# Murtoa

Suburb / Locality · Area profile

Located in: Victoria › Rest of Vic. › Yarriambiack › 3390, VIC

Area: 323 km²

Set in a spacious rural landscape, Murtoa is a small town where a high proportion of older residents and retirees live. The community is far older than the national average, with the typical resident aged 48 and over a quarter of the population being seniors. This older age profile is reflected in the local housing, where over half of the homes are owned outright. It is a quiet, stable area where most people were born in Australia and very few have moved in recently.

## Demographics & Identity

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total population | 897 | -9.5% since 2011 |
| Median age | 48 yrs | +2.1% since 2011 |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population | 1.6% | +157.8% since 2011 |
| People aged 65 and over | 25.4% | +18.3% since 2011 |
| Children under 15 | 18.5% | -9.7% since 2011 |
| People in a de facto relationship | 7.8% | +27.2% since 2011 |

**Age structure** — Older adults (45–64) 27.8%, Seniors (65+) 25.4%, Children (0–14) 18.5%, Young adults (25–44) 17.7%, Youth (15–24) 10.3%

**Marital status** — Married 49.2%, Never married 30.1%, Divorced 9.6%, Widowed 6.3%, Separated 5.1%

## Ancestry & Birthplace

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People born overseas | 5.5% | +32.0% since 2011 |

**Country of birth** — Australia 88.7%, England 1.2%, India 0.7%, Philippines 0.4%, New Zealand 0.3%

**Ancestry** — Australian 42.0%, English 41.6%, German 12.9%, Irish 12.2%, Scottish 11.1%, Italian 1.8%, Filipino 1.0%, Dutch 0.8%, Chinese 0.6%, Indian 0.6%

## Language

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%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People using another language at home | 1.8% | +26.0% since 2011 |
| People who speak little or no English | 0.0% | -100.0% since 2016 |

**Language used at home** — English only 93.5%, Punjabi 0.3%, Italian 0.3%

## Religion

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

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with no religion | 41.0% | +106.0% since 2011 |

**Religious affiliation** — Christianity 50.5%, No religion 41.0%, Not stated 8.2%

## Education & Qualifications

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Completed Year 12 | 32.9% | +19.4% since 2011 |
| Adults with a bachelor degree or higher | 12.2% | +28.8% since 2011 |
| Schools per 1,000 children | 12.05 | — |
| Schools within 3 km | 2 | — |
| Average school size | 132 | — |
| Average school ICSEA | 961 | — |

**Highest year of school** — Year 12 32.9%, Year 10 20.7%, Year 11 19.9%, Year 9 or below 17.6%

**Highest qualification level** — Certificate III / IV 34.6%, Advanced diploma / diploma 18.9%, Bachelor degree 16.2%, Graduate diploma / certificate 4.3%, Postgraduate degree 3.2%, Certificate I / II 2.4%

**Field of qualification** — Health 15.2%, Education 14.1%, Engineering & related 11.4%, Society & culture 8.8%, Agriculture & environment 8.5%, Management & commerce 8.2%, Architecture & building 5.9%, Food, hospitality & personal services 5.1%, Creative arts 3.7%, Natural & physical sciences 0.8%

## Income

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median personal income (weekly) | $621 | +39.9% since 2011 |
| Median household income (weekly) | $1,007 | +26.7% since 2011 |
| Median family income (weekly) | $1,517 | +52.8% since 2011 |
| People earning $2,000+ a week | 5.4% | — |
| Households earning $3,000+ a week | 9.5% | — |

**Household income distribution** — $650–$1,499 30.6%, Under $650 26.7%, $1,500–$2,999 21.1%, $3,000–$3,999 5.4%, $4,000 or more 4.1%

**Personal income distribution** — Under $650 47.9%, $650–$1,499 30.0%, $1,500–$2,999 11.3%, $3,000 or more 2.1%

## Health & Disability

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with a long-term health condition | 39.1% | — |
| People with a mental health condition | 12.3% | — |
| People needing help with daily activities | 8.6% | +21.5% since 2011 |

**Long-term health conditions reported** — Arthritis 14.9%, Mental health 12.3%, Asthma 11.3%, Other condition 10.1%, Diabetes 6.8%, Heart disease 4.1%, Lung condition 3.8%, Cancer 3.1%, Stroke 1.6%, Dementia 0.9%

**Number of long-term health conditions** — None 53.7%, One condition 26.2%, Two conditions 8.8%, Three or more 4.2%

## Community Participation

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteers | 28.2% | -27.6% since 2011 |
| People providing unpaid care | 18.7% | +13.0% since 2011 |
| People caring for children unpaid | 24.1% | -15.7% since 2011 |
| People who served in the Defence Force | 3.6% | — |
| People doing 15+ hours of unpaid housework | 26.4% | -7.0% since 2011 |

## First Nations

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people | 14 | — |
| First Nations median age | 17 yrs | — |
| First Nations median personal income | $612 | — |
| First Nations household income | $1,625 | — |

