Council (LGA) · Area profile
Mid Murray
6,272 km²
A far older population than the national average defines Mid Murray, where the typical resident is 54. This rural community has grown by 13% since 2011, though it remains a place of modest means and low density. Much of the area is dominated by retirees and older adults, with nearly a third of the population aged 65 or over. This creates a quiet, residential character where most people own their homes outright and live in detached houses.
Plenty of schools here relative to how few children live in the area.
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The area is significantly older than most of Australia, with 30.1% of people aged 65 or over, a figure that rose 9.4 points since 2011. Conversely, children under 15 make up only 12.9% of the population, which is well below the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (11.0%) than the national average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by German at 15.8%.
English is the primary language for nearly everyone here, with only 1.9% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report no religion (46.3%), a figure that rose 21 points since 2011 and is well above the national average.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 7.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure of 26.3%.
Incomes are among the lowest in the country, with the typical weekly household income at $918, which is far below the national figure of $1,746.
Long-term health conditions are common, affecting 37.0% of the population, which is well above the national average. About 7.7% of people need help with daily activities, a figure that rose slightly since 2011.
Community spirit is evident in the 20.8% of people who volunteer, which is well above the national figure. The area also has a higher rate of people who served in the Defence Force compared to most areas.
First Nations people make up about 2.5% of the population. Their typical personal income of $493 is a little below the national figure, and the unemployment rate of 15.3% is slightly higher than the national average.
Living alone is common here, with 34.6% of people in single-person homes, which is well above the national figure. This helps explain why the typical home has only 2.1 people, much lower than the usual 2.5.
Housing is overwhelmingly dominated by separate houses (94.0%), and 47.9% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure. Renting is much less common here, with only 16.2% of households in rentals.
The area is highly car-dependent, with only 0.3% of people commuting by public transport. Very few homes lack a motor vehicle (3.3%), and the drive time to the city is among the highest at 157 minutes.
The community is relatively stable, with 29.9% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas are also very rare at 3.3%.
Working or looking for work is much less common here (45.6%) than in the rest of the country. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is a key industry, employing 17.8% of the workforce.
The area faces significant challenges, with an overall advantage score of 882, which is smaller than about 89% of other areas. Access to money and job skills are both ranked very low.
The region is quite dry, with average annual rainfall of 280mm, which is far above the South Australian average but still low. Average minimum temperatures are well below the state figure.
The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.5. Only 13.8% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average of 64.4%.