The median age of a Canowindra resident is eight years higher than the state and Australian average and one year higher than it was in 2011, according to the latest results from the 2016 census.

Census data, released on Tuesday last week, shows the population of Canowindra has fallen to 2258 compared to 2381 in 2011.

Canowindra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has grown to 79, up from 57 in 2011.

Canowindra’s median age now stands at 46, one year older than the 45 median age in the 2011 Census, living proof that we’re becoming an older community but not as old as Cowra where the median age is 47.

The 2016 Census showed Canowindra’s 108 0-4 year olds made up 4.8 per cent of our population when compared to the national average of 6.3 per cent, while 5-9 year olds (173) made up a further 7.6 per cent which was well above the national average of 6.4 per cent.

Canowindra also had more 10-14 year-olds than the national average with 7.4 per cent (168) children in this age group, compared with the national average of 6 per cent.

The data showed 19.8 per cent of our population is aged 14 and under while just under one quarter, or 24.5 per cent  were aged over 65 years.

At the 2011 Census children aged under 14 made up 19 per cent of the Canowindra population and those over 65 made up 22.1 per cent.

Of the occupied private dwellings in Canowindra, 43.8 per cent were owned outright, 27.3 per cent were owned with a mortgage and 24.8 per cent were rented.

The census also found that 10.2 per cent of the population are divorced compared to the the national average of 8.5 per cent, 4.3 per cent are separated [3.2 per cent nationally] and 10.5 per cent widowed [5.2 per cent nationally].

Caowindra also has more residents with both parents born in Australia, and far less families who only spoke English at home, than the national average.

It also found that the amount Canowindra people paid in rental accommodation has gone up by $50 a week [now $180 a week] since the last census in 2011 – but the amount people pay for the mortgages has remained steady at $1083 a month.

The census found that the most common ancestries of Canowindra people were Australian (37.3 per cent), English (31.5 per cent), Irish (10.5 per cent), Scottish (6.8 per cent) and German (2.4 per cent) with all except German being above the average for NSW.

The census figures also showed that the median weekly income for people in Canowindra (aged 15 years and over) was 509 – which was $153 less than the national average.

The median weekly income for a household [$920 a week] was lower than the national average of $1734.

This was the second release of statistics from last year’s census.

It was hampered by people unable to lodge their information on census night when the official website crashed.