2016 Census reveals typical Myall Coast resident MidCoast LGA (overall news) by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 Typical Aussie: Mrs Melissa Smith, with her husband Craig and two children, Olivia and Taylah, at their three-bedroom home. MELISSA Smith is the typical Aussie, according to the 2016 Census. Modern Media: Advertise with News Of The Area and you get your ad in 1) in Print, 2) on the News Website (like this ad), and 3) on our Social Media news site. A much more efficient way to advertise. Reach a HUGE audience for a LOW price TODAY! Call us on 02 4983 2134. Or media@newsofthearea.com.au Or CLICK FOR ADVERT QUOTE At 38 years of age, female, Australian-born and married with two children, Melissa ticks all the boxes. Add in the family’s two cars and three-bedroom home, and Bulahdelah’s Mrs Smith said she is “proud to be average”. “I had a bit of a laugh when I heard the description and realised it was exactly me,” she said. But with the region having one of the oldest demographics in the country, it is no surprise that the average Myall Coast resident is much older than the typical Aussie. According to census data released last week, the average person in Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest is a 62-year-old woman born in Australia, who lives with her husband in a three-bedroom home, which is owned outright. The couple have one car and a weekly household income of $903. The data also shows that people aged 65 years and over made up 45.2 percent of the Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest population in 2016, compared to 37.6 percent in 2011. In Bulahdelah, the median age is 53 years and slightly lower in Karuah at 50 years, but still well above the national average. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said, “The older populations in these areas reflect a preference among many Australians to retire to coastal and rural parts of the country.” Other information from the 2016 Census shows Karuah’s population hit 1,411 in 2016, an increase of five percent since the 2011 census. In Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest, the number of residents rose to 5,037, up from 4,499 in 2011, however Bulahdelah’s population fell from 1,519 in 2011 down to 1,424 in 2016. The census data also shows that around half of all homes in the region are owned outright, which is significantly higher than the national average of 31 percent. Australian Statistician, David W. Kalisch, said the 2016 Census had a response rate of 95.1 percent. “Sixty-three percent of people completed the Census online, embracing the digital-first approach,” he said. Although plagued with problems in its delivery, Mr Kalisch said the ABS remain confident the 2016 Census provides an accurate reflection of Australian communities. By John SAHYOUN Average Australian: Melissa Smith with her husband Craig, two children, Olivia and Taylah at their three-bedroom home.
