Colac - Corangamite

This is an older area where the typical resident is 46, far older than the national figure of 38. People aged 65 and over make up 24.3% of the population, which is well above the national average and has risen since 2016.

The area is much less diverse than the rest of the state, with only 9.1% of people born overseas. Most residents claim Australian (41.9%) or English (40.6%) ancestry.

English is the main language for 88.8% of the community. Only 4.5% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A large number of residents report no religion (44.3%), a figure that is well above the national average and has risen by 12 points since 2016.

Qualification levels are lower than most areas, with only 14.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state figure, though it has risen by 5.9 points since 2016.

Incomes are generally much lower than the national average. The typical weekly family income is $1,700, which is well below the national figure of $2,120.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 31.8% of people. Additionally, 6.8% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than most similar areas.

Local residents are much more likely to volunteer than those in other areas, with 20.6% participating. Unpaid care is also common, with 13.9% of people providing unpaid care.

The First Nations community is small, consisting of 505 people. While the typical personal income is a little below the national figure, the unemployment rate for First Nations people is very low at 2.5%.

About 31.6% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure. Most homes are small, with 2.3 people per home, and typical households consist of couples with children (52.0%).

Housing is dominated by separate houses (93.0%) and high rates of outright ownership at 44.3%. Renting is much less common than in the rest of the state, and the typical weekly rent of $250 is well below the national figure.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with 59.8% of people driving to work and very few using public transport (0.2%). It takes about 114 minutes to drive from here to the city.

The community is relatively stable, as 32.0% of people moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. However, recent arrivals from overseas have risen to 17.6%.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest employer at 18.6%. The unemployment rate is very low at 2.7%, which is a little below the national average.

Recent population estimates suggest a slight decline of 1.2%, which is well below the state growth rate of 8.0%.

The area receives 797mm of rain annually, which is well above the state average. Minimum temperatures are also a little above the state figure.

The region is mostly car-dependent with a low walkability score of 3.8. Only about half of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or public transport.