Lara

Lara is a young community where the typical resident is 37, and children under 15 make up 19.4% of the population, which is higher than in most similar areas. The population has grown significantly, adding about 5,295 people since 2011.

The area is predominantly Australian-born, with 79.2% born here and only 17.2% born overseas. This is far below the figures for both Victoria and Australia.

English is the main language for 80.2% of residents. While the share of people using another language at home has risen to 10.7% since 2011, this is still far below the state and national averages.

A large portion of the community reports no religion, at 41.9%, a figure that has risen 18 points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 42.4%.

The local workforce has a lower rate of higher education than most areas, with 17.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen nearly 10 points since 2011 to reach 48.9%.

Household incomes are higher than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly family income of $2,227. The proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week has seen a sharp rise of 15 points since 2011.

Mental health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 9.9% of residents. Long-term health conditions are reported by 29.5% of the population.

More people in Lara care for children unpaid (29.1%) compared to the state and national averages. Conversely, the share of volunteers has fallen 4 points since 2011 to 12.0%.

First Nations people in Lara are noticeably older than those in the rest of the state, with a typical age of 27. This group also has a much higher typical personal income than most similar areas, at $806.

Families tend to be larger here, with 2.7 people per home. This is consistent with the high proportion of couples with children, who make up 62.3% of households.

The housing stock is dominated by separate houses (90.4%), and 86.3% of homes have three or more bedrooms, which is far above the national figure. Renting is less common here than in most areas, at 20.7%.

Most residents rely on cars, with 60.9% driving to work and only 2.5% of homes having no vehicle. Working from home has become much more common, rising 14 points since 2011 to 18.4%.

About 36.2% of the population moved house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 6.8% of the community, which is well below the national average.

Full-time employment is higher than in most areas at 61.4%. The local economy is led by health care and social assistance, followed by construction and retail trade.

The area has a high level of access to money and resources and is growing rapidly, with a population increase of 14.8% since 2021, which is well above the state average.

The local climate is characterized by rainfall of 524mm and an average maximum temperature of 19.9 degrees, both of which are much lower than in most similar areas.

Walking to amenities is difficult, with only 35% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries. This results in a walkability score of 4.1, which is well below the Victorian average.