Merbein South

The community is noticeably older than the national average, with a typical age of 43. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 4.9% of the population, which is well above the 1.0% seen in Victoria.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 7.1% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian (43.0%) and English (36.6%).

English is the main language for 86.5% of the community. While 7.6% of people use another language at home, this is far below the 22.3% national average.

About 45.2% of residents have no religion, a figure that is well above the national average of 38.9%. Christianity is the other primary affiliation at 47.2%.

Education levels are much lower than in most similar areas, with only 32.7% of people completing Year 12, compared to 58.8% nationally. Only 6.0% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical weekly household income is $1,571, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes are also lower than most areas, with 49.1% of people earning under $650 a week.

Long-term health conditions are reported by 28.5% of people, which is about the same as the national rate. Asthma is the most common condition at 11.3%.

A higher proportion of people have served in the Defence Force (4.0%) compared to the national figure of 2.8%. However, volunteering is much lower than most areas at 11.7%.

There are 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area. This group is noticeably younger than the state average, with a typical age of 18, and typical personal incomes are lower at $487 per week.

Homes here are larger than most, with 2.8 people per home. This is consistent with the fact that 61.5% of households are couples with children, and very few people live alone.

The area is dominated by large homes, with 86.7% having three or more bedrooms. Rental rates are far below the national average, and typical monthly mortgage payments are much lower at $997.

The community is entirely dependent on cars, with 0% of people using public transport to commute. Every single home in the area owns at least one motor vehicle.

The population is relatively stable, with 29.0% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing is the major industry for 28.6% of workers. About 63.3% of adults are working or looking for work, which is a little above the national figure.

The area is heavily car-dependent with a very low walkability score of 1.2. Residents have almost no access to public transport and very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services or schools.