Mornington Peninsula

The area is much older than the national figure, with 27.2% of people aged 65 and over, a figure that rose 5.7 points since 2011. In contrast, children under 15 make up 16.3% of the population, which is lower than most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia (76.6%), and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born people (17.7%) than the state average of 30.0%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with 89.2% of people using it at home. Only 5.4% use another language, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.

Nearly half of the community (49.1%) report having no religion, which is far above the national figure of 38.9%. This number has risen by 20 points since 2011.

About 21.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, though this is well below the state average. Year 12 completion has risen 10 points since 2011 to reach 53.9%.

Typical family income is $2,054 a week, which is about the same as the national figure. High earners are common, with 12.1% of people earning $2,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 33.2% of people. About 6.2% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than most similar areas.

Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 14.4% of people provide unpaid care, among the highest for its level. Additionally, a much higher proportion of residents have served in the Defence Force compared to the rest of the state.

The First Nations community is small at 1,724 people. Those in this group have an unemployment rate of 6.5%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

Homes typically hold 2.4 people, and about 27.4% of residents live alone. The most common household type is a couple with children, making up 53.7% of families.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (85.4%) and large homes, with 81.2% having three or more bedrooms. A much higher proportion of people own their home outright (42.0%) compared to the national figure of 31.0%.

Cars are essential here, as only 0.5% of people commute by public transport and very few homes (3.7%) have no motor vehicle. Working from home has become much more common, rising 17 points since 2011 to 22.6%.

The community is relatively stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years (36.6%) than in most other areas. Recent overseas arrivals are also among the lowest for its level at 4.7%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (55.4%) compared to the state average. However, the unemployment rate is very low at 3.3%, which is well below the national figure.

The population has grown to 172,217, making it larger than about 91% of similar areas. Since 2021, growth has slowed to 1.0%, which is well below the state average.

The area is cooler and wetter than the state average, with an average maximum temperature of 18.8 degrees and annual rainfall of 823mm.

Walking to amenities is difficult for many; only about half of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or schools. The overall walkability score of 4.7 is well below the state average.