Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Lakes Entrance
30 km²
Typical household incomes in Lakes Entrance are among the lowest in the region, with the usual weekly total sitting at just $866. This is a retirement-heavy community where the typical resident is 55 and over a third of the population are seniors. Because so many people are retired, there are fewer working adults and a higher need for health support. It is a predominantly Australian-born town with a strong presence of First Nations people.
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Lakes Entrance is far older than the state and national averages, with 36.1% of residents aged 65 and over. It also has a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most areas, at 4.2%.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 75.7% born here. Only 13.3% of residents were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the primary language for 85.3% of the population. While 5.2% use another language at home, this is far below the national average of 22.3%.
A large portion of the community identifies as having no religion, at 44.7%, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas; only 32% of residents completed Year 12, and just 10.7% hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are significantly lower than in other areas, with only 5% of households earning $3,000 or more a week, compared to 22.6% nationally.
Reflecting its older population, 39.2% of people have a long-term health condition, which is far above the national average of 27.7%. This is consistent with 9.2% of residents needing help with daily activities.
The area has a higher rate of veterans than most places, with 4.5% having served in the Defence Force. Unpaid care is also more common here than the state average.
There are 218 First Nations people in the area, though they face significant disadvantage with a Year 12 completion rate of just 15.3%, far below the national 37%.
Many residents live alone, accounting for 38.2% of households, which is far above the national figure of 25.6%.
Home ownership is high, with 48.7% of homes owned outright. Detached houses are very common, making up 81.4% of all dwellings.
While the area has many public transport stops, only 0.3% of people use them to commute. Most residents rely on cars, with 63.6% driving to work.
The town sees some movement, with 35.1% of people moving in the last five years, though arrivals from overseas are far below the national average at 4.7%.
Working adults make up only 37.8% of the population, which is among the lowest for its level. Many who do work are employed in health care, social assistance, or accommodation and food services.
The area is considered somewhat walkable, but many residents live far from basic needs, with only 42.6% within a 15-minute walk of groceries.