3909, VIC

Seniors make up 33.9% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. The area is also home to more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most, at 4.2%, though this has fallen slightly since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia (76.6%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents than the state average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, combined accounting for over 78% of the population.

English is the primary language for 85.8% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 4.4%, which is far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.

A large number of residents report no religion (45.4%), a figure that has risen sharply by 19 percentage points since 2011. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 11.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 34.3% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical weekly household income is $964, which is among the lowest for similar areas and far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 6.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here, with 36.6% of people having a long-term health condition, much higher than the national figure of 27.7%. About 8.7% of residents need help with daily activities.

Unpaid care is common, as 14.2% of people provide this support. Additionally, 4.1% of residents have served in the Defence Force, which is much higher than in most other areas.

Many people live alone here (34.2%), and households are typically smaller than most, with just 2.2 people per home. Single-parent families are also more common than usual at 16.4%.

Home ownership is very high, with 48.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Most people live in separate houses (86.5%), and typical weekly rent is $260.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 65.1% of workers driving to work and very few (0.2%) using public transport. However, the area has more public transport stops per 1,000 people than most similar places.

About 33.9% of residents have moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas are also much less common than in most areas.

Job activity is low, with only 41.6% of adults working or looking for work, among the lowest at this level. The unemployment rate is 5.3%, which is about the same as the state and national figures.

The area ranks low for overall advantage, with a score of 902, placing it below about 87% of similar areas. This is consistent with the lower typical incomes and education levels seen across the community.

This is a mostly car-dependent area with a walkability score of 3.5, far below the state average. Only 28.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, and just 30.8% have a 15-minute-city walkshed.