# Birchip vs Hopetoun — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Centre comparison · about 57 km apart

Birchip (L) and Hopetoun (L) (Vic.) are both small Victorian towns with distinct profiles. Birchip (L) is younger and more diverse, with a typical resident aged 48 and 32.7% of people arriving recently from overseas. It also has a more active workforce, where 61.2% of people are employed full-time. In contrast, Hopetoun (L) (Vic.) is much older, with a typical resident aged 58 and 44.8% of people living with a long-term health condition. Residents in Hopetoun (L) (Vic.) are also more likely to own their homes outright, at 58.2%.

Both towns have similar shares of people from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, at 1.2%. They also share a similar housing market, with typical weekly rents sitting around $155 to $158. Many of the gaps between them have narrowed since 2011, including the difference in typical family incomes and the age of their residents. While Birchip (L) remains more likely to have adults working or looking for work, the gap has shrunk from a 30.3% difference to 10.0%.

## Where they differ most

- Recent arrivals: 32.7 pts higher in Birchip
- Median age: 10 yrs older in Hopetoun
- Full-time: 13.0 pts higher in Birchip
- Personal income: $211 higher in Birchip
- Bachelor+: 7.4 pts higher in Birchip

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 674 | 509 | 165 larger in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Median age | 48 yrs | 58 yrs | 10 yrs older in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 1.2% | 1.2% |  | gap narrowing |
| Aged 65+ | 28.9% | 37.5% | 8.6 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 17.7% | 10.4% | 7.2 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 11.4% | 12.1% | 0.7 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |

### Age structure

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seniors (65+) | 28.9% | 37.5% | -8.6 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 27.2% | 25.7% | +1.4 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 20.0% | 18.5% | +1.6 |
| Children (0–14) | 17.7% | 10.4% | +7.2 |
| Youth (15–24) | 7.6% | 6.9% | +0.7 |

### Marital status

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 46.5% | 45.6% | +1.0 |
| Never married | 32.4% | 28.9% | +3.6 |
| Divorced | 9.3% | 11.5% | -2.2 |
| Widowed | 8.7% | 11.1% | -2.3 |
| Separated | 3.4% | 3.3% | +0.1 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Birchip male | Birchip female | Hopetoun male | Hopetoun female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.9% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| 5–9 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 1.5% | 1.7% |
| 10–14 | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| 15–19 | 1.3% | 3.0% | 1.5% | 2.3% |
| 20–24 | 2.4% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 25–29 | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.1% |
| 30–34 | 3.0% | 3.6% | 1.7% | 3.2% |
| 35–39 | 3.2% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 2.3% |
| 40–44 | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| 45–49 | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 0.6% |
| 50–54 | 4.5% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| 55–59 | 4.6% | 2.3% | 4.8% | 5.5% |
| 60–64 | 1.4% | 2.9% | 4.6% | 4.0% |
| 65–69 | 3.2% | 2.7% | 5.9% | 4.4% |
| 70–74 | 4.0% | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.8% |
| 75–79 | 3.7% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| 80–84 | 1.3% | 1.9% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| 85+ | 1.2% | 3.3% | 5.5% | 4.6% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 7.7% | 8.3% | 0.5 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |

