Swan Hill Surrounds

The typical resident is 43, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 19.3% of the population, a figure that has risen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 10.6% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Irish ancestries are the most common after Australian.

English is the main language for 81.7% of the community, and the 8.7% who use another language at home is far below the state average. However, the proportion of people who speak little or no English has risen since 2016.

Religious affiliation is split, with 44.6% identifying as Christian and 40.3% reporting no religion. This last group has grown significantly, rising 16 points since 2011.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 9.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree. Year 12 completion is also far below the state average, though it has risen by 9.1 points since 2011.

Household incomes are well below the national typical of $1,746, coming in at $1,373. Only 11.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this is an increase from 2011.

About 29.4% of people live with a long-term health condition, most commonly arthritis and asthma. This is slightly above the national figure, while mental health conditions are a little below the average.

Volunteering is much higher here than in most areas, with 18.7% of people giving their time. This is well above the national figure, despite a decline since 2011.

First Nations people make up 3.4% of the population, and the unemployment rate for this group is 15.0%, which is well above the state figure of 9.6%.

Family structures are typical for the region, with 55.3% of homes being couples with children. One-parent families are much less common here than in most other areas.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (94.7%) and high rates of outright ownership at 43.9%. This helps explain why typical rents and mortgage payments are among the lowest in the state.

The community is heavily car-dependent, with 65.5% of people driving to work and only 1.6% using public transport. Very few homes—just 3.2%—have no motor vehicle.

People rarely move in or out of the area, with only 26.6% having moved in the last five years. Interestingly, recent arrivals from overseas have risen sharply to 36.8% since 2011.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing employ 30.3% of the workforce, which is a major industry for the area. The unemployment rate is very low at 3.0%, which is below the state and national figures.

The area ranks in the bottom 30% for overall advantage and job skills compared to other regions. Population growth has also been very low, rising only 0.1% since 2021.

The environment is hot and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 24.9 degrees. Annual rainfall is far below the Victorian average, totaling just 313mm.

The area is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 2.4. Most residents live far from essential services, with only 13.1% within a 15-minute walk of health services.