Murtoa

The population is far older than the state and national typical age of 38, with 25.4% of residents aged 65 or over. While the area has a high number of seniors, 18.5% of the population are children under 15, which is higher than most similar areas.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 88.7% born here. This is far below the national figure of 27.7% for people born overseas, and the most common ancestries are Australian and English.

English is the dominant language, spoken by 93.5% of residents. Very few people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

About half of the population identify as Christian, while 41.0% of residents report having no religion, a figure slightly above the national average.

Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 32.9% of residents completing Year 12 compared to 58.8% nationally. Only 12.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,007 a week. Only 9.5% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the 22.6% national average.

Health challenges are much higher here than in most areas, with 39.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure of 27.7%, and 8.6% of residents need help with daily activities.

This is a highly active community, with 28.2% of people volunteering, which is far above the national figure of 14.1%. A high number of residents also provide unpaid care or perform significant amounts of housework.

There are 14 First Nations people in the area, and this group is noticeably younger than the state average, with a typical age of 17.

A high number of people live alone (37.5%), which is far above the national figure of 25.6%. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most similar areas.

Homes are mostly separate houses, and 51.4% are owned outright, which is far above the national average of 31.0%. Because of this, typical rents and mortgage payments are much lower than the national figures.

Most people rely on cars, as only 1.1% commute by public transport. Very few people work from home (8.1%), far below the national figure of 21.0%.

The population is very stable, with only 26.0% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. No recent arrivals from overseas were recorded.

Working or looking for work is much less common here than in most areas, with only 49.9% of adults in the workforce. Jobs are concentrated in agriculture, health, and education.

The town is very walkable, with 81.5% of homes within a 15-minute walk of various amenities. This is especially true for health services, which are far more accessible on foot than in the state average.