### Country of birth

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 84.1% | 84.9% | -0.7 |
| India | 2.1% | 2.4% | -0.3 |
| England | 0.4% | 1.4% | -0.9 |
| New Zealand | 1.2% | 1.2% | +0.0 |
| Philippines | 1.0% | 0.0% | +1.0 |
| China | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Vietnam | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Nepal | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Italy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| South Africa | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australian | 43.2% | 50.1% | -6.9 |
| English | 35.8% | 40.9% | -5.1 |
| Irish | 18.5% | 8.4% | +10.1 |
| Scottish | 11.9% | 7.1% | +4.8 |
| German | 2.5% | 7.9% | -5.3 |
| Indian | 1.0% | 3.1% | -2.1 |
| Dutch | 1.2% | 1.0% | +0.2 |
| Italian | 0.4% | 1.2% | -0.7 |
| Chinese | 0.6% | 0.8% | -0.2 |
| Filipino | 0.6% | 0.0% | +0.6 |
| Greek | 0.0% | 0.6% | -0.6 |
| Vietnamese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 5.9% | 4.9% | 1.0 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Limited English | 0.7% | 1.0% | 0.2 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 86.2% | 88.4% | -2.2 |
| Mandarin | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Arabic | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Cantonese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Punjabi | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Greek | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Italian | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Hindi | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Tagalog | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 34.0% | 34.4% | 0.4 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Christianity | 55.5% | 55.6% | -0.1 |
| No religion | 34.0% | 34.4% | -0.4 |
| Not stated | 8.6% | 6.1% | +2.5 |
| Buddhism | 0.7% | 1.0% | -0.2 |
| Other religions | 0.0% | 0.8% | -0.8 |
| Hinduism | 0.7% | 0.6% | +0.2 |
| Islam | 0.4% | 0.0% | +0.4 |
| Judaism | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 39.7% | 31.1% | 8.6 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 16.0% | 8.7% | 7.4 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 39.7% | 31.1% | +8.6 |
| Year 9 or below | 18.5% | 26.3% | -7.8 |
| Year 10 | 14.8% | 19.2% | -4.4 |
| Year 11 | 15.9% | 15.7% | +0.2 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 33.6% | 36.4% | -2.8 |
| Bachelor degree | 22.5% | 15.7% | +6.8 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 14.3% | 13.6% | +0.7 |
| Postgraduate degree | 4.6% | 4.5% | +0.0 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 2.3% | 0.0% | +2.3 |
| Certificate I / II | 1.3% | 0.0% | +1.3 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering & related | 16.3% | 12.1% | +4.2 |
| Health | 15.6% | 11.1% | +4.5 |
| Education | 10.4% | 13.1% | -2.7 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 6.5% | 10.1% | -3.6 |
| Society & culture | 7.5% | 9.6% | -2.1 |
| Agriculture & environment | 7.5% | 8.1% | -0.6 |
| Management & commerce | 7.8% | 8.1% | -0.3 |
| Architecture & building | 6.5% | 6.1% | +0.5 |
| Information technology | 1.0% | 2.5% | -1.5 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.0% | 1.5% | -0.5 |
| Creative arts | 1.0% | 1.5% | -0.5 |

## Income

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $740 | $529 | $211 higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Household income | $1,152 | $1,030 | $122 higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $1,638 | $1,309 | $329 higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| High earners | 5.2% | 4.1% | 1.0 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| High-income homes | 8.9% | 3.7% | 5.2 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 31.2% | 34.0% | -2.8 |
| Under $650 | 22.7% | 27.5% | -4.8 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 24.8% | 25.8% | -1.0 |
| $4,000 or more | 5.3% | 1.2% | +4.1 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 3.5% | 2.5% | +1.1 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 39.0% | 54.7% | -15.6 |
| $650–$1,499 | 34.6% | 23.6% | +10.9 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 13.2% | 10.2% | +3.0 |
| $3,000 or more | 1.2% | 1.3% | -0.1 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 31.5% | 44.8% | 13.3 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Mental health | 8.0% | 11.8% | 3.8 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Needs assistance | 7.9% | 12.6% | 4.7 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 13.6% | 17.5% | -3.8 |
| Mental health | 8.0% | 11.8% | -3.8 |
| Asthma | 8.8% | 11.4% | -2.6 |
| Diabetes | 5.2% | 8.3% | -3.1 |
| Heart disease | 4.6% | 8.1% | -3.5 |
| Other condition | 7.1% | 8.1% | -0.9 |
| Cancer | 4.7% | 4.7% | +0.0 |
| Lung condition | 1.9% | 3.7% | -1.8 |
| Stroke | 0.9% | 2.2% | -1.3 |
| Dementia | 1.5% | 0.8% | +0.7 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 59.1% | 45.0% | +14.1 |
| One condition | 20.0% | 28.3% | -8.3 |
| Two conditions | 6.5% | 10.4% | -3.9 |
| Three or more | 4.9% | 5.7% | -0.8 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 33.9% | 28.6% | 5.2 pts higher in Birchip | gap widening |
| Unpaid carers | 14.3% | 13.7% | 0.6 pts higher in Birchip | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 18.9% | 13.2% | 5.7 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Defence service | 1.6% | 3.7% | 2.1 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 21.4% | 22.8% | 1.4 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap steady |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 larger in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 12.4% | 10.4% | 2.0 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Living alone | 37.6% | 42.2% | 4.6 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples without children | 32.3% | 54.5% | -22.2 |
| Couples with children | 53.2% | 33.6% | +19.6 |
| One-parent families | 12.4% | 10.4% | +2.0 |
| Other families | 1.2% | 1.8% | -0.5 |

