Esperance

The population is noticeably older than the state average, with seniors aged 65 and over rising by 16 percentage points since 2011 to reach 20.6%. While 19.2% of residents are children under 15, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population fell sharply from 22.5% in 2011 to 5.0% in 2021.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (13.0%) than the national figure of 27.7%. English, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries after Australian.

English is the dominant language, with only 4.4% of people using another language at home, which is far below the national average of 22.3%. Very few residents speak little or no English, at just 0.4%.

About half of the community (49.7%) reports having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average and has risen by 21 percentage points since 2011.

Educational qualifications are far below state and national levels, with only 11.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. About 41.5% of residents completed Year 12, which is also far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical weekly family income is $1,988, which is slightly below the state figure of $2,214. However, typical personal and household incomes remain higher than in most similar areas, despite a general fall in income since 2011.

Long-term health conditions affect 28.8% of residents, slightly above the national average. Arthritis and asthma are the most common reported conditions, while 5.0% of people need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is a strong feature here, with 23.0% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. This is despite the area having much lower rates of unpaid care and housework than most similar places.

About 31.6% of people live alone, which is well above the national average of 25.6%. While 51.9% of households are couples with children, the average number of people per home has fallen to 2.3 since 2011.

Detached houses make up 85.4% of the market, and 81.7% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Renting is much more common here than in most similar areas (32.9%), though typical weekly rents of $270 are well below the national average.

Cars are the primary way to get around, with 70.5% of people driving to work. Only 0.8% use public transport for commuting, and a small number of people (4.7%) work from home.

The community is less mobile than the national average, with 36.8% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 11.1% of the population, a figure that has fallen by 17 percentage points since 2011.

The unemployment rate is very low at 2.9%, which is a little below the national figure. Health care, retail, and education are the top industries, and technicians and trades are the most common occupations.

The town is somewhat walkable, with a high number of amenities per 1,000 residents. While 92.1% of homes are near a park, only 27.5% are within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far below the state average.