Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Koo Wee Rup
59 km²
Surrounded by open space in the Greater Melbourne region, Koo Wee Rup is a growing community of about 4,000 people. It is a noticeably young area, with a typical resident aged 34 and a much higher proportion of children than most similar places. Many families live here in large, detached homes, and there is a strong presence of couples in de facto relationships. This mix of young families and a high proportion of people with no religion gives the town a distinct character compared to the state average.
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Families with children are very common here, as the area has a much higher proportion of under-15s than the national figure. The typical age is 34, which is noticeably younger than the Victoria and Australia average of 38.
The community is predominantly Australian and English in ancestry. Only 11.6% of residents were born overseas, which is far below the Victoria average of 30%.
English is the main language for 90.6% of the population. While 5.2% of people use another language at home, which is higher than most similar areas, this is still far below the state and national figures.
More than half of residents (51.6%) report having no religion. This is far above the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are lower than the state average, with only 8.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 39.5% completing Year 12, both of which are far below Victoria's figures.
Typical weekly family income is $2,094, which is about the same as the state and national figures. However, the area has a lower share of high earners, with only 5.8% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.8% of people reporting a long-term health condition and 7.2% needing help with daily activities.
Unpaid care for children is very common, with 32.6% of people providing this support, which is well above the national average. In contrast, volunteering is much lower than in most similar areas.
First Nations residents include 66 people, and this group has a very strong employment record with an unemployment rate of 0.0%.
Homes tend to be larger, with an average of 2.7 people per home. This is higher than most areas and is consistent with the high number of couples with children.
The landscape is dominated by separate houses, with 90.1% of homes being detached. Large homes are the norm, as 87% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms, far above the state average.
Cars are essential, as 68.5% of people drive to work and only 0.4% use public transport. Very few homes (3.6%) have no motor vehicle, and the walk to the nearest stop is typically 37 minutes.
The population is quite mobile, with 39.4% of people having moved in the last five years. This is about the same as the state and national trends.
More adults are working or looking for work (66.1%) compared to the national average. The local workforce is heavily concentrated in construction, health care, and manufacturing.
While most homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, overall walkability is lower than the state average. This is reflected in the low number of people who can reach public transport within a 10-minute walk.