Macarthur

The community is far older than the state and national average, with 25.8% of residents aged 65 and over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 14.9% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.

Most residents were born in Australia (86.1%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (9.8%) than the Victorian average of 30.0%. Those with overseas roots primarily cite English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.

English is the dominant language, spoken at home by 93.6% of residents. This means the proportion of people using another language (2.3%) is far below the state figure of 27.6%.

Religious patterns match the state average, with 52.7% of people identifying as Christian and 39.0% reporting no religion.

Educational attainment is far below the state and national averages, with only 10.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 42.4% having completed Year 12.

Incomes in Macarthur are much lower than most areas; the typical household earns $1,059 a week, which is far below the Victorian figure of $1,759.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.5% of people living with a long-term health condition—well above the national average of 27.7%.

Residents are highly active in their community, with 29.9% volunteering, a figure far above the national average of 14.1%. There is also a higher rate of unpaid caregivers (17.8%) and former Defence Force members (4.8%) than in most areas.

Five First Nations people live here, with a typical age of 13, which is far younger than the national figure of 24. The typical First Nations household income is $2,250, well above the state average.

Living arrangements skew towards smaller groups or individuals, with 31.4% of people living alone—well above the national average of 25.6%.

Housing is dominated by detached houses (96.6%), and the area has a very high rate of outright home ownership at 53.6%, far above the state average of 32.2%.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 60.3% of workers driving to work and 0% using public transport to commute.

The population is relatively stable, with 25.2% moving in the last five years, which is far below the Victorian average of 40.0%.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 40.2% of the workforce. While full-time employment is slightly above the state average, the overall proportion of adults working or looking for work is well below.

The area is completely car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.0 and no homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services.