Southern Grampians

The area is far older than most, with a typical age of 49 and over a quarter of residents aged 65 or more. While children under 15 make up 17.3% of the population, this figure has fallen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has among the lowest proportions of overseas-born people at 7.3%, which is far below the national figure.

English is the dominant language, with only 1.9% of people using another tongue at home. This is far below both the state and national figures.

More than half of the community identifies as Christian, though the number of people reporting no religion rose by 20 points since 2011 to reach 37.9%.

The area has a lower proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher (15.9%) and Year 12 completions (44.3%) compared to the rest of the state. However, there are many schools for the number of children, with 9 schools serving the area.

Typical weekly household income is $1,289, which is well below the national figure. While incomes have risen since 2011, the area still has a lower proportion of high-earners than most other regions.

A little more than 30% of residents live with a long-term health condition, which is slightly above the national average. Arthritis is the most common long-term health issue reported.

Volunteerism is very high at 32.5%, far above the national figure. Residents also spend more time on unpaid housework than most other areas.

First Nations people make up 2% of the population. This group faces significant gaps in outcomes, with a Year 12 completion rate of 29.5%, which is far below the state figure.

Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.3 people per dwelling, and a high 31.1% of people live alone. One-parent families are much less common here than in most other areas.

Housing is overwhelmingly made up of separate houses (97.7%), and 53.3% of homes are owned outright. Rent is far below the national average, with a typical weekly rent of $170.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with only 0.2% of people commuting by public transport. Conversely, 26.6% of the workforce works from home, which is well above the national figure.

The community is very stable, as only 26.9% of people moved in the last five years, far below the national average of 40.7%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 41.7% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.9%.

The area has a moderate level of overall advantage and maintains a relatively high number of businesses (1,258) for its size.

The climate is generally cooler than the state average, with a typical maximum temperature of 19.3 degrees and annual rainfall of 631mm.

Most residents are car-dependent, as the walkability score is far below the state average. Only 33.4% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.