Sale

The typical resident is 42, making the area noticeably older than both Victoria and Australia. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 22% of the population, a figure that has risen by 5.7 percentage points since 2011.

The community is predominantly Australian or English in ancestry, and only 12.7% of people were born overseas, which is far below the state and national figures.

English is the primary language for 87.5% of residents. Only 6.3% use another language at home, a figure far below the national average.

A large number of residents report no religion, accounting for 45.8% of the population. This is well above the national figure and represents a 21 percentage point increase since 2011.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 45.1% of residents completing Year 12 and 17.3% holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the town has a high number of schools for its size.

Typical incomes are lower than the state and national figures, with the typical household earning $1,331 a week. This is much lower than the national figure, though typical incomes have risen since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35% of people having a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are among the highest at this level, affecting 12.6% of residents.

Volunteerism is higher than the national average at 16%, and 7.7% of residents have served in the Defence Force, which is well above the state figure.

The First Nations community is noticeably younger than the general population, with a typical age of 20. However, they face significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 17.2%, well above the national average.

One-parent families (17.6%) and people living alone (32.9%) are both much more common here than in most other areas.

The housing stock is dominated by separate houses, which make up 85.4% of dwellings. Rents are much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of $280.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Very few people work from home compared to the state average, at just 9.4%.

The community is relatively mobile, with 41.8% of people having moved in the last five years, slightly above the national figure.

The workforce is less active than in other areas, with only 55.4% of adults working or looking for work. The most common industries are health care, public administration and retail.

Sale ranks in the bottom 30% for overall advantage, with low scores for access to money, resources and job skills.

The area receives an average annual rainfall of 627mm, which is a little above the Victorian average of 510mm.

The town is very walkable, with 78.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of key amenities. Most residents live within a short walk of public transport, parks and schools.