3859, VIC

The community is noticeably older than the state and national averages, with the typical resident aged 42. Children under 15 make up 19.5% of the population, which is a little above the national figure, while those aged 65 and over have risen to 20.1%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people at 8.5% compared to 27.7% nationally. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 40.4% and 39.7% respectively.

English is the dominant language, with 87% of people using it only. Those who use another language at home make up 4.7% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

About 43.5% of people report having no religion, a figure that has risen by 20 points since 2011. This is well above the national average of 38.9%, while 42.3% of the community identifies as Christian.

Education levels are far below the state average, with only 13.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose by 11 points since 2011 to reach 37.5%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,579, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. This is a significant increase from 2011, when the typical household earned $1,069.

Health outcomes are generally positive, with the proportion of people needing help with daily activities at 4.8%, which is a little below the state average. Long-term health conditions are reported by 27.3% of residents.

The area is defined by high levels of unpaid work, with 28.9% of people caring for children and 25.4% doing significant housework. Volunteers are also more common here than elsewhere, making up 20.2% of the community.

Families with children are common, making up 57.2% of households, and typical homes hold 2.5 people. One-parent families are much less common here than in most other areas at just 8.7%.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 96.1% of all dwellings. The area has a high rate of outright home ownership at 39.5%, and typical weekly rents are well below the national figure at $250.

The area is highly car-dependent, with 0% of people commuting by public transport and no one using trains. It is a long haul to the city, with an average drive time of 144 minutes.

The population is relatively stable, as 30.9% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 11.3% of the community.

The local economy is driven by agriculture, forestry and fishing, which employ 36.2% of the workforce. This is matched by an exceptionally low unemployment rate of just 1.1%, far below the national figure of 5.1%.

Residents generally have good access to money and resources, scoring 7 out of 10. This puts them in a stronger position than about 70% of similar areas.

The area is almost entirely car-dependent, with a walkability score of 0.6. Very few residents can walk to amenities, with 0% living within 15 minutes of a school or health service.