Mildura - South

The population grew 13% since 2016 to reach 16,408 people. It is home to a higher proportion of First Nations people than most areas, and nearly one in five residents is aged 65 or over, which is well above the state and national figures.

People born overseas make up 17.8% of the community, a figure that rose 4.4 points since 2016 but remains far below the Victorian average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Italian.

About 17.3% of residents use a language other than English at home, which is a rise of 4.3 points since 2016. The proportion of people who speak little or no English is also much higher than in most similar areas.

Religion is less common here than in the past, with the share of people reporting no religion rising 8.9 points since 2016 to reach 39.4%. This is about the same as the national figure.

Education levels are much lower than the national average, with only 42.9% of residents completing Year 12 and 14.3% holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, both figures have risen since 2016.

Typical incomes are lower than in most areas; the typical household earns $1,407 a week, which is well below the Victorian figure. Only 12.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.

Health challenges are more common here, as 31% of people have a long-term health condition. The rate of people needing help with daily activities is also much higher than in most areas.

Volunteering has fallen 6.5 points since 2016 to 12%, which is lower than the national figure. Unpaid care for children and housework is also slightly lower than the state average.

The First Nations community is larger than in about 88% of similar areas. Residents are noticeably younger than the national average, though they face higher unemployment and much lower Year 12 completion rates.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 17.6%. Meanwhile, 27.8% of people live alone, which is higher than the state average.

Detached houses are very common, making up 84.3% of homes. While 31.1% of households rent, typical weekly rents of $300 are well below the national figure.

Cars are the primary way to get around, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Working from home is also much less common here than across Victoria.

The area is seeing significant movement, with 41.9% of people having moved in the last five years. This includes a surge in recent overseas arrivals, which rose 6.3 points since 2016.

Full-time employment is slightly above the national average at 60.1%. Health care, social assistance, and retail are the main industries, though the overall percentage of adults working or looking for work is lower than in most areas.

The area is ranked as having lower overall advantage compared to most other areas, scoring a 3 out of 10. This is consistent with the lower typical incomes and education levels seen across the community.

The climate is harsh, with an average maximum temperature of 25.3°C and annual rainfall of 266mm, which is among the lowest in the state.

The area is somewhat walkable, with 95% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, access to health services is far below the state average.