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Tongala vs Merrigum

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 21 km apart · Tongala profile · Merrigum profile

Tongala Merrigum

Tongala and Merrigum (L) are two nearby Victorian areas with different layouts and demographics. Tongala is more urbanised, with 95.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services and much higher street connectivity. In contrast, Merrigum (L) is far more car-dependent for health services (0.0% within a 15-minute walk) but has much better access to public transport, with 97.3% of homes nearby. Tongala also has a younger population, with 19.5% of residents under 15, compared to 14.1% in Merrigum (L).

Everyday life is very similar in both places, as they share nearly identical rates of people working from home and the same lack of public transport commuting. Both areas also have similar typical weekly rents around $200 and nearly the same share of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents. While they share these commonalities, several gaps have shifted since 2011; for example, the typical resident in Merrigum (L) is now only 6 years older than in Tongala, down from a 10-year gap.

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Where they differ most

Limited English: 1.5 pts higher in Merrigum Population: 877 larger in Tongala Unpaid carers: 3.7 pts higher in Merrigum Median age: 6 yrs older in Merrigum Under 15: 5.4 pts higher in Tongala

Demographics & Identity

Population in Tongalain Merrigum +877 larger in Tongala gap narrowing
1,331 62nd pct 454 30th pct
Median age in Tongalain Merrigum +6 yrs older in Merrigum gap narrowing
42 yrs 39th pct 48 yrs 61st pct
First Nations in Tongalain Merrigum +0.2 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
4.2% 48th pct 4.4% 50th pct
Aged 65+ in Tongalain Merrigum +1.8 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
25.5% 61st pct 23.8% 55th pct
Under 15 in Tongalain Merrigum +5.4 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
19.5% 64th pct 14.1% 24th pct
De facto in Tongalain Merrigum +0.8 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
11.7% 34th pct 12.5% 44th pct

Age structure

22.8% Older adults (45–64) +8.9 pts ▸ 31.7%
25.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +1.8 pts 23.8%
20.8% Young adults (25–44) +2.5 pts ▸ 23.3%
19.5% Children (0–14) ◂ +5.4 pts 14.1%
10.8% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.1 pts 9.7%

Marital status

41.6% Married ◂ +2.0 pts 39.6%
35.0% Never married ◂ +0.2 pts 34.8%
11.5% Divorced +1.4 pts ▸ 12.9%
8.4% Widowed ◂ +4.1 pts 4.3%
4.3% Separated +2.8 pts ▸ 7.1%

Age & sex structure

Tongala Merrigum

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Tongalain Merrigum +5.6 pts higher in Merrigum gap widening
7.8% 28th pct 13.4% 67th pct

Country of birth

85.7% Australia ◂ +9.1 pts 76.7%
1.1% England +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.5% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.3% India ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%
1.3% New Zealand ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%
0.0% Nepal +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.0% Italy +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.0% China even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnam even 0.0%
0.0% South Africa even 0.0%

Ancestry

47.7% Australian ◂ +12.2 pts 35.5%
38.9% English +1.4 pts ▸ 40.3%
11.3% Scottish +1.9 pts ▸ 13.2%
9.8% Irish +0.4 pts ▸ 10.1%
1.4% Italian +4.8 pts ▸ 6.2%
3.6% German ◂ +1.4 pts 2.2%
2.0% Filipino even 2.0%
1.4% Indian ◂ +1.4 pts 0.0%
1.1% Dutch +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.2% Chinese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Other language in Tongalain Merrigum +3.9 pts higher in Merrigum gap widening
2.9% 38th pct 6.8% 77th pct
Limited English in Tongalain Merrigum +1.5 pts higher in Merrigum gap widening
0.0% 0th pct 1.5% 86th pct

Language used at home

91.7% English only ◂ +6.2 pts 85.5%
0.0% Italian +1.1 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.0% Tagalog +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.6% Punjabi ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% Mandarin even 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%
0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Tongalain Merrigum +7.7 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
50.2% 77th pct 42.5% 50th pct

