Wangaratta - Benalla

The community is far older than the national figure, with 25.9% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 6.1 points since 2011. Children under 15 make up 16.4% of the population, which is lower than most similar areas.

This is a predominantly Australian-born community, with 84% born here and only 8.9% born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 89.1% of the population. Only 4.5% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.

About 42.3% of residents have no religion, a figure that rose 19 points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 47.6%.

Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with 42.5% of people completing Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. However, the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose 4.4 points since 2011 to 16.1%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,284, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 12.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this has risen since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are common here, with 36% of people reporting one, which is well above the national figure. This is reflected in the 7.5% of people who need help with daily activities.

The area has a high rate of volunteering at 18.8%, well above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid care is also common, with 15% of people providing help to others.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 1.9% of the population. The First Nations unemployment rate is 8.6%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

Living alone is much more common here than in most areas, accounting for 31.4% of households. Family sizes are smaller than usual, with only 2.3 people per home.

Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 89.8% of dwellings. A high 42.3% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%, and typical weekly rents are much lower than usual at $250.

Cars are essential here, as only 0.2% of people commute by public transport. This dependency is clear as 63.5% of workers drive to work.

The population is relatively stable, with 33.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.

The unemployment rate is 3.1%, which is among the lowest for similar areas. Many residents work in health care and social assistance, as well as manufacturing and construction.

Population growth since 2021 has been 1.2%, which is well below the state figure of 8.0%.

The area receives an average annual rainfall of 792mm, which is well above the state average of 510mm.

Walkability is low, with only 50% of homes within a 15-minute-city walkshed, far below the state figure of 74.3%. Most residents are far less likely to be within a 15-minute walk of health services than those in the rest of Victoria.