Baw Baw

The typical resident is 41, which is noticeably older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 21.4% of the population, a figure well above the state average and one that has risen nearly 5 points since 2011.

The area is predominantly Australian-born, with only 12.1% of residents born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for nearly 90% of the community. Only 4.9% of people use another language at home, which is far below the figures for Victoria and Australia.

Nearly half of the population (48.7%) reports having no religion, a figure well above the national average. This has seen a sharp increase of 22 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 45.4% of residents completing Year 12, far below the national figure. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree has risen to 16.8% since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,497, which is a little below the national figure. While high-income earners are less common than in most areas, the number of households earning over $3,000 a week rose 10 points since 2011.

A third of residents live with a long-term health condition, which is well above the national average. Mental health conditions and arthritis are the most common reported issues.

Volunteering is more common here than in most areas, with 16.5% of people pitching in. Unpaid care is also frequent, with 14.3% of people providing support, among the highest rates for similar areas.

There are 729 First Nations people in the area. Those in this group have a typical personal income of $662, which is a little above the national figure.

Families with children are common, making up 55.2% of households. This helps explain why homes here are larger, with an average of 2.5 people per dwelling.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 91.5% of all dwellings. Home ownership is strong, with 39.2% of homes owned outright, well above the national figure.

Car dependence is very high, as only 0.7% of people commute by public transport. Very few homes lack a motor vehicle, and the drive time to the city is among the highest for similar areas.

The community is quite mobile, with 41.5% of people moving house in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas account for 9.0% of the population.

The unemployment rate is 3.8%, which is much lower than in most similar areas. Many residents work in health care, social assistance, or construction.

The population has grown by 8.9% since 2021, a rate that is much higher than most similar areas.

The area receives high annual rainfall, averaging 1,104mm, which is far above the state average. Temperatures are generally lower than the Victorian average.

Most residents are car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 3.7. Only 39.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state average.