## Family & Households

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Average household size | 2.2 | -4.3% since 2011 |
| One-parent families | 17.3% | +26.9% since 2011 |
| People living alone | 37.5% | +23.5% since 2011 |

**Family composition** — Couples with children 51.3%, Couples without children 30.7%, One-parent families 17.3%, Other families 0.6%

**Household size** — 1 person 37.5%, 2 people 32.6%, 3 people 10.8%, 4 people 9.8%, 5 people 5.1%, 6 or more 3.3%

## Housing & Dwellings

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median rent (weekly) | $178 | +36.9% since 2011 |
| Median mortgage repayment (monthly) | $700 | -11.3% since 2011 |
| Average people per bedroom | 0.70 | -36.4% since 2011 |
| Households renting | 18.5% | -11.9% since 2011 |
| Homes owned outright | 51.4% | +1.5% since 2011 |
| Separate (detached) houses | 95.4% | -0.9% since 2011 |
| Homes with three or more bedrooms | 73.8% | -5.1% since 2011 |

**How homes are owned or rented** — Owned outright 51.4%, Owned with a mortgage 27.8%, Rented 18.5%, Not stated 1.0%

**Types of homes** — Separate house 95.4%, Other dwelling 1.5%, Townhouse / semi-detached 1.3%, Flat or apartment 1.0%

**Bedrooms per home** — 3 bedrooms 49.6%, 2 bedrooms 20.3%, 4 bedrooms 18.8%, 5 or more 5.4%, 1 bedroom 3.3%, Studio / none 1.3%

**Weekly rent distribution** — Under $200 72.2%, $200–$349 29.2%

**Monthly mortgage distribution** — Under $1,000 73.1%, $1,000–$1,799 18.5%, $1,800–$2,999 7.4%, $3,000 or more 4.6%

## Transport & Vehicles

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%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Homes with no motor vehicle | 3.1% | -21.0% since 2011 |
| People working from home | 8.1% | -22.9% since 2011 |
| Commuting by public transport | 1.1% | +49.0% since 2011 |
| Public transport stops | 3 | — |
| PT stops per 1,000 people | 3.34 | — |
| Weekly PT departures per 1,000 people | 45.7 | — |
| Public transport routes | 5 | — |
| Walk to nearest stop (min) | 22 | — |

**How people get to work** — Car (driver) 68.4%, Walked 8.1%, Worked at home 8.1%, Car (passenger) 3.9%, Bus 1.1%

**Motor vehicles per home** — 2 vehicles 38.3%, 1 vehicle 37.6%, 3 vehicles 14.8%, 4 or more 6.2%, No vehicle 3.1%

## Migration & Movement

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People who moved in the last 5 years | 26.0% | -10.7% since 2011 |
| Recent arrivals from overseas | 0.0% | -100.0% since 2011 |

## Jobs & Industry

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | -23.2% since 2011 |
| Labour-force participation | 49.9% | -5.8% since 2011 |
| Employed full-time | 58.7% | -2.7% since 2011 |

**Industries people work in** — Agriculture, forestry & fishing 18.4%, Health care & social assistance 17.0%, Education & training 11.7%, Construction 9.5%, Transport & warehousing 5.6%, Accommodation & food 5.3%, Public administration & safety 5.0%, Retail trade 4.7%, Manufacturing 4.5%, Wholesale trade 3.9%, Professional & technical 2.5%, Other services 2.0%, Administrative & support 1.7%, Electricity, gas & water 0.8%

**Occupations people work in** — Managers 18.7%, Professionals 17.0%, Labourers 14.8%, Community & personal service 11.2%, Machinery operators & drivers 11.2%, Clerical & administrative 10.3%, Technicians & trades 8.4%, Sales workers 6.4%

## Walkability

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.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Walkability score | 6.1 | — |
| Amenity types within a 15-minute walk | 6.6 | — |
| Homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed | 81.5% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of groceries | 81.0% | — |
| Homes within 10 min walk of public transport | 67.8% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a school | 82.3% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a park | 87.0% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of health services | 80.4% | — |
| Walkable amenities per 1,000 residents | 42.4 | — |
| Street connectivity (intersections/km²) | 1 | — |
| Mean terrain slope | 3.1% | — |

## Schools serving Murtoa

2 schools, 264 students, average ICSEA 961.

By sector: Catholic 1, Government 1

By type: Primary 1, Combined 1

| School | Sector | Type | Distance | Students |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Our Lady Help of Christians School | Catholic | Primary | 2.7 km | 9 |
| Murtoa College | Government | Combined | 2.8 km | 255 |

## Nearby areas

[Longerenong](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL21535/longerenong) · [Lubeck](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL21549/lubeck) · [Kewell](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL21338/kewell) · [St Helens Plains](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL22341/st-helens-plains) · [Rupanyup](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL22214/rupanyup) · [Minyip](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL21698/minyip) · [Drung](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL20800/drung) · [Dooen](https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL20776/dooen)

Interactive profile: https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL21850/murtoa