Wangaratta

The community is noticeably older than the state and national averages, with the typical age being 44. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 24.7% of the population, a figure that has risen by 4.1 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 9.8% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure. English, Australian, and Irish ancestries are the most common.

English is the primary language for 88.5% of people, and the proportion of those using another language at home (6.0%) is far below the national average.

About 41.3% of people report having no religion, a figure that has risen by 20 points since 2011, while 49.1% identify as Christian.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 43.2% of residents completing Year 12. However, this has risen by 7.9 points since 2011, and there are a high number of schools per 1,000 children.

Typical incomes are lower than the national average, with a typical weekly household earning $1,242. Only 11.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is much lower than most areas.

Health challenges are more frequent here, as 37.2% of people have a long-term health condition. This is well above the national average, and 8.7% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is more common than in most areas, with 16.2% of people participating. Additionally, 14.7% of residents provide unpaid care, which is a little above the national figure.

There are 440 First Nations people in the area, and the typical age is 20, which is noticeably younger than the national figure for this group.

Small households are common, with 34.5% of people living alone. One-parent families are also much more frequent here than in most other areas, making up 18.3% of families.

Housing is mostly separate houses (85.7%), and home ownership is strong, with 37.3% owning their home outright. Typical weekly rents are $260, which is well below the national figure.

Reliance on cars is high, with 66% of people driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport for their commute. However, the area has a high number of public transport stops relative to the population.

Around 37% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.3% of the population.

The unemployment rate is 3.4%, which is a little below the national average. Most people work in health care, retail, or manufacturing.

The area is smaller than about 70% of similar areas in terms of overall advantage and access to resources, and population growth since 2021 has been very low at 0.7%.

The area receives an average annual rainfall of 597mm, which is a little above the state average, while minimum temperatures are slightly lower than the state figure.

Wangaratta is very walkable, with 87.1% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. While most can easily reach groceries and parks, only 44.3% are within 15 minutes of health services.