Melton South - Weir Views

The area is noticeably younger than the national figure, with the typical resident aged 32 and a high proportion of children under 15 at 26.7%. Seniors aged 65 and over make up only 11.0%, which is well below the state and national averages.

Born overseas make up 34.7% of the population, a figure well above the national average of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, followed by Indian, Irish, and Scottish.

Language diversity is high, with 34.7% of people using a language other than English at home, far above the national figure. Punjabi is the most common non-English language, while 5.9% of residents speak little or no English.

Religious affiliation is more common here than in most other areas, as the proportion of people with no religion is well below the national figure of 38.9% at 29.4%.

Education levels are far below the state average, with only 48.5% of residents completing Year 12. This is reflected in the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher, which is much lower than most similar areas.

Typical incomes are much lower than the national figure, with the usual household earning $1,363 a week. Only 8.4% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is among the lowest for its level.

Mental health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 10.7% of the population. Additionally, 7.4% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.

Unpaid childcare is common, with 29.7% of people caring for children, well above the national figure. However, volunteer rates are among the lowest for its level at 7.2%.

First Nations residents are noticeably younger than the state average, with a typical age of 20. Unemployment is among the highest for its level at 21.1%, far above the state's 9.6%.

Homes tend to be larger with an average of 2.8 people per dwelling, which helps explain the high proportion of couples with children. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most areas.

Separate houses are very common, making up 89.5% of all homes. Renting is much more frequent here than in the rest of the state, while far fewer people own their homes outright.

Most people drive to work, with 60.1% as the driver. While there are many public transport routes, the number of stops per 1,000 people is well below the state figure.

The community is highly mobile, with 51.6% of people moving in the last five years, far above the national average. This is consistent with the 16.1% of residents who arrived recently from overseas.

Unemployment is well above the national figure at 10.0%, and the proportion of adults working or looking for work is much lower than most similar areas.

The area has seen massive growth, but it ranks very low for overall advantage compared to other regions. It is currently rated as one of the least advantaged areas in the country.

The local climate features average annual rainfall of 504mm and an average maximum temperature of 20.1 degrees, both of which are much lower than most other areas.

Almost every home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, and most are near public transport. However, there are far fewer walkable amenities per resident than the state average.