Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Ararat
161 km²
Most residents in Ararat live in a separate house and rely on a car to get around, reflecting a traditional regional lifestyle. The community is noticeably older than the national average, with a significant number of seniors and a lower proportion of children. It is a place where a quarter of the population is aged 65 or over, and many people own their homes outright. This contributes to a quiet, settled character in a town that is far less diverse and has lower typical incomes than the Victorian average.
Ararat is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
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The typical resident is 45, making the area noticeably older than the state and national figures. This is reflected in the age structure, where seniors make up 24.1% of the population, while children under 15 have fallen to 14.4% since 2011.
The area is much less diverse than most, with only 12.2% of people born overseas—far below the 30% seen across Victoria. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, followed by Scottish and Irish.
English is the primary language for nearly 80% of residents. Only 6.2% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report having no religion, at 44.0%, which is well above the national average. This figure has risen significantly by 18 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 11.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average at 35.5%.
Incomes are well below the national figures; the typical household earns $1,216 a week. Only 9.7% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the 22.6% seen across Australia.
Health challenges are more common here, with 34.8% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national average, and 8.5% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteer rates are around the middle for similar areas at 14.6%. The number of people providing unpaid care for children has fallen by 4.9 points since 2011.
The First Nations community is larger than in about half of similar areas. The typical age is 30, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 24.
Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.2 people per household. This is consistent with the fact that 34.1% of people live alone, a rate well above the national average.
The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 89.5% of dwellings. Rent is much lower than the state average at $250 a week, and 40.4% of homes are owned outright.
Car travel is the primary way to get to work, as only 0.7% of people use public transport. While there are many bus stops, the average walk to the nearest one takes 21 minutes.
The population is relatively stable, with 33.8% moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to most areas, at 48.4%. The most common industries for those employed are health care, manufacturing, and public administration.
The area ranks low for overall advantage, scoring 2 out of 10. Population growth has also stalled, falling by 0.8% since 2021.
The local climate is cooler than most areas, with an average minimum temperature of 8.1 degrees and average annual rainfall of 603mm.
The area is somewhat walkable, and 93.6% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, about 35% of homes are more than 15 minutes away from groceries.