Balwyn

The typical resident is 43, making the area noticeably older than the state and national figures. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 21.8% of the population, a figure that rose 3.3 points since 2011.

A large proportion of the community was born overseas, with 44.2% of residents born abroad—far above the national figure. This is reflected in the ancestry data, where Chinese (33.6%), English (22.1%), and Australian (17.5%) are the most common groups.

Language diversity is high here, with 43.9% of people using a language other than English at home, a figure that rose 12 points since 2011. Mandarin is the most common non-English language, spoken by 21.5% of residents.

A large share of the community reports having no religion, at 44.4%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 17 points since 2011.

Balwyn is among the most qualified areas in the country, with 48.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This high level of education is consistent with the area's high school advantage scores.

Typical weekly family income is $2,556, which is a little above the state and national figures. About 32.1% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, a figure that rose 13 points since 2011.

The community is in good health, with the rate of people having a long-term health condition (24.2%) and mental health conditions (5.9%) being much lower than most areas.

Volunteer rates are higher than most areas at 16.5%, though this has fallen 5.9 points since 2011. Unpaid care is also common, with 14.3% of people providing unpaid care.

The First Nations community is small, numbering 33 people. However, this group has very high Year 12 completion rates (75.0%) and personal incomes that are well above the national figure.

Most homes are occupied by couples with children (62.6%), and the average household size of 2.6 people is slightly higher than the national figure.

Home ownership is strong, with 42.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure. However, the typical monthly mortgage payment of $3,000 is among the highest at this level.

Working from home is very common here, with 38.4% of the workforce doing so—far above the national figure. While 38.6% still commute by car, the area has high public transport frequency.

The area has seen steady movement, with 40.3% of residents having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.8% of the population.

The workforce is heavily concentrated in professional and managerial roles, with 58.4% of workers in these occupations. The unemployment rate is 4.8%, which is about the same as the state average.

Balwyn is a highly advantaged area, ranking in the top 10% for overall advantage. It is also among the top areas for education and job skills.

The area sees an average annual rainfall of 749mm, which is well above the Victorian average of 510mm.

This is a walker's paradise with a score of 8.4. Every single home is within a 15-minute walk of a park and a school, and 99.9% are within 10 minutes of public transport.