Council (LGA) · Area profile
Northern Grampians
5,730 km²
Spanning over 5,700 square kilometres of rural landscape, Northern Grampians is a spacious community with a notably older population. The typical resident is 49, which is far older than the national figure, and seniors make up over a quarter of the population. This aging trend is reflected in the housing and social landscape, with many residents living alone in detached homes they own outright. It is a quiet region where a strong proportion of people volunteer and a significant number of homes are large, family-style houses.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The area is far older than most, with the typical resident aged 49 and 26.9% of people aged 65 and over. Children under 15 make up only 15.1% of the population, a figure that has fallen since 2011.
Most of the population was born in Australia (81.2%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the state or national average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, each accounting for about 41% of residents.
English is the main language for 85.9% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure. Only 1.0% of residents speak little or no English.
A large number of people report no religion (44.2%), a figure that has risen sharply by 19 percentage points since 2011. Christianity is also common, accounting for 43.3% of the population.
The area has far fewer people with a Year 12 qualification (39.0%) than the state average. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher has risen to 11.9% since 2011.
Typical incomes are much lower than the state and national figures, with the usual family income sitting at $1,496 per week. Only 9.7% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.
Residents face more health challenges than most, with 35.7% reporting a long-term health condition. People needing help with daily activities are also more common here than in most other areas.
Volunteering is very common, with 20.3% of people helping out, well above the national figure. The area also has a higher proportion of former Defence Force members than the state average.
First Nations people in the area are noticeably older than those across Victoria, with a typical age of 28. However, typical personal income for this group is well below the national figure.
Homes are smaller on average with 2.2 people per dwelling, and 35.2% of people live alone, which is much higher than in most areas.
The community is dominated by separate houses (93.2%), and 48.1% are owned outright, far above the national figure. Typical weekly rents are very low at $200.
Almost no one commutes by public transport (0.3%), and most people drive to work. Working from home is also less common here than in the rest of the state.
The population is relatively stable, with far fewer people moving in the last five years compared to the state average. Interestingly, recent arrivals from overseas have risen to 21.0%.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (52.9%) compared to the state average. The biggest employers are in health care and social assistance, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing.
The area ranks lower than most in terms of overall advantage, and population growth since 2021 has been slightly negative at -0.7%.
The region experiences slightly lower average rainfall and temperatures than the Victorian average.
Rates of burglary and property damage are much higher than in most areas. Burglary is particularly high, and the overall crime rate has risen by 36.8% over five years.
The area is only somewhat walkable, with far fewer homes within a 15-minute walk of health services or groceries than the state average. However, there are many more walkable parks per 1,000 residents than in other areas.