3579, VIC

The typical resident is 50, which is far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors make up 29% of the population, a figure far above the state and national averages. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.2% of the community, which is a little above the Victorian average.

The area is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with only 5.9% of people born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian (44.1%) and English (43.1%).

English is the primary language for 89.3% of residents. Only 2.7% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 49%, though those reporting no religion have risen significantly since 2011 to reach 39.9%.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 31% of residents having completed Year 12 and 9.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher, both far below the national averages.

Typical weekly household income is $1,050, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this has risen since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas; 36.2% of people have a long-term health condition and 8.1% need help with daily activities, which is above the state average.

Volunteering is very common, with 24.3% of people volunteering, far above the national average of 14.1%. Unpaid care for others is also more common here than in most areas.

Many people live alone, accounting for 34.7% of households, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%. Because of this, there are only 2.2 people per home, which is lower than most areas.

The community is dominated by separate houses (91.3%), and 47.3% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%. Both weekly rents and mortgage payments are much lower than in most areas.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 63.1% of workers driving to work and only 0.3% using public transport. This is consistent with the very low number of public transport stops available per person.

The population is relatively stable, as only 30.1% of people moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.

About half of all adults (50.4%) are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average. Many residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing (18.7%) or healthcare (12.7%).

The area ranks low for overall advantage compared to other regions, scoring a 2 out of 10, with particularly low scores for access to resources and job skills.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 4.0, far below the state average of 6.4. Fewer than half of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.