Orbost

Orbost is far older than the state and national figures, with a typical resident aged 55 and 30.9% of the population aged 65 and over. The area has a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most areas, at 5.2%.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 78% born here and a much lower percentage of overseas-born residents (10.3%) compared to the rest of the state.

English is the primary language for 86.5% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home (3.1%) is far below the national figure.

More than half of the population (51.6%) report having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average and has risen 14 points since 2011.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 13.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 36.1% completing Year 12, which is far below the Victorian average.

Typical incomes are among the lowest at this level, with a typical household earning $926 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35.1% of people living with a long-term health condition and 7.7% needing help with daily activities.

Volunteering is very common, with 24.4% of people participating—far above the national average. This spirit of service is seen in the high number of people providing unpaid care.

There are 352 First Nations people in the area. Their typical age is 28, which is noticeably older than the state and national averages.

Living arrangements are distinct, with a very high 37.3% of people living alone and a typical household size of 2.1 people, which is lower than most areas.

Housing is dominated by detached houses (95.0%), and many are owned outright (55.2%), far above the national figure. Rent is also very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of just $190.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.4% of people commute by public transport and most homes have one or two vehicles.

The population is very stable, with far fewer people moving in the last five years (29.0%) compared to the national average of 40.7%.

The workforce is smaller than in most areas, with only 46.0% of adults working or looking for work. Major industries include agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

Orbost faces significant disadvantage, scoring 2 out of 10 for overall advantage, which is lower than about 80% of similar areas.

The area is wetter than most of Victoria, with an average annual rainfall of 952mm, while temperatures remain slightly cooler than the state average.

Daily life is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.0. Only 40% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities like groceries.