Colac

The area is noticeably older than the national figure, with people aged 65 and over making up 24.1% of the population. This is well above the 17.2% seen across Australia. Children under 15 make up 17.0% of the community, which is slightly below the national average.

The community is predominantly Australian or English in ancestry. Only 9.9% of residents were born overseas, a figure far below the 30.0% seen across Victoria.

English is the main language for 87.8% of the community. This means the proportion of people using another language at home is far below the Victorian figure of 27.6%, though it has risen slightly since 2016.

A large number of residents report having no religion, at 44.7%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9% and represents a 12 point increase since 2016.

Educational qualifications are much lower than in most similar areas. Only 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the 26.3% national average, and just 39.8% of residents completed Year 12.

Typical household incomes are well below the national figure, at $1,250 per week. Only 10.5% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the 22.6% seen across Australia.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas. Long-term health conditions affect 33.5% of people, well above the 27.7% national average, and 8.8% of residents need help with daily activities.

Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, with 14.1% of people providing unpaid care, which is much higher than most similar areas. Volunteer rates are about 15.1%, which is slightly above the national figure.

There are 197 First Nations people in the area. The unemployment rate for this group is 6.3%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

A high number of people live alone, at 34.3%, which is well above the national average of 25.6%. One-parent families also make up 16.0% of the community, higher than in most similar areas.

Most people live in separate houses, and 39.8% own their home outright, which is well above the national figure of 31.0%. Typical weekly rent is much lower than average at $260.

The area is very dependent on cars, with only 0.2% of people commuting via public transport. It is a long trip to the city, taking about 101 minutes on average.

While 35.6% of residents moved in the last five years, which is lower than the national figure, recent arrivals from overseas make up 30.7% of the population. This is far above the Australian average of 14.5%.

The local workforce is largely employed in manufacturing (19.8%) and health care (14.4%). The unemployment rate is 3.0%, which is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.

The area ranks low for overall advantage compared to other regions. It scores a 1 out of 10 for education and job skills, which is lower than about 90% of similar areas.

Colac is cooler than most areas, with an average maximum temperature of 18.3 degrees. Annual rainfall is 715mm, which is well above the Victorian figure of 510mm.

The area is somewhat walkable, with 86.4% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport. However, access to health services is poor, with only 51.8% of homes within a 15 minute walk of these services.