3597, VIC

The typical resident is 40, slightly older than the national figure of 38. The area has seen a decline in children under 15, who now make up 15.1% of the population, while seniors aged 65 and over have risen to 18.8%.

People born overseas make up 29.7% of the community, which is much higher than in most similar areas. This diversity has grown rapidly, rising 21 percentage points since 2011, with Australian, English, and Irish as the most common ancestries.

Nearly 30% of residents use a language other than English at home, well above the national figure of 22.3%. This shift is reflected in the number of people who speak little or no English, which rose to 9.0% by 2021.

The community is more religious than most, with 54.6% identifying as Christian. Those reporting no religion make up 31.7%, which is well below the national figure of 38.9%.

Education levels are far below the national average, with only 9.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the proportion of people who completed Year 12 rose by 12 percentage points since 2011 to reach 42.3%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,583, which is a little below the national figure. While personal income is higher than in most areas, very few households earn $3,000 or more per week, at just 10.1%.

Residents report better health than most, with only 21.6% having a long-term health condition. This is well below the national average of 27.7%, and the rate of mental health conditions is among the lowest at this level.

Participation in unpaid work is lower than usual, with only 12.8% of people volunteering. This is a significant drop from 2011, when 21.9% of the community volunteered.

Homes here are slightly larger than average, with 2.5 people per household. There is a high proportion of people living alone at 30.4%, which is well above the national figure of 25.6%.

Housing is very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $130 and monthly mortgage payments of $650, both among the lowest in the country. A high 46.4% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure.

Public transport use is unusually high at 14.2%, a 14 percentage point increase since 2011. Despite this, 7.5% of homes have no motor vehicle, and work-from-home rates are far below the national average.

The area has seen a huge influx of new residents, with 39% of people being recent arrivals from overseas. This is far above the national figure of 14.5%.

Employment is strong and dominated by the land, with 56.3% of people working in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.2%, and 72.3% of adults are working or looking for work.

Overall, the area sits below the national average for advantage, with a score of 955. It is ranked as having lower access to money and resources than about 70% of similar areas.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.3, far below the state average. Almost no homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, health services, or schools.