3624, VIC

The community is noticeably older than the state and national average, with the typical resident aged 42 and 20.6% of people aged 65 and over. While children under 15 make up 18.3% of the population, this figure has fallen since 2011.

Born-overseas residents make up only 8.2% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. The vast majority of residents were born in Australia, followed by England and New Zealand.

English is the primary language here, with only 2.8% of people using another language at home, far below the state average of 27.6%. However, this has risen from just 0.5% in 2011.

A large portion of the community identifies with no religion, at 46.2%, which is well above the national figure. This reflects a significant shift, as this figure rose 21 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is among the lowest for similar areas, with only 6.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 30.0% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the state average of 61.8%.

Typical weekly incomes are much lower than in most areas, with a typical household earning $1,093 compared to the national figure of $1,746. Only 6.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.1% of residents. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 12.4%, followed by mental health issues at 9.4%.

Volunteering is high, with 21.5% of people helping out, well above the national figure of 14.1%. Additionally, 13.7% of residents provide unpaid care, which is higher than in most similar areas.

More people live alone here than in most areas, accounting for 31.3% of households. One-parent families also make up a higher share than usual at 15.0%.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, making up 98.6% of all homes. These are typically large, with 88.0% having three or more bedrooms, and 44.7% are owned outright, far above the national average.

The area is entirely reliant on cars, with 0.0% of people commuting by public transport. The drive time to the city is among the highest for its level, averaging 135 minutes.

While few people have moved into the area in the last five years, recent arrivals from overseas have surged, now making up 28.3% of the community.

The local economy is driven by the land, with 32.0% of workers employed in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. However, the proportion of adults working or looking for work is far below the state average.

The area ranks low for overall advantage, with scores for money, resources, and job skills all sitting in the bottom 20% of similar areas.

Walkability is extremely low, with a score of 0.8, making it heavily car-dependent. No homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, groceries, or health services.