% of households.

The area consists almost entirely of separate houses (96.3%), though homes are smaller than average, with 57.3% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is very rare here, at just 9.8%.

Cars are essential as every single home owns at least one vehicle. This is consistent with the high number of people who drive to work and the 28.5% who work from home.

About a third of the population moved here in the last five years. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas since the last census.

The workforce is quite active, with 61.3% of adults working or looking for work. The most common industries for residents are construction, public administration, and health care.

Blackwood is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. While most people can walk to groceries or a park, there are no schools or health services within a 15-minute walk.