Region (SA4) · Area profile
Warrnambool and South West
26,379 km²
Low rental costs and high home ownership set Warrnambool and South West apart as a more affordable place to live. This is an older community where the typical resident is 45, making it noticeably older than the national figure. It is a predominantly Australian-born area with a population that has grown by about 7,410 people since 2011. The region is marked by a strong preference for detached housing and a workforce heavily involved in health and agriculture.
Warrnambool and South West is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
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The area is noticeably older than most, with a typical age of 45 and 23.6% of people aged 65 and over, which is well above the national figure. Children under 15 make up 17% of the population, a figure that has fallen since 2011.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 84.4% born here. Only 8.8% of people were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the dominant language, used by 89.7% of people at home. Only 4% use another language, a figure far below the national average, and very few people speak little or no English.
People with no religion make up 43.7% of the community, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 20 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 42.9% of residents completing Year 12 and 15.7% holding a bachelor degree or higher. Both figures are far below the national average.
Typical incomes are much lower than most areas, with a typical weekly household income of $1,335. Only 13% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this is an 8.6 point increase since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 32.2% of people. About 6.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is slightly higher than the national figure.
Volunteer rates are very high at 20.8%, well above the national figure. This spirit of giving is seen alongside a high rate of unpaid care, with 14.2% of people providing support to others.
First Nations people make up 1.9% of the population. This group is generally younger than the average resident, with a typical age of 23, and an unemployment rate of 8.8% which is well below the national figure.
Homes here are smaller than usual, with 2.3 people per home. There is a high number of people living alone at 30.8%, which is well above the national figure.
The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 90.8% of dwellings. Home ownership is very strong, with 42.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%.
Cars are essential here, as 95.3% of homes own at least one vehicle and only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Working from home is less common than across the state.
The population is relatively stable, with 33.7% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure. However, recent overseas arrivals make up 16.5% of the community.
The local economy relies on health care and agriculture, which together employ over 30% of the workforce. The unemployment rate is very low at 3.1%, well below the national figure.
The population is growing slowly, with a 0.5% increase since 2021, which is well below the state average of 8%.
The region is cooler than most, with an average maximum temperature of 18.9 degrees. It receives more rain than the state average, with 640mm annually.
Walking to amenities is difficult for many, as only 46.1% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed. This is far below the state figure, and the overall walkability score is only 4.1.