Bruthen - Omeo

The population is far older than the state or national average, with a typical age of 48 and a high proportion of seniors. Nearly a quarter of residents are aged 65 and over, a figure that has risen by 5.3 percentage points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (8.8%) compared to the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for the vast majority of the community. Only 3.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

More than half the population (50.9%) reports having no religion, a figure that has risen by 20 percentage points since 2011 and is far above the national average.

Formal qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 13.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion rose to 40.3% since 2011.

Incomes are generally much lower than the state and national figures. The typical household earns $1,323 a week, and only 11.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 30.9% of the population. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 10.9%.

This is a highly active community where 21.4% of people volunteer, well above the national average of 14.1%. Unpaid care for others is also more common here than in most regions.

There are 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area. The unemployment rate for First Nations people is 0.0%, which is far below the national figure.

Family structures are typical for the region, with 52.6% of households consisting of couples with children. About a quarter of all residents live alone.

Housing is overwhelmingly dominated by separate houses (96.6%), and a huge 50.1% of homes are owned outright. This helps explain why the typical weekly rent of $250 is much lower than the national average.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with only 0.1% of people using public transport to commute. Almost every home has a vehicle, and 40.9% have two or more.

Residents are less likely to move than those in other parts of the state, with only 30.2% having changed homes in the last five years.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is a major employer, accounting for 16.4% of jobs. The unemployment rate is 3.2%, which is lower than the state and national averages.

The area has a moderate level of access to money and resources but ranks lower for education and job skills compared to similar areas.

The climate is cooler and wetter than the Victorian average, with annual rainfall of 847mm and a typical maximum temperature of 18.5 degrees.

The landscape is hilly and highly car-dependent, with a very low walkability score of 1.2. Only 13.7% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed.