Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Benalla
315 km²
A typical resident in Benalla is 51 years old, making this one of the oldest communities at its level. This ageing character is reflected in the high proportion of seniors and a low number of children compared to the state. It is a predominantly English-speaking town where most people were born in Australia. While the population has grown slightly to 10,822, the area is defined by a quiet, residential feel with many people living alone or in their own homes.
Benalla is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
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The community is far older than the national figure, with 30.8% of people aged 65 and over. Conversely, children under 15 make up only 14.0%, a figure well below the state and national averages.
The area is much less diverse than most, with only 9.8% of people born overseas, which is far below the Victoria average of 30.0%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 87.6% of the population. Only 4.2% use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
About 42.3% of residents report no religion, a figure that has risen 18 points since 2011 and is now well above the national average.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 13.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 39.3% completing Year 12, both far below the state average.
Typical weekly household incomes are $1,142, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 10.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health needs are high here, with 39.5% of people living with a long-term health condition—far above the national average of 27.7%. Mental health conditions are also much more common than in most areas.
Volunteering is more common than usual at 17.1%, and there is a higher rate of people providing unpaid care (14.5%) compared to the rest of the state.
There are 218 First Nations people in the area. Unemployment among this group is 14.1%, which is well above the Victoria rate of 9.6%.
Living arrangements are unusual for the region, with 36.0% of people living alone—far above the national average—and a higher share of one-parent families (17.9%) than most areas.
Housing is more affordable and stable here, with 42.4% of homes owned outright and a typical weekly rent of $250, which is well below the national figure.
Most people rely on cars, as only 0.3% commute by public transport. While there are many bus routes, the average walk to a stop is much longer than in most areas.
While movement into the area is steady, there has been a notable increase in recent arrivals from overseas, which rose to 16.6% since 2011.
Fewer people are working or looking for work (49.6%) compared to the state average of 62.4%, though the unemployment rate is quite low at 3.7%.
The area faces significant challenges, with an overall advantage score of 922, placing it below about 80% of similar areas.
The area is wetter than the state average, with 738mm of annual rainfall, while minimum temperatures are much lower than in most other regions.
The town is only somewhat walkable, as many homes are far from health services and groceries compared to the state average.