Kempsey Shire - Demographics

Demographics

At the 2011 Census, there were 28,134 people in the Kempsey Shire local government area, of these 50.2% were male and 49.8% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 11.1% of the population, more than four times the national average. The median age of people in the Kempsey Shire was 45 years; some eight years older than the national median. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 19.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 19.8% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 45.4% were married and 15.4% were either divorced or separated.

Population growth in the Kempsey Shire between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census was 1.86%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census was 2.73%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in the Kempsey Shire local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Kempsey Shire was significantly below the national average, being one of the factors that place parts of the Kempsey Shire in an area of social disadvantage.

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Kempsey Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 81% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 62% of all residents in the Kempsey Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was higher than the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Kempsey Shire local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (3.3%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a significantly higher proportion (91.9%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).