Council (LGA) · Area profile
Loddon
6,696 km²
Spanning over 6,600 square kilometres of rural landscape, Loddon is a sparsely populated area where the typical resident is 52. This older community is defined by a strong connection to the land, with a large portion of the workforce employed in agriculture and forestry. It is a place of stability and home ownership, though it faces challenges with lower typical incomes and higher rates of long-term health conditions compared to the rest of the state.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The population is far older than the national figure, with 29.0% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 5.1 points since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.9%, which is well below the Victorian average.
The community has very few overseas-born residents at 8.6%, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, making up 42.0% and 39.3% respectively.
English is the primary language for the vast majority of the area, and only 3.1% of people use another language at home. This is far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.
About 40.4% of residents report having no religion, a figure that rose 18 points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 45.8%.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most other areas, with only 33.0% of residents completing Year 12. The number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 10.7%, far below the state average.
Typical weekly household income is $1,039, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 36.0% of the population. This includes high rates of arthritis at 14.8% and mental health conditions at 10.6%.
Volunteerism is far above the national figure, with 25.4% of people volunteering. Unpaid care is also common, as 14.8% of people provide unpaid care, which is a little above the state average.
There are 170 First Nations people in the area. This group faces significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 16.7%, which is well above the national figure.
The area has a high proportion of people living alone at 33.5%, well above the national average. Typical homes are small, with only 2.2 people per household.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 95.3% of dwellings. Home ownership is very high, with 55.7% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure.
The community is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.2% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, with 34.5% of households owning two cars.
The population is very stable, with only 25.4% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the primary industry, employing 34.0% of the workforce. Only 49.2% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state average.
The area ranks low for overall advantage, with a score of 3 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been very low at 0.2%, well below the Victorian average.
The local climate is slightly drier than the state average, with annual rainfall of 466mm. Average maximum temperatures are a little higher than the Victorian average at 23.0 degrees.
Overall crime rates are much lower than in most areas, though burglary rates are higher. Theft is the most common offence, accounting for 28.5% of recorded crimes.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.2. Many homes are far from essential services, with only 24.1% within a 15-minute walk of health services.