Ararat Surrounds

The community is notably older, with 25% of residents aged 65 and over, a figure well above the national average. This senior population has grown by 4.7 percentage points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 9% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. Australian, English, Scottish, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with 90.8% of people using it only at home. Only 1.8% of residents use another language, which is among the lowest across the country.

A large shift has occurred here, as the number of people reporting no religion rose 23 percentage points since 2011 to reach 47.1%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 41.9%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 43.3% of residents completing Year 12. However, there has been a slight increase in people with a bachelor degree or higher since 2011.

Typical weekly household incomes are $1,384, which is well below the national figure. While typical incomes have risen since 2011, only 12.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.3% of residents. Arthritis is the most reported condition at 11.6%.

Volunteer rates are exceptionally high, with 30.3% of people volunteering, far above the national figure. Unpaid care is also common, with 15.7% of residents providing such support.

There are 45 First Nations people in the area. While Year 12 completion is far below the national average, typical personal incomes for First Nations residents are well above the national figure.

Household sizes are typical for Australia, with 2.4 people per home. Most families are couples with children (53.1%) or couples without children (37.2%).

The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses, and 53.3% are owned outright, far above the national figure. Typical weekly rents are very low at $151.

The community is heavily reliant on cars, as 0.0% of people commute via public transport. However, 26.1% of the workforce works from home, which is well above the national average.

This is a stable population with low mobility; only 27% of residents moved in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing is the dominant industry, employing 38.2% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.0%, well below the national figure.

The area has a moderate overall advantage score of 998, which is about the national average. Population growth has been stagnant since 2021, falling slightly by 0.1%.

The local climate is cooler than the state average, with an average minimum temperature of 8.1 degrees and average annual rainfall of 566mm.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.1. Most homes are far from basic services, with only 12.5% within a 15-minute walk of health services.