Leongatha

The area is far older than the state and national figures, with the typical age being 47. This is reflected in the 25.9% of residents aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 7.1 points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia (82.1%), and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure at 10.8%. English, Australian, Irish, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for the vast majority, with only 4.1% of people using another language at home—a figure far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.

Nearly half of the community (49.4%) report no religion, which is far above the national figure. This represents a significant rise of 19 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 43.1% of residents completing Year 12. Those with a bachelor degree or higher make up 16.7%, which is well below the national average.

Typical household incomes are well below the state and national figures at $1,315 per week. While this is lower than most areas, it has risen by $328 since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33.1% of residents. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 12.2%.

Volunteering is very common, with 21.9% of people helping out, which is well above the national figure. Unpaid care is also high, with 15% of the population providing support to others.

The First Nations community is small, with 97 people. This group is noticeably younger than the state and national averages, with a typical age of 20.

People living alone are more common here than in most areas, at 29.3%. Most homes are occupied by couples with children (53.1%) or couples without children (32.8%).

Housing is dominated by separate houses (96.2%), and 46.3% of homes are owned outright—far above the national figure. Rents are much lower than typical, at $270 per week.

The town is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.2% of people commuting by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 38% have two.

The community is relatively stable, as fewer people moved here in the last five years (34.8%) compared to the state average. Recent overseas arrivals are also much lower than most areas at 5.4%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are key industries, employing 13.1% of the workforce. While the unemployment rate is very low at 2.9%, fewer adults are working or looking for work (56.5%) than in most areas.

The area is smaller than about 60% of similar places in terms of overall advantage, with a score of 963. It hosts 1,564 businesses, which is more than about 79% of similar areas.

Leongatha is much wetter than the state average, with 1,072mm of annual rainfall. It is also cooler, with an average maximum temperature of 19.1 degrees.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.7. This is far below the Victorian average, and many homes are far from parks, schools, and health services.