Echuca

The typical resident is 45, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 24.3% of the population, a figure that rose 6.0 points since 2011, while children under 15 have fallen to 16.8%.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with only 8.3% of people born overseas—far below the 30% seen in Victoria. English and Australian are the dominant ancestries, though the share of overseas-born residents has risen 2.4 points since 2011.

English is the primary language for 89.6% of residents. Only 4.5% use another language at home, which is far below the state average, though this has risen 2.5 points since 2011.

Nearly half of the population (48.2%) identify as Christian. Those with no religion make up 42.9% of the community, a significant increase of 20 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 39.2% of residents completing Year 12. Only 14% hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the Victorian average of 29.2%.

Typical household incomes are well below the national figure, sitting at $1,347 per week. This is consistent with the educational profile, though the share of households earning $3,000 or more weekly rose 9.6 points since 2011.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. Additionally, 7.5% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than the national figure.

Volunteering rates are around the national average at 14.3%, though this fell 8.0 points since 2011. About 13.2% of people provide unpaid care, which is slightly above the national figure.

The First Nations community is larger than in about 86% of similar areas. However, this group faces significant gaps, with a Year 12 completion rate of 25.7%, which is far below the state average of 42.4%.

Homes are smaller than average with 2.3 people per dwelling. There is a higher share of people living alone (29.9%) and one-parent families (16.5%) compared to most other areas.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (86.2%), and 38% of homes are owned outright, well above the national figure. Rents are much lower than average, with a typical weekly cost of $285.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 66.9% of workers driving to work and only 0.2% using public transport. While there are many bus stops, the typical walk to the nearest one takes 59 minutes.

About 37.7% of residents moved in the last five years, which is around the middle for similar areas. There has been a rise in recent overseas arrivals, now making up 17.8% of the population.

The unemployment rate is 3.7%, which is much lower than most areas. The workforce is concentrated in health care, construction, and retail, though the share of full-time employees fell slightly since 2011.

With 1,728 businesses, the area is a significant local hub, but its overall advantage score is lower than 75% of similar areas. Population growth has also slowed, falling 1.5% since 2021.

The area is drier than the state average, with annual rainfall of 463mm. Maximum temperatures are slightly higher than the Victorian average, typically reaching 23.1 degrees.

Walkability is lower than the state average, with a score of 5.1. While most people can walk to groceries, only 38% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, far below the state figure of 64.2%.