Ararat · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
How well-off the area is, how fast its population is growing, and the businesses and new homes here.
A shrinking population marks the recent economic trend for Ararat, where growth since 2021 has fallen by 0.8%. This decline is well below the Victorian average of 8% and highlights a struggle to keep pace with the rest of the state.
All statistical area 2 (sa2) areas, 2021. The marker is Ararat — lower than 86% of areas.
| Ararat | 2 |
|---|---|
| 3377, VIC | 2 |
SEIFA indexes ranking relative advantage and disadvantage.
Residents here generally have less access to money, education, and job skills than most people across Australia. The area's overall advantage score of 904 is lower than about 87% of similar places.
2
Lower than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the 10% most advantaged. IRSAD summarises both advantage and disadvantage, so a high score reflects relatively many high-income, well-educated households and few low-income, low-skill ones.
2
Lower than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the least disadvantaged. IRSD focuses on disadvantage alone (low income, low education, unemployment, unskilled occupations), so a higher decile means relatively less disadvantage.
2
Lower than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Economic Resources, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for economic resources in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IER reflects the income, housing costs, dwelling size and assets of households, so a higher decile means relatively greater economic resources.
2
Lower than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Education and Occupation, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for education and occupation in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IEO reflects residents' qualifications and the skill level of their jobs, so a higher decile means a more highly educated and skilled workforce.
904
Lower than 87% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a raw index score (standardised so the Australian average is about 1000). Higher scores indicate relatively greater advantage; lower scores greater disadvantage.
Annual population estimates and change since the census.
The population of 8,399 is smaller than about 60% of similar areas and has shrunk by 0.8% since the last census.
8,399
Lower than 61% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Estimated resident population (ABS), 2025.
-0.8%
Lower than 92% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Population growth since the 2021 Census, from ABS annual estimates.
Operating businesses and dwellings approved.
There are 494 businesses operating in the area, which is a smaller number than about 75% of similar places.
494
Lower than 75% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Operating businesses (ABS Counts of Australian Businesses), June 2025.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Economy & Advantage in Ararat [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/215011386/ararat/topic/economy-advantage
