3555, VIC

The typical resident is 42, making the area noticeably older than the state and national average of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 24.3% of the population, a figure that is well above the national average and has risen since 2011.

Most of the community was born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 10.5% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the main language for 86.2% of residents. While only 7.5% use another language at home—far below the national average—this is an increase of 4.6 percentage points since 2011.

A large number of residents report having no religion, accounting for 46.2% of the community. This is well above the national figure and has risen by 18 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 41.6% of residents completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. However, the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 15.2% since 2011.

Incomes are well below the national average, with typical weekly household earnings of $1,238. Only 10.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this has risen since 2011.

Health challenges are common here, as 38.1% of people have a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure, and the area has some of the highest rates of mental health conditions and people needing daily help.

Unpaid care is more common than in most areas, with 14% of people providing this support. Conversely, the percentage of volunteers fell by 5.5 percentage points since 2011 to 12.8%.

Living arrangements are distinctive, with 33.5% of people living alone and 20.1% of families being one-parent households, both of which are well above the national average.

The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 90.4% of dwellings. While many homes are larger with three or more bedrooms, renting is more common here than in most similar areas at 30.6%.

Driving is the primary way to get to work for 65.9% of people. Although there are many public transport stops and short walking distances to them, only 1.1% of people use public transport to commute.

The population is quite mobile, with 39.4% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 15.2% of the community.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state, at 54.3%. The most common industries for those employed are health care and social assistance, and retail trade.

The area ranks low for overall advantage, with a score of 921. This reflects the community's lower access to money, resources, and job skills compared to 80% of other areas.

The area is somewhat walkable, though many homes are far from schools and health services. On a positive note, 89.3% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.