Census data provides a snapshot of our Shire

27 June, 2012Posted in: Community, Other
 

Information from the 2011 Census released this week from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveal that whilst our Shire’s median age is higher than the state average, more of our residents own their own home and our weekly rental is lower.

These are just some of the statistics available from the 2011 Census.

Further information reveals that our population has grown 5% to 44,395 from the 2006 Census.

The number of people reporting themselves as being from an Indigenous background has also increased from 529 persons in 2006 to 802 last year. This now represents 1.8% of our total population, which is slightly below the state average of 2.5%.

Our median age has also increased to 45 which is seven years older than the state median.

 

21.6% of our residents are aged over 65 years of age compared to the state average of 14.7% and 18 people were also recorded as having passed the magic centenary milestone.

 

Home ownership at 15.6% is 3.8% higher than the state average compared to 8% of listed residents in rental accommodation which is 2.7% below the state median. Also below the state average is the cost of renting accommodation in the Shire which is approximately $40 less than the NSW median of $300 per week.

 

Encouragingly, the data also reveals that 18.1% of Southern Highlanders put their hand up for volunteer work compared to 13.6% across the state.

 

To view more information about the Shire’s population data – including a breakdown of individual towns and villages – visit: www.abs.gov.au/census.