Lakes Entrance

The area is far older than most of Victoria, with the typical age being 55 and 34.9% of people aged 65 or over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.0% of the population, a figure that has fallen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (13.5%) than the national figure of 27.7%. English, Australian, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 87.4% of the community. Very few people use another language at home (4.1%), and only 0.4% speak little or no English, which is far below the national average.

A large portion of the community reports no religion (46.6%), a figure that has risen significantly by 20 points since 2011. Christianity remains the next most common affiliation at 41.4%.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 13.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 37.7% of residents completed Year 12, although this has risen since 2011.

Incomes are among the lowest for similar areas, with the typical weekly household income at $1,014, far below the Victorian figure of $1,759. Only 7.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are common here, with 37.0% of people living with a long-term health condition and 7.9% needing help with daily activities, both of which are higher than the state average.

The community is active in unpaid work, with 16.7% volunteering and a higher-than-average 14.0% providing unpaid care. There is also a strong presence of former Defence Force members (4.3%) compared to the rest of the state.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.0% of the population. This group is generally younger than the town average with a typical age of 27, though they face significant gaps in Year 12 completion (21.4%).

The area has a high number of people living alone (32.2%) and couples without children (43.9%). Homes are smaller on average than in other areas, with only 2.2 people per household.

Home ownership is very high, with 50.6% of homes owned outright. The market is affordable, with typical weekly rents ($270) and monthly mortgage payments ($1,300) well below the state and national figures.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.1% of people use public transport to commute. While there are many bus stops, the 16-minute walk to the nearest one is much longer than in most areas.

The population is relatively stable, and recent arrivals from overseas are among the lowest at this level (3.9%), far below the national figure of 14.5%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (42.9%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. Most employed residents work in health care, accommodation, or construction.

The area is ranked low for overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10. This reflects lower levels of job skills and limited access to money and resources compared to most other areas.

Lakes Entrance receives more rain than the Victorian average, with 774mm annually. Its typical maximum temperature is 20.3 degrees, slightly lower than the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.0. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of essential services like groceries (28.4%) or health services (27.1%).