3300, VIC

The area is older than the national figure, with the typical resident aged 45 and 26.1% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown by 5.0 points since 2011. About 2.6% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a figure that has risen since 2011.

Most of the community was born in Australia (85.9%), and the proportion of overseas-born residents is far below the national figure. English, Scottish, and Irish ancestries are the most common heritage groups after Australian.

English is the primary language for 90.8% of the population. Only 3.7% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the Victorian and national figures.

The number of people reporting no religion has risen sharply by 19 points since 2011 to reach 41.2%. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 49.8%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 41.8% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, though there has been an increase since 2011.

Weekly incomes are well below the national average, with a typical family earning $1,657. Only 9.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, although this is up from 3.8% in 2011.

Health needs are much higher than in most areas, with 35.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.5% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is common here, with 21.2% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure. Unpaid care is also more frequent than usual, with 14.0% of the community providing these services.

Living arrangements are dominated by single occupants, with 35.4% of people living alone. This is well above the national figure, and typical homes are small, with only 2.2 people per house.

The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (91.2%). Home ownership is strong, with 41.7% of houses owned outright, and typical weekly rents of $236 are well below the national figure.

Car travel is the primary way to get to work for 68.4% of residents. Public transport use is very low, with only 0.1% of people commuting via PT, despite there being a high number of stops per person.

The community is relatively mobile, with 36.4% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.6% of the population, though this fell from 24.1% in 2011.

The unemployment rate is 3.1%, which is a little below the national figure. Many residents work in health care and social assistance, the most common industry at 19.1%.

Overall advantage is lower than in about 60% of similar areas. This is reflected in the scores for access to resources and education and job skills, both of which are below the middle rank.

The area is somewhat walkable, though access to groceries and health services within a 15-minute walk is far below the Victorian average. Residents are most likely to find parks and public transport within walking distance.