Pakenham - North East

The area is very young, with 24% of the population being children under 15—a figure well above the national average of 18.2%. This is mirrored by a much lower proportion of seniors compared to most areas, with only 11.5% aged 65 and over.

Most residents were born in Australia (71.8%), though 23.3% were born overseas, which is well below the Victorian figure of 30%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Scottish and Irish.

While 17.4% of people use a language other than English at home—higher than in most similar areas—this is still far below the state average of 27.6%. Punjabi and Hindi are the most common non-English languages spoken.

A higher number of people here report having no religion (45.8%) compared to most areas, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity remains the second most common affiliation at 37.9%.

Education levels are lower than in most areas, with only 16.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, far below the national figure of 26.3%. Year 12 completion is also well below the state average at 52.8%.

Typical family income is $1,879 per week, which is a little below the national figure of $2,120. Only 12.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, a figure much lower than most areas.

Mental health conditions are reported by 11.5% of residents, which is much higher than most areas and slightly above the national rate of 8.8%. Other long-term health conditions are about the same as the state average.

Many residents are primary caregivers, with 34.2% caring for children unpaid—among the highest rates for its level and well above the national figure of 26.3%. However, volunteering is much lower than in most areas.

The First Nations community is notably young, with a typical age of 16, far younger than the national figure of 24. Year 12 completion for First Nations residents is also far above the national average at 48.4%.

Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.7 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of families with children and a much higher rate of one-parent families (19%) than most areas.

The area is dominated by separate houses, with 88.3% of homes being detached and 88.4% having three or more bedrooms. Outright home ownership is far below the national average at 17.9%.

Car use is very high, with 63.7% of people driving to work and only 1.3% using public transport. Very few homes lack a motor vehicle, at just 3.2%, which is well below the state average.

This is a highly mobile community, with 47% of people having moved house in the last five years. This is well above the national figure of 40.7%.

More adults are working or looking for work (66%) compared to most areas, and full-time employment is a little above the national figure at 61.5%. Common industries include health, construction, and retail.

The area's overall advantage score is 949, which is lower than about 70% of similar areas. However, the population has grown by 6.2% since 2021.

The area receives a high amount of rain, with an average annual rainfall of 1,032mm, which is far above the Victorian figure of 510mm.

Walking to amenities is difficult here, as the walkability score is well below the state average. While most homes are near a park, far fewer are within a 15-minute walk of health services or groceries compared to the state.