3523, VIC

Seniors make up 33.6% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. Conversely, children under 15 make up only 11.9%, a figure well below the Victorian average of 18.0%.

Most residents were born in Australia (74.9%), and the area is far less diverse than the state, with only 12.0% born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with 84.2% of people using it only. Just 3.8% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A little more than four in ten people (41.2%) report having no religion, a figure slightly above the national average. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 43.1%.

Educational attainment is much lower than most areas, with only 31.8% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the Victorian figure of 61.8%, and only 11.2% hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household income is $993, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Weekly personal income is also among the lowest for its level at $506.

Long-term health conditions are far more common here than in the rest of the state, affecting 40.9% of people. Around 9.3% of residents need help with daily activities, which is among the highest for similar areas.

People are more likely to provide unpaid care here than in other areas, and 5.3% have served in the Defence Force. However, the number of volunteers has fallen since 2011.

Many residents live alone—35.2% of households—which is well above the national figure of 25.6%. This helps explain why there are typically only 2.0 people per home.

Detached houses are very common, making up 95.5% of dwellings. Over half of all homes (51.7%) are owned outright, which is far above the national figure of 31.0%.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 62.7% of workers driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. Very few homes (2.8%) have no motor vehicle.

The population is relatively stable, with 31.0% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. There were no recent arrivals from overseas in 2021.

Only 42.8% of adults are working or looking for work, a figure far below the state average of 62.4%. The unemployment rate is 5.5%, which is about the same as the national figure.

The area ranks low for overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10 compared to all other areas. It also scores low for access to money, resources, and job skills.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.9, far below the state average of 6.4. Only 33.2% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed.