Dandenong - South

This is a young area with 21.9% of people under 15, which is well above the national figure. Conversely, seniors aged 65 and over make up only 12.7% of the population, a figure much lower than most other areas.

Migration strongly shapes the community, with 56.7% of people born overseas, far above the 27.7% national average. The most common birthplaces are Australia, India, and China.

Language diversity is very high, as 67.3% of residents use a language other than English at home. This is far above the national figure, and about 15.3% of people speak little or no English.

The community is strongly religious, with 50.1% of people identifying as Muslim. This helps explain why the 12.3% who report no religion is far below the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 15.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure of 26.3%.

Typical incomes are much lower than most areas, with a typical household earning $1,288 a week compared to the national figure of $1,746. Only 3.2% of people earn $2,000 or more per week.

While 7.3% of people need help with daily activities—a figure a little above the national average—long-term health conditions are reported far less often than in most other areas.

Community participation is low, with only 6.4% of people volunteering, which is well below the national average of 14.1%. Rates of unpaid care and housework are also much lower than most areas.

First Nations people make up a very small part of the population, totalling just 29 people. The typical personal income for this group is $464, which is a little below the national figure.

Homes here are more crowded than usual, with an average of 3.0 people per home. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 64.9% of families.

Renting is very common here at 43.3%, far above the national figure of 30.6%. This density is reflected in the high number of people per bedroom, which is among the highest at this level.

Public transport is highly accessible with 131 stops, and 4.8% of people use it for commuting. However, 10.6% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the national average.

The area is a frequent point of entry for new migrants, with 17.1% of residents arriving from overseas recently. This is a little above the national figure of 14.5%.

The local workforce is concentrated in manufacturing, construction, and health care. However, the unemployment rate is 8.7%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%.

The area has a large number of businesses (5,179) but ranks among the lowest for overall advantage and access to resources compared to other similar areas.

The local climate sees average annual rainfall of 779mm, which is well above the Victorian average of 510mm.

Public transport is very easy to reach, with 86.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop. However, the area is far less walkable for health services and schools than the state average.