St Arnaud

The community is aging quickly, with the typical resident now 52 and the number of people aged 65 and over rising to 30.4%, which is far above the national figure. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.5%, a figure that has fallen since 2011.

The area is very traditional in its origins, with 85.1% of people born in Australia and only 6.0% born overseas, which is far below the Victorian average.

English is the primary language for the vast majority, with 90.3% of people speaking only English at home. Only 2.4% use another language, which is far below the state and national figures.

Religious views are shifting, as the proportion of people reporting no religion rose 19 points since 2011 to reach 38.3%, though over half the community still identifies as Christian.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 35.0% of residents completing Year 12. A small number of adults, 9.8%, hold a bachelor degree or higher, though this has risen slightly since 2011.

Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the usual weekly household income sitting at $993. Only 8.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this is up from 2.9% in 2011.

Health challenges are common here; 36.8% of people have a long-term health condition, and 9.0% need help with daily activities, both of which are well above the state and national averages.

Volunteering is a standout feature, with 26.4% of people volunteering, a figure far above the national average. This high level of community care is also seen in the 14.9% of people providing unpaid care.

The First Nations community is small, with a typical age of 45 that is far older than the national figure. This group faces significant hardship, with an unemployment rate of 27.3%, far above the national average.

Living arrangements are often small, with 38.0% of people living alone, which is far above the national average. This helps explain why there are only 2.1 people per home on average.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (95.8%), and 54.1% of homes are owned outright, far above the state average. Because of this, typical weekly rents are very low at $182.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.3% of people commuting by public transport. Working from home is also less common here than in the rest of the state.

Residents tend to stay put, with only 24.6% moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 10.1% of the population.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are major employers for 27.4% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, which is a little below the national average.

The area faces significant disadvantage, ranking 2 out of 10 for overall advantage compared to all areas. Population growth has also been negative, falling 1.0% since 2021.

The local climate is relatively dry, with average annual rainfall of 468mm, which is a little below the Victorian average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.6. While many people live within a short walk of a park, far fewer have easy access to health services or public transport.