Council (LGA) · Area profile
Wangaratta
3,645 km²
Much older than the state and national average, Wangaratta is a regional community where the typical resident is 45. It has grown by 11% since 2011, now home to nearly 30,000 people. The area is distinctive for its high proportion of seniors and a strong trend toward people identifying as having no religion. This is a stable, established town with a high rate of outright home ownership and a workforce heavily focused on health and retail.
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The population is noticeably older than most, with 24.1% of residents aged 65 and over, which is well above the national figure. Since 2011, the proportion of seniors has risen by 4.9 percentage points.
Born mostly in Australia (84.6%), the community has far fewer overseas-born residents than the state or national average. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the dominant language for 89% of the population. Only 5.2% of residents use another language at home, a figure far below the Victorian average.
A large shift has occurred since 2011, with the number of people reporting no religion rising 19 points to 42%. This is now well above the national figure.
While 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, this is well below the national average. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose 8 percentage points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,326, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. High-income households earning $3,000 or more a week rose by 9.3 percentage points since 2011.
The community faces higher health challenges, with 35.3% of people reporting a long-term health condition. Those needing help with daily activities are also much more common here than in most areas.
Volunteering is more common here than across the state, with 18.6% of people contributing. Unpaid care is also a significant part of local life, with 15.3% of residents providing such support.
There are 559 First Nations people in the area, who are noticeably younger than the state average with a typical age of 21. Unemployment for this group is 10%, which is a little below the national figure.
The area has a higher rate of people living alone (30.8%) and one-parent families (14.7%) compared to most areas. Most homes are small, with a typical size of 2.3 people.
Housing is very stable, with 41.1% of homes owned outright, far above the national average. Detached houses are the norm for nearly 90% of dwellings, and typical weekly rent is well below the national figure at $260.
Cars are essential here, as only 0.2% of people commute by public transport. While the area has many bus routes, the walk to the nearest stop is among the longest in the state.
Movement is relatively steady, with 33.3% of people moving in the last five years. This is well below the national rate of 40.7%.
The unemployment rate is 2.9%, which is much lower than in most similar areas. Health care and social assistance are the largest employers, making up 18.9% of jobs.
Wangaratta is larger than 65% of similar areas and has a moderate overall advantage score of 6. However, population growth since 2021 has been much lower than the state average.
The area is wetter than most of Victoria, with average annual rainfall of 804mm. Minimum temperatures are also among the lowest in the state.
Overall recorded offences are lower than in most areas, though theft is more common. Motor vehicle theft is among the lowest in the region.
The area is only somewhat walkable, as many homes are far from health services and schools. This is far below the state average for a 15-minute-city walkshed.