Urban Centre · Area profile
Bothwell
9 km²
Tucked into the Central Highlands, Bothwell is a small town that has grown by 80% since 2011 to reach 379 people. It is a predominantly older community where the typical resident is 53, which is far older than the national figure. The town is largely made up of separate houses and has a strong connection to the land, with many people working in agriculture and forestry. It is a quiet, stable place where most residents own their homes and few people move in or out.
Explore Bothwell by topic
The population is significantly older than most areas, with 28.2% of people aged 65 and over. While children under 15 make up 15.6% of the community, this is a little below the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a strong English and Australian ancestry. The proportion of people born overseas has fallen to 10.3%, which is far below the national figure.
English is the dominant language here, with 93.7% of people using it exclusively at home. Only 1.3% of residents use another language, a figure far below the rest of the country.
Christianity remains common at 59.6%, though the number of people reporting no religion has risen since 2011 to 35.1%. This is still well below the national figure.
The community has fewer people with higher qualifications than most areas; only 7.7% have a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national average.
Typical weekly household income is $1,077, which is far below the national figure. While incomes have risen since 2011, only 8.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 37.7% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 12.7%.
Volunteering is very common, with 21.5% of people giving their time, which is well above the national figure. Many residents also spend a significant amount of time on unpaid housework.
Living alone is much more common here than elsewhere, with 36.7% of people in single-person homes. This helps explain why the typical home only has 2.1 people.
Home ownership is high, with 47.9% of houses owned outright, far above the national figure. Most people live in separate houses, and renting is very uncommon at 11.2%.
The town is highly car-dependent, with 60.6% of people driving to work and no one using public transport. About 9.7% of the workforce now works from home.
The community is very stable, as far fewer people have moved here in the last five years compared to the rest of the country. No new arrivals from overseas were recorded in the latest census.
Working or looking for work is common for 54.2% of adults, with 57% in full-time roles. Local industry is led by agriculture, forestry, fishing, and public administration.
While the town is mostly car-dependent, many homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, schools, and parks. However, there is no public transport or health service within walking distance.