Urban Centre · Area profile
Gapuwiyak
12 km²
A 30% population increase since 2011 has seen Gapuwiyak (L) grow into a larger, predominantly Aboriginal community of 705 people. It is a very young place where the typical resident is only 30, far younger than the national figure. This youthfulness, combined with very large households, creates a distinctive community where most people live in rented homes and speak a language other than English. The town is a stable residential hub with very few people moving in or out over recent years.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 91.5% of the population, which is far above the national figure. The area is notably young, with the typical resident aged 30 and only 3.8% of people aged 65 and over.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 95.2% born here. Only 1.3% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below both the territory and national averages.
Language diversity is very high, with 91.1% of people using another language at home. This is far above the national figure, and the proportion of people who speak little or no English has risen to 7.2% since 2016.
Christianity is the most common faith at 62.4%. Those reporting no religion make up 28.8% of the population, which is far below the national figure.
Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 5.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree. However, the number of people completing Year 12 rose significantly to 36.5% since 2011.
Typical personal weekly income is $358, which is far below the national figure. While typical household income has risen to $1,766, most individuals earn under $650 a week.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 14.9% of residents, which is far below the national figure. Mental health conditions are also well below the national average at 3.7%.
Caregiving is a major part of local life, with 43.6% of people caring for children unpaid and 19.1% providing other unpaid care, both far above national figures.
Homes are much larger than usual, averaging 4.9 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of one-parent families, who make up 32.5% of households.
Rental is the primary tenure here, with 85.1% of homes rented at a typical weekly cost of $90. Overcrowding is common, with 1.8 people per bedroom, far above the national figure.
Many homes lack a car, with 60.7% of households having no motor vehicle. This is far above the national figure and helps explain why 54.6% of workers walk to their jobs.
The population is very stable, with only 12.9% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national average.
Only 25.2% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the national figure. The unemployment rate is 9.2%, which is well above both the state and national figures.
The area is mostly car-dependent for health services and parks, but it is highly walkable for basics, with 99.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of both groceries and schools.