IF the statistics are true, then Oliver Barclay from the Bathurst Aquatic Centre is pretty close to being Mr Average in the region.
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The 36-year-old manager of the centre fits the bill according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Regional Profile findings.
The bureau has found that the average person in the Bathurst region is 35.7 years old (and earning nearly $48,000).
The ABS’ information draws on more than 400 data items to provide in-depth information for more than 2700 regions across Australia.
Lisa Conolly from the ABS said the data is available for hundreds of indicators, including people, the economy, industry, energy and the environment.
Mr Barclay is married to Michaela, aged 35, and they have three children, aged two, four and six.
“I suppose I feel as average as you can be,” he said.
“Working at the aquatic centre you get to see a cross-section of the local demographic and a feel for what type of place Bathurst is.
“I think the region has a really good age mix for a regional centre, but we do find more younger people come here during the summer, while there is more of a general mix over the cooler months.”
Mr Barclay and his wife have lived in Bathurst for nine years.
“We moved here from Sydney and before that we spent a few years living in England,” he said.
“We came here because we wanted the quality of life living in the country offered.”
Job prospects also remain a key motivator for tree-changers looking to move to Bathurst.
The 2011 Census showed education and training (12.1 per cent of total employment) was still the primary employer for the region.
Retail was at 11.2 per cent, health care and social assistance 11.7 per cent, manufacturing 10.8 per cent, public administration and safety 8.5 per cent, and accommodation and food services 7.4 per cent.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics data relates to the period up to June 30, 2013, when the Bathurst region had a population of 41,051 residents 20,722 males and 20,329 females.
The bulk of the local population (20.1 per cent of residents) was made up of people in the zero to 14 years age group, followed by 15 to 24-year-olds (16.8 per cent), 45 to 54-year-olds (12.6 per cent), 35 to 44-year-olds (12.4 per cent) and 25 to 34-year-olds (12.2 per cent).
Not surprisingly, residents in the 85 years and over demographic were least represented, coming in at just 1.7 per cent of the local population.
The Bathurst region had 3221 businesses as at 2013, 419 of which employed five or more people.
There were 199 building approvals for homes worth an average price of $275,000 compared with the national average of $324,000.
For the same period, there were 30,857 registered motor vehicles in the region.
There were 500 births in 2013 (down from 522 the year before) and 292 deaths (down from 310 the previous year).
To can find the complete list of new ABS figures here.