Boroondara

The population has grown to 167,900 people and is slightly older than the national average, with the typical resident aged 40. While children under 15 make up 16.0% of the community, the proportion of seniors aged 65 and over has risen to 18.3% since 2011.

Boroondara is much more diverse than most similar areas, with 32.5% of people born overseas, a figure that has risen by 4.2 percentage points since 2011. English, Australian, and Chinese are the most common ancestries.

The use of languages other than English at home has risen to 28.7%, which is well above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language, spoken by 10.4% of the community.

A growing number of people report having no religion, reaching 45.2% in 2021. This is a significant increase of 17 percentage points since 2011 and is well above the national average.

This is a highly qualified area, with 52.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, far exceeding the national figure of 26.3%. High school completion is also among the highest in the country at 83.0%.

Household incomes are among the highest in the country, with 39.0% of homes earning $3,000 or more a week. The typical family income of $3,186 is well above the national figure, reflecting a sharp rise since 2011.

Residents are generally healthier than most, with lower rates of long-term health conditions (24.9%) and mental health conditions (7.1%) compared to the state and national figures.

Volunteering is common here, with 18.6% of people helping out, which is well above the national average. There is also a high rate of people providing unpaid care at 14.3%.

The First Nations community is small, making up 0.3% of the population. However, this group has high school completion rates (72.9%) and personal incomes that are far above the national average.

Families with children are common, making up 64.1% of households. The area has fewer one-parent families than most other areas, at just 10.1%.

Housing is expensive, with typical monthly mortgage payments of $3,000. The area has fewer separate houses than the state average and a high proportion of apartments and townhouses, which helps explain why there are fewer homes with three or more bedrooms.

Work habits have shifted dramatically, with 42.0% of people now working from home, up from 5.8% in 2011. The area is very well connected, with a short 12-minute drive to the city and high public transport use.

The community is quite mobile, with 39.9% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 14.8% of the population, though this is down from 2011.

Professional and managerial roles dominate the local workforce. More adults are working or looking for work (64.5%) than in most other areas, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%.

Boroondara ranks at the very top of the scale for overall advantage, education, and access to resources. It is one of the largest areas by number of businesses and new dwelling approvals.

The area experiences higher rainfall than the state average. It also has lower average maximum temperatures than most other similar areas.

Overall crime is much lower than most areas, particularly for sexual offences and drug crimes. However, burglary and theft rates are much higher than typical.

This is a walker's paradise with a score of 8.4. Nearly every home is within a 15-minute walk of parks, schools, groceries, and health services.