Gippsland - East

The community is ageing rapidly, with 30.9% of people aged 65 and over, a figure far above the national average. Meanwhile, children under 15 make up only 15.0%, which is well below the state figure.

Born-overseas residents make up 11.9% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with only 4.0% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.

About 48.3% of residents report having no religion, which is well above the national figure and has risen by 19 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 39.3% of residents having completed Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical incomes are well below the state and national figures, with a typical household earning $1,109 a week. Only 8.9% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.

Long-term health conditions are common here, with 35.9% of people reporting one, which is well above the national average. Around 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, though the rate fell to 19.2% since 2011. Unpaid care for others is also high, at 14.6%.

First Nations people make up 3.5% of the population. Year 12 completion for this group is 27.6%, which is well below the national figure of 37.0%.

The area has a high number of people living alone (31.4%) and small household sizes, with a typical 2.2 people per home.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (90.6%) and high ownership, with 49.1% of homes owned outright. Rent is much lower than the state average at $268 a week.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Almost 40% of homes have two vehicles.

Movement into the area is slower than in other regions, with 35.7% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure.

Working or looking for work is much less common here than in most areas, at 48.4%. Many residents work in health care, construction, and retail.

Population growth since 2021 has been 2.5%, which is well below the Victorian average of 8.0%.

The area is wetter than the state average, with 815mm of annual rainfall, and it is slightly cooler than the state average.

The region is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.0. Only 34.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.