Charlton

The community is notably older than most areas, with 34.9% of residents aged 65 and over, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. Children under 15 make up only 12.4% of the population, well below the Victorian average of 18.0%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (6.6%) than both Victoria (30.0%) and Australia (27.7%). Common ancestries include Australian, English, Irish, and Scottish.

English is the primary language for 85.7% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 3.1%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

Over half of the residents (52.6%) identify as Christian. Those with no religion make up 33.1% of the population, a figure well below the national average of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 10.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 26.3% nationally. Just 36.5% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the Victorian figure of 61.8%.

Incomes are much lower than in most areas, with the typical household earning $958 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, compared to 22.6% across Australia.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 38.4% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure of 27.7%, and 9.4% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is very strong, with 29.9% of residents volunteering, far above the national figure of 14.1%. This community also has a higher rate of unpaid carers (16.1%) than most other areas.

There are 17 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area. First Nations household income is $424, which is far below the national figure of $1,507.

The area has a high number of people living alone (37.1%), far above the national figure of 25.6%. Because of this, households are smaller than usual, with only 2.0 people per home.

Home ownership is very high, with 54.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national average of 31.0%. Most people live in separate houses (94.7%), and typical weekly rents are much lower than average at $200.

Cars are essential here, as 0.0% of people commute by public transport. While 6.4% of homes have no motor vehicle, the walk to the nearest public transport stop takes about 34 minutes.

The community is relatively stable, with 26.5% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 9.7% of the population.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work (46.3%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. Common industries include agriculture, forestry and fishing, and health care.

The area is very walkable, with 86.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 87.9% within reach of health services. This access is far above the Victorian average for both services.