West Wodonga

The population is slightly older than the national figure, with the typical resident aged 39. It is a family-friendly area where 19.5% of people are children, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 3.6% since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia (85.0%), leaving only 9.6% born overseas, which is far below the national figure. English, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 89.7% of the community. Only 5.0% of people use another language at home, a figure far below both the state and national averages.

A significant shift has occurred since 2011, with the proportion of people reporting no religion rising 21 points to 44.6%. This is now well above the national figure.

Education levels are much lower than most similar areas, with only 13.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 43.2% completing Year 12.

Typical weekly household incomes are a little below the national figure at $1,470. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 8.9 points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas; 35.4% of residents have a long-term health condition, and 13.4% report a mental health condition, which is well above the national average.

Unpaid care is a common part of life, with 14.3% of people providing unpaid care, a rate much higher than most areas. The area also has a very high proportion of Defence Force veterans at 5.8%.

The First Nations community is relatively large, totaling 548 people. This group is noticeably younger than the wider population, with a typical age of 19, but faces higher unemployment at 14.8%.

One-parent families (18.8%) and people living alone (28.5%) are both more common here than in most other areas. This helps explain why the typical home has 2.4 people.

Detached houses are far more common here than across Victoria, making up 88.6% of homes. Rent is much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly payment of $290.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 71.4% of workers driving to work and very few (0.5%) using public transport. Only 8.9% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure.

The population is relatively stable, with 38.8% of residents moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals account for 12.4% of the community.

Employment rates are around the national average, with 60.9% of adults working or looking for work. The most common industries for local workers are health care and social assistance.

The area ranks lower than most similar places for overall advantage and job skills, with an overall advantage score of 931, which is below the national average.

The area receives more rain than the state average, with 766mm annually. Temperatures are typically around the state average, with a typical maximum of 22.0 degrees.

While 97.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, the area is less walkable for other needs; only about half of residents can walk to health services in 15 minutes.