FOR Hamilton (postcode 3300), we are on average, seven years older, female, sicker, earn around $100 less per week, and 27 per cent less likely to have migrant parents than the rest of the nation.

This is according to the Census of Population and Housing – a comprehensive snapshot taken every five years of the country’s economic, social and cultural make-up, with data compiled from the night of Tuesday, August 10, 2021.

Baby Boomers (55-74 years olds) made up 26.3 per cent of the local population, compared to the national average of 21.5 per cent, while the number of Millennials (25-39 years olds) for 3300 was on par with the national average at 21.5 per cent.

Our median age is sitting at 45 compared to 38 for the nation, and we have two per cent more women and one per cent less men.

Only 10 per cent of 3300 residents who participated in the 2021 Census of Population and Housing had both parents born overseas.

While 46.4 per cent of locals are married, which is similar to the national average of 46.5 per cent, the percentage of those widowed is vastly higher at 9.1 per cent compared to the national average of five per cent, and of the over one million widowed across the nation, eight out of ten are female.

Personal income for the postcode 3300 is on average $695 per week compared to $805 nationally, and household income is almost $500 less at $1251, compared to $1746 nationally.

We scored higher than the national average in every long-term health condition category, with the largest disparity being people with arthritis, with 13 per cent recorded compared to 8.5 per cent nationally.

 Other health conditions categories included in the Census data collected were asthma, dementia, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and mental health which alarmingly scored more than two per cent higher than the national average at 10.7 per cent compared to 8.8.

Across the country, around one in eight or 12.8 per cent of Baby Boomers reported caring for other people’s children, and of the Boomers, two thirds were female or 67.5 per cent.

Locally, we did more voluntary work through an organisation or group in the preceding 12 months to Census night, with 21.2 per cent volunteering compared to the national average of 14.1 per cent.

With a higher percentage of female and widowed Boomers in 3300 compared to the rest of the nation, locally it is that cohort that is making the larger contribution in volunteer work and more likely to provide unpaid assistance to others.

Census data assists governments and community organisations to understand the needs of each generation, for example the significant role Baby Boomers play in caring for other people’s children, often their own grandchildren.

Australian statistician, Dr David Gruen AO, said data collected through the Census provided a fascinating glimpse into the structure and changing profile of Australian families.

In 2016, the Census saw an increase of nearly 140,000 people over 55 who looked after other people’s children, to more than 825,000, however, that figure dropped by 50,000 in 2021, to under 775,000.

“We think there may be some COVID-19 impacts on childcare arrangements, with the Census seeing a reduction in people aged over 55 years looking after other people’s children, for example their grandchildren,” Dr Gruen said.

“An increasing number of Baby Boomers are needing assistance with core activities, with 7.4 per cent reporting a need for assistance, compared to 2.8 per cent across the younger generations.

“This information will help frame policy that delivers positive outcomes for our communities.”

For the first time, the Census recorded just over a million one-parent families, of which four out of every five of those parents were female, and that as a proportion of families, this is increasing slowly, from under 15 per cent in 1996 to nearly 16 per cent in 2021.