Traralgon - West

The population is 16,822 people, with a typical age of 39. It has a higher proportion of both children under 15 (19.0%) and seniors aged 65 and over (19.0%) compared to most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia (82.0%), and the area has far fewer people born overseas (12.9%) than the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 87.4% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home (7.4%) is far below both the state and national figures.

A large number of residents identify as having no religion (47.2%), which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 43.0%.

Year 12 completion (47.8%) and bachelor degrees (18.2%) are both well below the national average. The area is home to five schools and a large number of students, though the typical qualification is a Certificate III or IV.

Typical weekly household income is $1,635, which is about the same as the national figure. About 19.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 32.7% of people. Mental health and arthritis are the most reported conditions, each affecting 10.5% of residents.

Residents are more likely to provide unpaid care (13.7%) or care for children (29.5%) than people in most similar areas. About 14.4% of the community are volunteers.

There are 205 First Nations people in the area. Their typical personal income ($776) is well above the national figure, and their Year 12 completion rate (47.1%) is far above the Australian average.

The area has a higher number of people living alone (29.3%) and one-parent families (15.1%) than most similar areas. Most homes are occupied by couples with children.

Separate houses make up 87.6% of dwellings, far above the national figure. Homes are generally large, with 82.4% having three or more bedrooms, and typical monthly mortgage payments ($1,326) are well below the state average.

Cars are essential for most, as only 0.6% of people commute by public transport. Working from home is less common here (12.1%) than in the rest of Victoria (25.7%).

About 39.9% of residents moved into the area in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 13.3% of the population, which is higher than in most similar areas.

Employment levels are consistent with the state, with 59.2% of people working full-time. The most common industries for local workers are health care, construction, and public administration.

The area's overall advantage score is 978, which is slightly below the national average. Population growth since 2021 has been 2.8%, which is well below the Victorian average of 8.0%.

The area receives more rain than the state average, with 766mm annually. Both the average maximum and minimum temperatures are much lower than in most similar areas.

While 96.8% of homes are near a park, the area is generally less walkable than the state average. Many residents live far from groceries and health services, and only 39.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a store.