Dandenong

The population has grown to 193,644 people, with young adults aged 25 to 44 making up the largest age group at 31.5%. While the typical age is slightly younger than the national figure, the proportion of seniors has risen to 16.6% since 2011.

Born overseas, 56.3% of residents come from outside Australia, a figure far above the national average of 27.7%. Chinese, English, Australian, Vietnamese, and Indian are the most common ancestries.

Language diversity is very high, with 61.6% of people using another language at home—far above the national figure of 22.3%. This is reflected in the 15.2% of residents who speak little or no English, which is far above the Australian average.

Only 22.2% of residents identify with a religion, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%. However, this has risen by 9.5 percentage points since 2011.

Education levels have improved, with 60.4% of people completing Year 12 and 22.6% holding a bachelor degree or higher. The area is home to a large number of schools, though there are fewer schools per 1,000 children than in most other areas.

Typical weekly household income is $1,493, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes are also much lower than most areas, with the typical person earning $634 a week.

A higher number of people need help with daily activities compared to most areas, at 7.2%. Conversely, the rates of mental health conditions and long-term health conditions are well below the national average.

Volunteering is among the lowest at this level, with only 7.6% of people volunteering. Rates of unpaid childcare and housework are also well below the national figures.

First Nations people make up a small part of the population, with a typical age of 26. Unemployment for this group is 16.2%, which is well above the national figure of 12.3%.

Homes are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per household. This is higher than the national figure of 2.5, and there are more one-parent families than in most other areas.

Renters make up 33.0% of the market, which is higher than the national average of 30.6%. Most homes are separate houses, and the typical weekly rent is $350.

Public transport use is higher than in most areas, supported by a huge network of 926 stops. About 16.2% of people work from home, which is well below the national figure of 21.0%.

Recent arrivals from overseas make up 16.4% of the population, which is a little above the national average. Around 36.6% of residents have moved house in the last five years.

Unemployment is 6.9%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%. Many residents work in manufacturing, health care, or retail trade.

The population was estimated at 206,544, and it has grown by 5.5% since 2021, which is a little below the Victorian average of 8.0%.

The area is wetter than the state average, with annual rainfall of 809mm. Temperatures are generally mild, though the average maximum is slightly lower than the state figure.

The area is very walkable, with 96.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Most residents can also reach groceries and health services on foot within 15 minutes.