Religious affiliation

50.2% No religion ◂ +7.7 pts 42.5%
41.2% Christianity +2.1 pts ▸ 43.4%
7.5% Not stated +3.3 pts ▸ 10.8%
0.4% Buddhism +2.0 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.4% Other religions +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% Islam even 0.0%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Tongalain Merrigum +1.7 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
31.0% 24th pct 29.4% 19th pct
Bachelor+ in Tongalain Merrigum +3.5 pts higher in Tongala gap steady
7.0% 19th pct 3.6% 5th pct

Highest year of school

31.0% Year 12 ◂ +1.7 pts 29.4%
23.0% Year 10 ◂ +1.5 pts 21.6%
14.8% Year 9 or below +4.9 pts ▸ 19.7%
19.4% Year 11 ◂ +1.2 pts 18.2%

Highest qualification level

42.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +7.2 pts 35.2%
14.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.4 pts 14.1%
10.5% Bachelor degree ◂ +5.5 pts 5.0%
3.2% Certificate I / II +1.8 pts ▸ 5.0%
1.1% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.8 pts 0.0%

Field of qualification

19.4% Engineering & related +2.2 pts ▸ 21.6%
13.0% Society & culture +3.1 pts ▸ 16.1%
9.6% Health ◂ +3.1 pts 6.5%
8.7% Management & commerce ◂ +2.2 pts 6.5%
7.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.1 pts 7.5%
5.3% Education ◂ +3.8 pts 1.5%
4.6% Architecture & building ◂ +0.1 pts 4.5%
3.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.5 pts 2.5%
1.1% Natural & physical sciences +0.9 pts ▸ 2.0%
1.2% Information technology ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%
0.9% Creative arts ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Tongalain Merrigum +$114 higher in Tongala gap narrowing
$624 42nd pct $510 18th pct
Household income in Tongalain Merrigum +$156 higher in Tongala gap narrowing
$1,122 36th pct $966 20th pct
Family income in Tongalain Merrigum +$193 higher in Tongala gap narrowing
$1,455 40th pct $1,262 22nd pct
High earners in Tongalain Merrigum +1.6 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
2.9% 14th pct 1.3% 6th pct
High-income homes in Tongalain Merrigum +5.7 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
7.3% 29th pct 1.6% 5th pct

Household income distribution

36.4% $650–$1,499 +0.1 pts ▸ 36.5%
23.9% $1,500–$2,999 +3.6 pts ▸ 27.5%
22.6% Under $650 +0.1 pts ▸ 22.8%
4.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.2 pts 1.6%
2.5% $4,000 or more ◂ +2.5 pts 0.0%

Personal income distribution

46.9% Under $650 +6.4 pts ▸ 53.3%
35.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +9.7 pts 25.9%
8.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.6 pts 7.4%
0.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Tongalain Merrigum +4.9 pts higher in Merrigum
37.9% 75th pct 42.7% 90th pct
Mental health in Tongalain Merrigum +5.4 pts higher in Merrigum
10.9% 64th pct 16.3% 100th pct
Needs assistance in Tongalain Merrigum +1.4 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
10.7% 88th pct 9.3% 80th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.3% Asthma +6.2 pts ▸ 16.5%
10.9% Mental health +5.4 pts ▸ 16.3%
14.0% Arthritis +0.9 pts ▸ 15.0%
8.5% Other condition ◂ +0.1 pts 8.4%
6.5% Diabetes +0.1 pts ▸ 6.6%
5.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.1 pts 5.3%
2.9% Cancer +0.6 pts ▸ 3.5%
3.1% Dementia ◂ +3.1 pts 0.0%
3.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 2.9%
1.9% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 1.8%

