Urban Centre · Area profile
Laura
1 km²
A huge surge in the senior population has transformed Laura into a much older community. The typical resident is now 49, with people aged 65 and over making up 30.7% of the population. This ageing trend is reflected in the local health needs and a high rate of volunteering. Despite the older demographic, there is still a significant presence of children, and most residents live in separate houses within a very walkable town centre.
Explore Laura by topic
The area has grown slightly to 522 people. It is far older than the national figure, with a significant 30.7% of residents aged 65 or over, a figure that rose 29 points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia (84.5%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the state and national figures at 9.0%. Australian, English, and German are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 91.2% of the community. Only 2.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.
About 48.9% of the population identify as Christian, while 40.0% report having no religion. This is slightly above the national figure but well below the state average.
Qualifications are lower than the state and national averages, with 39.2% of people completing Year 12. However, the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 12.3% since 2011.
Incomes have fallen since 2011, with the typical household now earning $909 a week, which is far below the national figure. Only 5.5% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.
Health challenges are much more common here than in most areas, with 42.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. Additionally, 9.6% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteerism is very high, with 31.6% of people volunteering, far above the national figure. There is also a high rate of unpaid housework, at 28.5%.
Many people live alone (37.9%), which is far above the national average. While 53.1% of households are couples with children, the typical home contains 2.2 people.
The area is dominated by separate houses (90.9%), and 43.8% are owned outright. Rent is much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly cost of $200.
Most people rely on cars to get to work, and very few work from home (3.8%). However, 88.2% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.
Movement into the area is moderate, with 33.7% of people moving in the last five years. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas since the last census period.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (46.0%) compared to the national average. Those employed are most often found in health care, manufacturing, and retail.
The town is very walkable, with a score of 7.1. Nearly all homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (99.5%) and health services (98.8%).