Melbourne - West

The community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with a typical resident aged 34. Children under 15 make up 21.6% of the population, which is well above the national average, while seniors aged 65 and over are much less common here than in most other areas.

Born overseas, 42% of residents come from outside Australia, a figure far above the national average. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, followed by Indian, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

Language diversity is very high, with 44.9% of people using a language other than English at home, which is far above the national figure. Vietnamese, Punjabi, and Hindi are the most common non-English languages spoken.

Religious affiliation is more common here than elsewhere, as the 27.5% of people with no religion is far below the national figure. Christianity is the most common faith at 41.5%, followed by Hinduism and Islam.

Education levels have risen significantly since 2011, with the share of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher climbing by 10 points to 27.8%. Year 12 completion is also well above the national average at 63.7%.

Typical weekly household income is $1,867, which is slightly higher than the national figure. High-earning households making over $3,000 a week have increased significantly since 2011, now making up 22.8% of the area.

Residents here report fewer long-term health conditions than most other areas, with 22.8% having one, which is well below the national figure. Mental health conditions are also less common here than in the rest of the state.

Unpaid childcare is very common, with 29.1% of people caring for children, which is much higher than most areas. However, volunteering is well below the national average at 8.8%.

There are 7,018 First Nations people in the area. Typical personal and household incomes for this group are a little above the national figures, and 40.6% have completed Year 12, which is well above the national average.

Homes here are larger than usual, with an average of 2.9 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 65.2% of all families.

The area is dominated by separate houses (80.3%), and 83.5% of homes have three or more bedrooms. However, outright home ownership is well below the national average at 25.2%, with more people renting or paying a mortgage.

Working from home is very common at 24.7%, a massive increase from 2.4% in 2011. While most people drive to work, the area has a large number of public transport stops, though usage has fallen since 2011.

The population is quite mobile, with 41.5% of people having moved home in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 15.7% of the community, which is slightly above the national average.

More adults are working or looking for work here than in most other areas. While full-time employment is high at 61.2%, the unemployment rate of 6.6% is also a little above the national figure.

The area continues to grow rapidly, with a population increase of 13.4% since 2021, which is well above the state growth rate of 8.0%.

The local climate features average minimum temperatures that are a little above the state average. Annual rainfall is about the same as the rest of Victoria.

Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, which is well above the state average. However, access to health services is far below the state average, with only 51.9% of homes within a short walk of a clinic.