Gunnedah shire is gaining people faster than the NSW state average

That is according to Informed Decisions' Glenn Capuano who was at the Smithurst Theatre on Friday, September 8, to give locals an update on what some of the socio-economic aspects of their region look like.

"Gunnedah grew between the last two censuses at a rate higher than the New South Wales average ... about 4.7 per cent over five years," Mr Capuano said of the region which currently has about 13,125 people.

"The last year only ... shows a lower growth rate, only added 40 people, but that's subject to review after the next census."

He also said Gunnedah's youth was being driven by younger families moving to the area - mainly to work in the mines, and there being a lot more children under 18.

"The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows the largest share of that increase is natural, which means more births than deaths," Mr Capuano said.

"The other other reason for a young population is that there's a very large Aboriginal population and they tend to be young, generally, and have a higher birth rate.

"So more than 15pc of the population in Gunnedah identify as Aboriginal ... and in the outlying areas like Carroll, it's more like 30pc."

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He also said about 5pc of people in the shire were born overseas - mainly hailing from the UK, Philippines, and Fiji - "which is one of the lowest rates I've seen anywhere."

And with the average house costing about $400,000 in Gunnedah, Mr Capuano said it is "one of the most affordable places to buy a home"; however, not as relatively cost-effective to rent there.

Agriculture and mining remain the region's two biggest employers, with education coming in a close third in the past five years, he said.

Informed Decisions collates data from a range of reputable sources, including the ABS and Census, and works with about 300 councils around Australia who pay a fee for the information to be provided free online for the public.

One of the areas they do not provide information for is the crime rate, where Gunnedah is reportedly experiencing a spike in auto thefts and break and enters.

Independent data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows there was a jump from 41 reported motor vehicle thefts in the year to December 2021, to 77 in the year to December 2022.

The information from Informed Decisions about various Local Government Areas LGAs can be accessed at profile.id.com.au.

Mr Capuano is from Melbourne and has a university degree in geography and statistics. He worked for the ABS for about 10 years before he joined Informed Decisions about 16 years ago.

He was invited by the Gunnedah Shire Council to speak at the event on Friday, September 8.

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