### Household size

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 person | 37.6% | 42.2% | -4.6 |
| 2 people | 37.2% | 41.0% | -3.7 |
| 3 people | 12.1% | 11.1% | +1.0 |
| 4 people | 7.8% | 2.5% | +5.3 |
| 5 people | 5.0% | 3.3% | +1.7 |
| 6 or more | 4.3% | 2.0% | +2.2 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $155 | $158 | $3 higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| Mortgage | $758 | $650 | $108 higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.10 higher in Birchip | gap steady |
| Renting | 19.1% | 18.4% | 0.7 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Owned outright | 48.9% | 58.2% | 9.3 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 95.0% | 95.9% | 0.9 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| 3+ bedrooms | 77.3% | 73.0% | 4.4 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 48.9% | 58.2% | -9.3 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 27.3% | 17.6% | +9.7 |
| Rented | 19.1% | 18.4% | +0.7 |
| Not stated | 2.8% | 3.3% | -0.4 |
| Other tenure | 2.1% | 1.6% | +0.5 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 95.0% | 95.9% | -0.9 |
| Flat or apartment | 5.7% | 2.9% | +2.8 |
| Other dwelling | 1.4% | 1.2% | +0.2 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 0.0% | 1.2% | -1.2 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 50.4% | 58.6% | -8.3 |
| 4 bedrooms | 25.2% | 14.3% | +10.8 |
| 2 bedrooms | 18.4% | 18.4% | 0.0 |
| 1 bedroom | 5.3% | 2.5% | +2.9 |
| 5 or more | 1.8% | 0.0% | +1.8 |
| Studio / none | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $200 | 75.9% | 64.4% | +11.5 |
| $200–$349 | 18.5% | 13.3% | +5.2 |
| $350–$549 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| $550–$749 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| $750 or more | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $1,000 | 68.8% | 76.7% | -7.9 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 15.6% | 18.6% | -3.0 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 0.0% | 9.3% | -9.3 |
| $3,000 or more | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 6.9% | 5.0% | 1.9 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 8.1% | 2.1 pts higher in Birchip | gap widening |
| PT commute | 0.0% | 0.0% |  | gap narrowing |

### How people get to work

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 59.5% | 65.5% | -5.9 |
| Walked | 13.5% | 8.6% | +4.9 |
| Worked at home | 10.2% | 8.1% | +2.1 |
| Car (passenger) | 4.3% | 3.0% | +1.2 |
| Bicycle | 1.3% | 0.0% | +1.3 |
| Train | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Bus | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 34.5% | 40.0% | -5.5 |
| 2 vehicles | 39.6% | 34.2% | +5.5 |
| 3 vehicles | 12.7% | 13.8% | -1.0 |
| 4 or more | 10.2% | 4.6% | +5.6 |
| No vehicle | 6.9% | 5.0% | +1.9 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 29.8% | 28.5% | 1.3 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Recent arrivals | 32.7% | 0.0% | 32.7 pts higher in Birchip | gap widening |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 1.6% | 1.9% | 0.3 pts higher in Hopetoun | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 54.7% | 44.7% | 10.0 pts higher in Birchip | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 61.2% | 48.2% | 13.0 pts higher in Birchip | gap widening |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 25.7% | 21.3% | +4.3 |
| Health care & social assistance | 13.2% | 21.3% | -8.2 |
| Education & training | 8.9% | 12.2% | -3.3 |
| Public administration & safety | 6.9% | 11.7% | -4.8 |
| Construction | 8.6% | 6.6% | +2.0 |
| Retail trade | 5.6% | 7.1% | -1.5 |
| Professional & technical | 6.9% | 0.0% | +6.9 |
| Transport & warehousing | 5.9% | 6.1% | -0.2 |
| Other services | 5.3% | 1.5% | +3.7 |
| Electricity, gas & water | 0.0% | 4.1% | -4.1 |
| Administrative & support | 1.3% | 3.6% | -2.2 |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% | 2.0% | -0.7 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Birchip % | Hopetoun % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Managers | 24.3% | 16.8% | +7.6 |
| Professionals | 20.4% | 16.2% | +4.2 |
| Labourers | 8.6% | 17.3% | -8.7 |
| Technicians & trades | 12.8% | 9.6% | +3.2 |
| Community & personal service | 9.9% | 12.7% | -2.8 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 7.6% | 11.7% | -4.1 |
| Clerical & administrative | 8.9% | 7.1% | +1.8 |
| Sales workers | 5.6% | 6.1% | -0.5 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Birchip | Hopetoun | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 6.9 | 7.3 | 0.4 higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 7.8 | 7.9 | 0.2 more in Hopetoun |  |
| 15-min city | 99.6% | 99.8% |  |  |
| Walk to shops | 99.2% | 99.8% | 0.6 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Walk to transit | 86.0% | 84.3% | 1.7 pts higher in Birchip |  |
| Walk to school | 83.8% | 100.0% | 16.2 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Walk to a park | 99.8% | 100.0% |  |  |
| Walk to health | 97.3% | 98.8% | 1.5 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |
| Amenities/1k | 34.1 | 45.2 | 11.1 more in Hopetoun |  |
| Intersections/km² | 44 | 34 | 11 higher in Birchip |  |
| Mean slope | 2.0% | 3.0% | 1.0 pts higher in Hopetoun |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL221005/birchip/vs/UCL221033/hopetoun