Number of long-term health conditions

52.6% None ◂ +5.9 pts 46.7%
24.6% One condition +1.3 pts ▸ 26.0%
7.3% Two conditions +1.7 pts ▸ 9.0%
5.9% Three or more +1.2 pts ▸ 7.0%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Tongalain Merrigum +1.6 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
16.6% 47th pct 15.0% 36th pct
Unpaid carers in Tongalain Merrigum +3.7 pts higher in Merrigum gap widening
13.0% 48th pct 16.8% 89th pct
Unpaid child care in Tongalain Merrigum +6.2 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
27.3% 65th pct 21.1% 32nd pct
Defence service in Tongalain Merrigum +0.9 pts higher in Merrigum
2.3% 19th pct 3.2% 41st pct
Housework 15h+ in Tongalain Merrigum +2.8 pts higher in Merrigum gap steady
20.3% 21st pct 23.1% 41st pct

Family & Households

Household size in Tongalain Merrigum +0.1 larger in Tongala gap narrowing
2.3 43rd pct 2.2 36th pct
One-parent in Tongalain Merrigum +0.5 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
21.5% 80th pct 21.9% 82nd pct
Living alone in Tongalain Merrigum +7.3 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
36.4% 77th pct 29.1% 50th pct

Family composition

49.1% Couples with children ◂ +5.0 pts 44.1%
28.7% Couples without children +5.9 pts ▸ 34.6%
21.5% One-parent families +0.5 pts ▸ 21.9%
0.4% Other families ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%

Household size

29.1% 2 people +9.0 pts ▸ 38.1%
36.4% 1 person ◂ +7.3 pts 29.1%
13.4% 3 people +3.5 pts ▸ 16.9%
12.1% 4 people ◂ +3.1 pts 9.0%
5.7% 5 people ◂ +1.5 pts 4.2%
2.7% 6 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 1.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Tongalain Merrigum +$12 higher in Tongala gap narrowing
$200 23rd pct $188 19th pct
Mortgage in Tongalain Merrigum +$130 higher in Tongala gap narrowing
$997 23rd pct $867 14th pct
People / bedroom in Tongalain Merrigum even gap narrowing
0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct
Renting in Tongalain Merrigum +8.6 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
26.6% 65th pct 18.0% 38th pct
Owned outright in Tongalain Merrigum +5.8 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
35.4% 38th pct 41.3% 56th pct
Separate houses in Tongalain Merrigum +5.3 pts higher in Merrigum gap steady
84.7% 18th pct 89.9% 33rd pct
3+ bedrooms in Tongalain Merrigum +2.0 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
75.3% 43rd pct 77.2% 50th pct

How homes are owned or rented

35.4% Owned outright +5.8 pts ▸ 41.3%
34.1% Owned with a mortgage +0.8 pts ▸ 34.9%
26.6% Rented ◂ +8.6 pts 18.0%
2.5% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 2.1%
1.9% Other tenure ◂ +1.9 pts 0.0%

Types of homes

84.7% Separate house +5.3 pts ▸ 89.9%
10.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +10.3 pts 0.0%
5.0% Other dwelling +1.9 pts ▸ 6.9%
0.0% Flat or apartment even 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

55.6% 3 bedrooms +2.1 pts ▸ 57.7%
16.3% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.0 pts 14.3%
15.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +2.6 pts 12.7%
4.6% 1 bedroom +1.2 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.4% 5 or more +1.8 pts ▸ 5.3%
1.7% Studio / none ◂ +1.7 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

37.4% Under $200 +36.1 pts ▸ 73.5%
49.6% $200–$349 +3.3 pts ▸ 52.9%
2.9% $350–$549 ◂ +2.9 pts 0.0%
0.0% $550–$749 even 0.0%
0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

48.9% Under $1,000 +5.7 pts ▸ 54.5%
36.5% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +9.2 pts 27.3%
7.9% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 6.1%
0.0% $3,000 or more even 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Tongalain Merrigum +0.5 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
5.9% 67th pct 5.4% 63rd pct
Work from home in Tongalain Merrigum even gap steady
5.4% 32nd pct 5.4% 31st pct
PT commute in Tongalain Merrigum even gap narrowing
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

