37,694 ▲ +45.7%
Higher than 71% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 25,870
- 2016: 29,397
- 2021: 37,694
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Surf Coast · Council (LGA)
Demographics & Identity in Surf Coast
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A population surge of 46% since 2011 has shaped Surf Coast into a growing region where families and retirees both find a home. The typical resident is now 42, making the area noticeably older than the national figure. This mix of age groups creates a community that is older than average but still maintains a strong presence of young children.
37,694
▲ +45.7%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–4: 0 areas
- 4–7: 0 areas
- 7–12: 2 areas
- 12–20: 1 area
- 20–33: 0 areas
- 33–55: 1 area
- 55–91: 0 areas
- 91–150: 5 areas
- 150–248: 3 areas
- 248–409: 13 areas
- 409–675: 22 areas
- 675–1,115: 38 areas
- 1,115–1,840: 37 areas
- 1,840–3,038: 30 areas
- 3,038–5,014: 40 areas
- 5,014–8,276: 49 areas
- 8,276–13,661: 54 areas
- 13,661–22,550: 57 areas
- 22,550–37,223: 43 areas
- 37,223–61,442: 49 areas
- 61,442–101,420: 39 areas
- 101,420–167,409: 37 areas
- 167,409–276,336: 31 areas
- 276,336–456,137: 8 areas
- 456,137–752,926: 2 areas
- 752,926–1,242,825: 1 area
All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Surf Coast — higher than 71% of areas.
| Surf Coast | 37,694 |
|---|---|
| Rest of Vic. | 1,576,613 |
| Victoria | 6,503,491 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population has grown significantly to 37,694 people, which is larger than about 71% of similar areas. This growth is mirrored in the aging profile, with the typical resident now two years older than they were in 2011.
42 yrs ▲ +5.0%
Older than 50% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 40 yrs
- 2016: 42 yrs
- 2021: 42 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors make up 19.8% of the population, a figure well above the Victorian average that has risen 5.5 points since 2011. At the same time, children under 15 account for 19.7% of residents, which is a little above the national figure.
19.8% ▲ +38.1%
Higher than 50% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 14.4%
- 2016: 17.5%
- 2021: 19.8%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
19.7% ▼ -7.6%
Higher than 72% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 21.3%
- 2016: 20.6%
- 2021: 19.7%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Surf Coast splits fairly evenly between Older adults (45–64) (27%) and Young adults (25–44) (24%), with Seniors (65+) at 20%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
More than half of residents are married, while those in de facto relationships make up 13.6%, which is higher than most areas. People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent represent 0.6% of the population, which is among the lowest for its level.
0.6% ▲ +15.5%
Lower than 94% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 0.5%
- 2016: 0.6%
- 2021: 0.6%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
13.6% ▲ +25.4%
Higher than 62% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 10.9%
- 2016: 11.5%
- 2021: 13.6%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Surf Coast, Married is the majority at 53%; Never married is next at 32%.
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Surf Coast
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Surf Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA26490/surf-coast/topic/demographics-identity