The average person in the Tamworth local government area lives in a three-bedroom house, travels to their job in a car and does at least five hours of housework.
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The 2016 census data gives a snapshot of life within the Tamworth Regional Council boundaries.
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The region’s population now sits at just under 60,000 people, growing by about 3400 people – or 165 families – since the last census was conducted in 2011.
The influx has created a small housing boom, with the number of private dwellings increasing 7.5 per cent, or about 1800 houses, for a total of 26,000.
Most of the region is working hard, with 89.9 per cent of people employed in either full-time work (59.9 per cent) or part-time work (29 per cent).
More than 60 per cent of people work at least 35 hours a week, while four out of every 10 are working more than 40 hours a week (43.4 per cent).
School education is still the biggest employer – but only just – with 1383 jobs in primary and secondary education. The region’s hospitals employ 1382 people (excluding psychiatric hospitals).
Hospitals are on track to become the biggest industry employer, increasing by 270 jobs in the last five years, with education jobs dropping by 80.
While “professional” was the most common occupation, with 17.5 per cent, the area has a higher rate of labourers than the national average, at 14.1 per cent compared to 9.5 per cent, and more technicians and trade workers, at 14.4 per cent versus 13.5 per cent.
At the time of the 2016 census, the region’s unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent (1600 people), was lower than the national average of 6.9 per cent – however, the national rate is now 5.5 per cent.
Despite the number of people identifying as non-religious increasing by 6.7 per cent to 19.3 per cent, the region is still much more religious than the rest of the nation.
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More than half the population is Christian – 54.4 per cent – with one in three identifying as Anglican, while one in four identify as Catholic.