72.6% Car (driver) +2.1 pts ▸ 74.7%
4.3% Car (passenger) +4.7 pts ▸ 9.0%
5.4% Worked at home even 5.4%
4.3% Walked ◂ +1.3 pts 3.0%
0.9% Bicycle ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%
0.0% Bus even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.7% 2 vehicles +4.8 pts ▸ 42.5%
38.3% 1 vehicle ◂ +7.6 pts 30.6%
13.8% 3 vehicles +1.8 pts ▸ 15.6%
5.7% 4 or more +2.3 pts ▸ 8.1%
5.9% No vehicle ◂ +0.5 pts 5.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Tongalain Merrigum +1.7 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
31.1% 32nd pct 32.8% 40th pct
Recent arrivals in Tongalain Merrigum +8.4 pts higher in Merrigum
21.2% 88th pct 29.5% 94th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Tongalain Merrigum +5.2 pts higher in Merrigum gap widening
6.0% 67th pct 11.2% 88th pct
Participation in Tongalain Merrigum +5.6 pts higher in Tongala gap narrowing
53.3% 51st pct 47.7% 34th pct
Full-time in Tongalain Merrigum +7.5 pts higher in Merrigum gap narrowing
55.2% 45th pct 62.7% 81st pct

Industries people work in

18.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.2 pts 13.9%
16.1% Manufacturing ◂ +4.7 pts 11.4%
6.8% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +5.3 pts ▸ 12.0%
11.4% Retail trade ◂ +3.6 pts 7.8%
6.8% Construction +0.5 pts ▸ 7.2%
5.1% Other services +2.2 pts ▸ 7.2%
6.2% Accommodation & food ◂ +4.4 pts 1.8%
5.8% Education & training ◂ +2.2 pts 3.6%
3.2% Public administration & safety +2.2 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.3% Transport & warehousing ◂ +0.1 pts 4.2%
2.4% Electricity, gas & water +1.2 pts ▸ 3.6%
1.9% Administrative & support +1.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Occupations people work in

17.3% Labourers +7.4 pts ▸ 24.7%
16.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.5 pts 15.1%
12.4% Community & personal service +0.3 pts ▸ 12.7%
12.6% Sales workers ◂ +2.9 pts 9.6%
10.9% Machinery operators & drivers +0.6 pts ▸ 11.4%
10.5% Clerical & administrative ◂ +2.1 pts 8.4%
10.3% Professionals ◂ +3.1 pts 7.2%
8.8% Managers +0.2 pts ▸ 9.0%

Walkability

Walk score in Tongalain Merrigum +0.5 higher in Tongala
6.6 94th pct 6.2 87th pct
Types ≤15 min in Tongalain Merrigum +0.9 more in Tongala
7.8 100th pct 6.9 90th pct
15-min city in Tongalain Merrigum +0.5 pts higher in Merrigum
98.1% 96th pct 98.6% 97th pct
Walk to shops in Tongalain Merrigum +1.6 pts higher in Merrigum
97.7% 95th pct 99.3% 98th pct
Walk to transit in Tongalain Merrigum +33.4 pts higher in Merrigum
63.9% 58th pct 97.3% 96th pct
Walk to school in Tongalain Merrigum +1.3 pts higher in Tongala
97.8% 94th pct 96.6% 90th pct
Walk to a park in Tongalain Merrigum +0.4 pts higher in Tongala
99.7% 89th pct 99.3% 83rd pct
Walk to health in Tongalain Merrigum +95.2 pts higher in Tongala
95.2% 95th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Amenities/1k in Tongalain Merrigum +9.9 more in Merrigum
16.5 44th pct 26.4 68th pct
Intersections/km² in Tongalain Merrigum +58 higher in Tongala
87 89th pct 28 45th pct
Mean slope in Tongalain Merrigum +0.3 pts higher in Tongala
2.2% 3rd pct 1.9% 0th pct

Compare Tongala with nearby areas

Kyabram Stanhope Merrigum Echuca - Moama (Echuca Part) Echuca - Moama (Moama Part) Rochester Nathalia Rushworth

Compare Merrigum with nearby areas

Kyabram Tatura Stanhope Tongala Arcadia Downs Rushworth Toolamba Murchison

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Tongala vs Merrigum [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL215084/tongala/vs/UCL222053/merrigum