Stawell

The community is notably older than most areas, with 26.1% of people aged 65 and over. This is well above the state figure of 16.8%. Children under 15 make up 15.4% of the population, which is a little below the national average.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those with overseas origins are far fewer than in the rest of Victoria. English, Scottish and Irish ancestries are the most common following Australian.

English is the main language for 83.6% of the community. While the proportion of people using another language at home is higher than in similar areas, it remains far below the state and national figures.

A large portion of the community reports having no religion, at 45.9%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.

Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 11.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 38.9% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%.

Typical incomes are well below the state and national figures, with the usual household earning $1,127 a week. Only 9.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is lower than most areas.

Health challenges are much more common here than in most areas. Long-term health conditions affect 36.4% of people, and 7.6% need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national average.

The area has a higher rate of former Defence Force members (3.3%) than most similar areas. Volunteering is a little above the national figure, with 16.2% of people contributing their time.

The First Nations community is notably young, with a typical age of 19. While 9.6% speak a First Nations language—well above the state average—unemployment is far above the state figure at 21.9%.

Living arrangements are distinctive, as 35.4% of people live alone, which is well above the national figure. One-parent families are also much more common here than in most areas.

Housing is very affordable and stable, with a typical weekly rent of $210 and mortgage payments far below the national average. About 44.5% of homes are owned outright, and 90.2% are separate houses.

Most people drive to work, and very few use public transport. While there are many public transport stops compared to similar areas, only 7.3% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure.

Recent arrivals from overseas are among the highest for this level of area, with 28.1% arriving in the last five years. This is far above the national figure of 14.5%.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to most areas, at 52.0%. The most common industries for local workers are health care, social assistance and manufacturing.

Stawell is very walkable, with a score of 6.1. Most residents live within a 15-minute walk of a park (96.2%) or a school (83.2%), and 90.5% are within 10 minutes of public transport.