West and North West

Demographics & education

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

In the 2016 Census, there were 109,024 people in West and North West. Of these 48.9% were male and 51.1% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 7.2% of the population.

The median age of people in West and North West was 44 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 17.8% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 20.8% of the population.

Of people in West and North West aged 15 years and over, 47.9% were married and 14.1% were either divorced or separated.

In West and North West, of people aged 15 years and over, 47.7% of people were in a registered marriage and 12.1% were in a de facto marriage.

In West and North West 27.1% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 32.1% were in primary school, 20.8% in secondary school and 14.0% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in West and North West, 9.3% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 20.1% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 7.0% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in West and North West were Australian 36.2%, English 33.7%, Irish 7.7%, Scottish 6.9% and German 2.4%.

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 West and North West (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In West and North West, 83.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 3.3%, New Zealand 1.1%, Netherlands 0.5%, Scotland 0.4% and Philippines 0.4%.

In West and North West, 75.1% of people had both parents born in Australia and 10.5% of people had both parents born overseas.

In West and North West, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 78.8%, England 4.9%, New Zealand 1.5%, Netherlands 1.1% and Scotland 1.0%.

In West and North West, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 80.0%, England 4.6%, New Zealand 1.4%, Netherlands 1.0% and Scotland 0.8%.

The most common responses for religion in West and North West were No Religion, so described 36.1%, Anglican 18.7%, Catholic 15.1%, Not stated 9.6% and Uniting Church 5.9%. In West and North West, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (58.2%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In West and North West 91.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 0.2%, German 0.2%, Dutch 0.2%, Tagalog 0.1% and Spanish 0.1%.

Employment

There were 48,007 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in West and North West. Of these 52.0% were employed full time, 34.2% were employed part-time and 7.6% 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 West and North West, 13.2% worked 1 to 15 hours, 11.1% worked 16 to 24 hours and 38.4% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in West and North West included Labourers 15.1%, Technicians and Trades Workers 15.1%, Professionals 13.6%, Managers 12.3%, Community and Personal Service Workers 12.0%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 11.2%, Sales Workers 10.2% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 8.6%.

Of the employed people in West and North West, the most common responses for industry of employment included Supermarket and Grocery Stores 3.3%, Aged Care Residential Services 3.1%, Primary Education 2.9%, Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 2.5% and Secondary Education 2.1%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in West and North West was $523.

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

In West and North West, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 69.2%, Car, as passenger 5.2%, Worked at home 4.7%, Walked only 3.7% and Truck 0.9%. On the day, 0.8% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 75.0% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In West and North West, of people aged 15 years and over, 68.9% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 26.0% provided care for children and 11.8% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 21.3% 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 West and North West, 25.5% worked 5 to 14 hours, 13.5% worked 15 to 29 hours and 11.8% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in West and North West, 36.5% were couple families with children, 45.2% were couple families without children and 17.3% were one parent families.

In West and North West, 19.3% of single parents were male and 80.7% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In West and North West, of couple families with children, 14.9% had both partners employed full-time, 4.5% had both employed part-time and 21.9% 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 West and North West, 86.4% of private dwellings were occupied and 13.6% were unoccupied.

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

Of occupied private dwellings in West and North West, 90.7% were separate houses, 6.6% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 1.6% were flats or apartments and 0.7% were other dwellings.

In West and North West, of occupied private dwellings 3.9% had 1 bedroom, 18.4% had 2 bedrooms and 54.8% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 3. The average household size was 2.3 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 West and North West, 37.2% were owned outright, 31.7% were owned with a mortgage and 27.5% were rented.

Household composition

In West and North West, of all households, 67.5% were family households, 30.1% were single person households and 2.4% were group households.

In West and North West, 29.1% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 6.0% 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 West and North West, 34.6% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 35.1% had two registered motor vehicles and 19.9% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In West and North West, 74.8% 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 West and North West, 49.0% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 51.0% were female. The median age was 24 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 West and North West, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 2.9 persons, with 0.9 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,078.

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

In West and North West, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $210 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,192.

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