Lightning Ridge

Demographics & education

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

In the 2016 Census, there were 1,437 people in Lightning Ridge. Of these 51.0% were male and 49.0% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 29.4% of the population.

The median age of people in Lightning Ridge was 47 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 17.1% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 25.8% of the population.

Of people in Lightning Ridge aged 15 years and over, 28.4% were married and 18.4% were either divorced or separated.

In Lightning Ridge, of people aged 15 years and over, 25.7% of people were in a registered marriage and 16.6% were in a de facto marriage.

In Lightning Ridge 32.2% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 19.1% were in primary school, 14.0% in secondary school and 11.3% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Lightning Ridge, 9.7% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 13.7% 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 Lightning Ridge were Australian 34.8%, English 20.7%, Irish 5.8%, Scottish 4.8% and German 3.6%.

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 Lightning Ridge (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Lightning Ridge, 69.5% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Philippines 1.8%, England 1.7%, Germany 1.5%, New Zealand 1.1% and Croatia 1.0%.

In Lightning Ridge, 59.1% of people had both parents born in Australia and 21.1% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Lightning Ridge, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 61.7%, England 3.2%, South Eastern Europe, nfd 2.4%, Philippines 1.7% and Germany 1.3%.

In Lightning Ridge, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 64.4%, England 3.3%, Philippines 2.3%, South Eastern Europe, nfd 1.8% and Germany 1.6%.

The most common responses for religion in Lightning Ridge were No Religion, so described 28.5%, Anglican 23.9%, Catholic 20.0%, Not stated 14.7% and Eastern Orthodox 2.7%. In Lightning Ridge, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (63.8%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Lightning Ridge 77.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Serbian 2.8%, German 1.3%, Tagalog 1.0%, Urdu 0.9% and Croatian 0.8%.

Employment

There were 461 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Lightning Ridge. Of these 46.2% were employed full time, 34.5% were employed part-time and 13.7% 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 Lightning Ridge, 13.1% worked 1 to 15 hours, 11.1% worked 16 to 24 hours and 34.9% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Lightning Ridge included Professionals 20.3%, Community and Personal Service Workers 19.7%, Labourers 12.9%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.4%, Sales Workers 9.4%, Managers 9.1%, Technicians and Trades Workers 8.6% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 7.8%.

Of the employed people in Lightning Ridge, the most common responses for industry of employment included Combined Primary and Secondary Education 11.2%, Other Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying 7.9%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 5.9%, Accommodation 4.8% and Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 4.8%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Lightning Ridge was $457.

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

In Lightning Ridge, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 60.7%, Walked only 10.7%, Car, as passenger 9.0%, Worked at home 4.7% and Truck 2.5%. On the day, 0.0% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 69.7% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Lightning Ridge, of people aged 15 years and over, 55.5% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 18.3% 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, 18.2% 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 Lightning Ridge, 21.1% worked 5 to 14 hours, 9.9% worked 15 to 29 hours and 9.1% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Lightning Ridge, 23.3% were couple families with children, 40.3% were couple families without children and 33.2% were one parent families.

In Lightning Ridge, 14.1% of single parents were male and 85.9% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Lightning Ridge, of couple families with children, 17.5% had both partners employed full-time, 8.0% had both employed part-time and 12.0% 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 Lightning Ridge, 83.9% of private dwellings were occupied and 16.1% were unoccupied.

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

Of occupied private dwellings in Lightning Ridge, 78.7% were separate houses, 0.5% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 10.4% were flats or apartments and 4.7% were other dwellings.

In Lightning Ridge, of occupied private dwellings 14.1% had 1 bedroom, 29.4% had 2 bedrooms and 33.7% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 2.5. The average household size was 2.1 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 Lightning Ridge, 32.1% were owned outright, 12.7% were owned with a mortgage and 47.6% were rented.

Household composition

In Lightning Ridge, of all households, 53.3% were family households, 43.2% were single person households and 3.4% were group households.

In Lightning Ridge, 41.3% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 3.9% 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 Lightning Ridge, 45.6% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 23.2% had two registered motor vehicles and 11.6% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Lightning Ridge, 59.1% 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 Lightning Ridge, 47.3% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 52.7% were female. The median age was 30 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 Lightning Ridge, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 2.7 persons, with 0.9 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $739.

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

In Lightning Ridge, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $180 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $784.

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