Wagga Wagga Region

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 14,814 people in Wagga Wagga Region. Of these 50.8% were male and 49.2% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.6% of the population.

The median age of people in Wagga Wagga Region was 40 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 21.5% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 17.1% of the population.

Of people in Wagga Wagga Region aged 15 years and over, 54.1% were married and 10.9% were either divorced or separated.

In Wagga Wagga Region, of people aged 15 years and over, 55.2% of people were in a registered marriage and 9.8% were in a de facto marriage.

In Wagga Wagga Region 33.3% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 28.8% were in primary school, 20.2% in secondary school and 14.6% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Wagga Wagga Region, 11.8% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 21.2% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 7.5% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Wagga Wagga Region were Australian 34.5%, English 28.4%, Irish 10.0%, Scottish 8.4% and German 4.2%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Wagga Wagga Region (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Wagga Wagga Region, 85.3% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 1.4%, New Zealand 0.7%, South Africa 0.2%, India 0.2% and Netherlands 0.2%.

In Wagga Wagga Region, 78.2% of people had both parents born in Australia and 6.4% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Wagga Wagga Region, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 81.6%, England 2.7%, New Zealand 1.0%, Scotland 0.6% and Netherlands 0.5%.

In Wagga Wagga Region, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 82.3%, England 2.5%, New Zealand 1.1%, Scotland 0.5% and Netherlands 0.4%.

The most common responses for religion in Wagga Wagga Region were Catholic 28.6%, Anglican 20.0%, No Religion, so described 19.9%, Not stated 10.4% and Uniting Church 7.1%. In Wagga Wagga Region, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (76.5%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Wagga Wagga Region 89.7% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 0.2%, Afrikaans 0.1%, Italian 0.1%, French 0.1% and Spanish 0.1%.

Employment

There were 7,268 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Wagga Wagga Region. Of these 62.6% were employed full time, 27.8% were employed part-time and 4.1% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in Wagga Wagga Region, 9.4% worked 1 to 15 hours, 8.9% worked 16 to 24 hours and 47.8% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Wagga Wagga Region included Managers 24.0%, Technicians and Trades Workers 15.3%, Professionals 14.2%, Community and Personal Service Workers 10.5%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.5%, Labourers 9.9%, Machinery Operators and Drivers 7.0% and Sales Workers 7.0%.

Of the employed people in Wagga Wagga Region, the most common responses for industry of employment included Defence 5.5%, Grain-Sheep or Grain-Beef Cattle Farming 4.2%, Other Grain Growing 4.0%, Sheep Farming (Specialised) 3.3% and Beef Cattle Farming (Specialised) 3.0%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Wagga Wagga Region was $687.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Wagga Wagga Region, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 62.4%, Worked at home 11.9%, Walked only 7.5%, Car, as passenger 3.6% and Truck 1.6%. On the day, 0.5% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 66.4% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Wagga Wagga Region, of people aged 15 years and over, 69.8% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 29.7% provided care for children and 11.6% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 27.9% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Wagga Wagga Region, 25.8% worked 5 to 14 hours, 13.2% worked 15 to 29 hours and 11.6% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Wagga Wagga Region, 43.8% were couple families with children, 41.9% were couple families without children and 13.2% were one parent families.

In Wagga Wagga Region, 22.5% of single parents were male and 77.5% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Wagga Wagga Region, of couple families with children, 25.4% had both partners employed full-time, 4.3% had both employed part-time and 24.4% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Wagga Wagga Region, 88.6% of private dwellings were occupied and 11.4% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Wagga Wagga Region, 95.6% were separate houses, 0.1% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 2.3% were flats or apartments and 1.1% were other dwellings.

In Wagga Wagga Region, of occupied private dwellings 2.0% had 1 bedroom, 10.1% had 2 bedrooms and 42.4% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3.4. The average household size was 2.6 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Wagga Wagga Region, 38.6% were owned outright, 36.5% were owned with a mortgage and 20.6% were rented.

Household composition

In Wagga Wagga Region, of all households, 75.7% were family households, 22.0% were single person households and 2.3% were group households.

In Wagga Wagga Region, 19.5% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 11.3% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In Wagga Wagga Region, 24.4% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 38.9% had two registered motor vehicles and 29.3% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Wagga Wagga Region, 78.6% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Wagga Wagga Region, 50.7% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 49.3% were female. The median age was 19 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In Wagga Wagga Region, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 3.2 persons, with 0.9 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,255.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Wagga Wagga Region, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $240 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)