3701, VIC

The area is far older than most of Australia, with 28% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen to 16.3%.

The community has very few overseas-born residents at 7.3%, which is far below the national figure. Most people identify as Australian or English, with Irish and Scottish ancestry also common.

English is the dominant language here; only 2.3% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average. Consequently, no one in the area reports speaking little or no English.

A large number of residents report no religion, at 42.2%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 21 percentage points since 2011.

The area has far fewer people who completed Year 12 compared to the rest of the state. However, 13.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, with many qualifications in engineering and agriculture.

Typical household income is $1,381 a week, which is well below the national figure. While incomes have risen since 2011, only 11.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 32.3% of people. Arthritis is the most reported condition, affecting 13.4% of the population.

Volunteering is very common, with 29.5% of people helping out, far above the national rate. The area also has a higher than usual number of people who served in the Defence Force.

Homes here are generally smaller than usual, with a typical 2.3 people per household. Nearly half of all households are couples without children, and one-parent families are very rare.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 98.1% of dwellings. A huge 53.5% of these are owned outright, and renting is very uncommon at just 8.5%.

The community is almost entirely dependent on cars, as 0% of people commute using public transport. Most homes have multiple vehicles, with 43% owning two and 21.1% owning three.

The population is very stable, with far fewer people moving house in the last five years compared to the state average. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing are the main industries, employing 38.3% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.1%, which is well below the national figure.

Residents generally have a good level of advantage, ranking higher than about 60% of other areas. This is supported by a relatively strong standing in education and job skills.

The area is heavily car-dependent with a very low walkability score. Most homes are far from groceries, health services, and public transport, and the terrain is steeper than the state average.