Donvale - Park Orchards

The area is noticeably older than most, with a typical age of 45 and 21.3% of people aged 65 and over, which is well above the national figure. While the population grew by about 776 people since 2011, there are now fewer children under 15 than in previous years.

A growing number of people were born overseas, accounting for 31.0% of the population. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though Chinese ancestry is also significant at 16.2%.

Language diversity is high, with 28.0% of residents using a language other than English at home, a figure that rose 6.5 points since 2011. Mandarin and Cantonese are the most common non-English languages spoken.

Over half of the community identifies as Christian, while 37.1% report no religion. The proportion of those with no religion has risen 14 points since 2011, though it remains slightly below the national figure.

This is a highly qualified community where 37.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, far above the national average. Schooling is a priority here, with 71.5% of residents completing Year 12, which is much higher than most similar areas.

Household incomes are very high, with 36.4% of homes earning $3,000 or more a week, far above the state and national figures. The typical weekly family income of $2,717 is also much higher than the national figure.

Mental health conditions are reported much less often here (6.1%) than in most other areas. Around 26.0% of residents have a long-term health condition, which is slightly below the national figure.

Residents are more likely to volunteer (16.8%) and provide unpaid care (15.5%) than people in most other areas. Many also spend significant time on unpaid housework, with 24.2% doing 15 or more hours a week.

The First Nations community is small, making up 0.4% of the population. However, they achieve much higher outcomes than the national average, with a 60.0% Year 12 completion rate and significantly higher typical incomes.

Families tend to be larger than usual, with 2.9 people per home. This is reflected in the high proportion of couples with children (68.3%) and a very low number of people living alone compared to most areas.

The area is dominated by large separate houses, with 88.5% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is very strong, as 44.9% of houses are owned outright, far above the national figure.

Working from home is very common, with 34.6% of the workforce doing so—a massive increase since 2011. Most homes have at least two vehicles, and very few households (2.8%) have no car at all.

The community is very stable, with only 28.5% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas also account for a smaller share of the population than in most areas.

Employment is steady, with 61.8% of adults working or looking for work. The workforce is heavily concentrated in professional roles, managers, and health care and social assistance.

This area is among the most advantaged in the country, scoring a 9 out of 10 for overall advantage. It has a high concentration of businesses and an exceptionally high level of access to money and resources.

The area is slightly cooler than most, with an average maximum temperature of 20.1 degrees. It also receives more rainfall than the Victorian average, with 805mm annually.

While almost every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, the area is less walkable for daily needs. Only 58.6% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far below the state figure.