York

Schools in York iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 56 is 16 years above the national average, and the trajectory reinforces this: the senior share rose 5.4 points while the working-age share fell 2.9 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 17.4%, which is 12.7 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a regional town workforce oriented toward trade and service roles rather than knowledge professions. Overseas-born residents account for 21.2%, sitting close to the national average at 0.4 points below. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,112 residents) leads, followed by Scottish (241) and Irish (210). Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national, fitting the couples-without-children profile, with 43.8% of families being couples with no children and 453 couples with children.

Ownership rates in York are notably high: 47.6% own outright and 32.4% hold a mortgage, while renters make up just 20.0% of households. Outright ownership at nearly half of all households is substantially above national norms and reflects a long-resident, older population that has had decades to pay down debt. The dwelling mix is almost entirely detached houses at 94.6%, with three-bedroom homes making up 45.8% and 4-plus bedroom homes 30.4%. The vacancy rate of 15.2% is elevated compared to national baselines, pointing to a rental market where supply exceeds demand at current rent levels. Mortgage stress at 30.8% is marginal for active borrowers, but rent-to-income at 25.7% sits below the 30% stress line, meaning renters are in a more comfortable position than buyers who entered the market recently.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the dominant industry at 18.8% of local employment (93 workers), followed by Education at 14.7% (73 workers) and Public Administration at 8.5% (42 workers). Construction accounts for 8.1% and Professional/Technical Services 6.7%, pointing to a service-oriented local economy typical of a regional centre rather than a resource or manufacturing base. By occupation, Labourers (123) and Community/Personal workers (119) lead, with Professionals at 115 and Managers at 97. The unemployment rate of 8.0% is above typical state averages, and the participation rate of only 42.1% reflects the large retired population: 936 residents are not in the labour force. The SEIFA IRSD score of 964 places York in the 3rd decile nationally for relative disadvantage, meaning it ranks in the lower third for socio-economic advantage on this index.

Transport to Work

York is almost entirely car-dependent: 90.8% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average of around 65%, while only 2.6% use public transport and 2.3% walk or cycle. This reflects a regional town geography where distances make active and public transport impractical for most trips. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities elsewhere in the Shire of York. The volunteering rate of 23.4% is notably high, suggesting strong community participation typical of established country towns. The need-for-assistance rate of 7.2% (156 residents) is elevated compared to many metropolitan suburbs, consistent with the older demographic profile. The IRSAD decile of 3 places York in the lower-advantage tier nationally, which aligns with the 13th-percentile household income and regional service access constraints.

Population Forecast

York's population reached an estimated 2,393 in the suburb boundary, while the broader SA2 area recorded 8,515 residents in 2025, up from 8,238 in 2023. The 10-year population change of 10.6% is modest but positive, and the medium forecast projects the SA2 reaching approximately 8,954 by 2031, adding around 85 residents per year at a 1.0% annual rate. Growth depends heavily on overseas migration, which contributes an average of 50 net arrivals annually, because internal migration runs at minus 11 per year. The gentrification score is 32 with an early-signs classification, and real income grew 14.0% over the decade. The aging trajectory, with the senior share rising 5.4 points since 2011, means the resident base is shifting toward retirement-age households rather than young families or workforce entrants.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How York compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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