Gippsland - South West

The area is far older than the national figure, with seniors aged 65 and over making up 28.2% of the population. This trend has strengthened recently, as the typical age rose by five years since 2011 to reach 50.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (13.6%) than the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian ancestries are the most common.

English is the dominant language, with only 4.6% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A majority of the community (50.7%) reports having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average and has risen by 20 points since 2011.

Education levels are lower than the state average, with only 43.9% of residents completing Year 12. However, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 17.3% since 2011.

Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the typical household earning $1,202 a week. Only 11.8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is much lower than most other areas.

Health challenges are more common here; 34.9% of people have a long-term health condition, which is well above the national figure. Arthritis and mental health are the most reported conditions.

The community is very active in giving back, with a volunteering rate of 19.7% that is well above the national average. Unpaid care for others is also more common than usual.

First Nations people make up 1.1% of the population. The unemployment rate for this group is 5.9%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

Living arrangements are often solitary, as 31.1% of people live alone—well above the national average. This is consistent with the older age of the population, and homes tend to be smaller, averaging 2.3 people.

Housing is dominated by detached houses (93.1%), and many residents own their homes outright (47.0%), which is far above the national figure. Renting is much less common here than in the rest of the state.

The region is heavily dependent on cars, with only 0.3% of people commuting by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and the drive time to the city is quite long at 96 minutes.

While about 40% of residents moved in the last five years, the area sees very few new arrivals from overseas (5.1%), which is well below the national average.

Fewer adults here are working or looking for work (52.0%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries are health care, construction, and agriculture.

The population has continued to grow, with an estimated 75,613 people living in the area, representing a 6.1% increase since 2021.

The area is cooler and wetter than the state average, with an average annual rainfall of 969mm and a typical maximum temperature of 19.1 degrees.

The region is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.8 that is far below the state average. Most residents live far from schools, health services, and groceries.