Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Swan Hill
127 km²
Most residents in Swan Hill rely on cars for daily travel, though many live within a short walk of a park or public transport. This large regional community is distinctive for its high proportion of seniors, with 21.1% aged 65 and over, and a significant First Nations presence. It is a place where typical household incomes are well below the national figure, yet it maintains a strong volunteer spirit. The town blends a traditional Australian character with a growing number of recent overseas arrivals.
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The area has a higher proportion of First Nations people than most similar areas, at 4.2%. While the typical age is 38, there is a notable level of seniors, with 21.1% of the population aged 65 and over, which is well above the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the community has far fewer overseas-born residents (13.2%) than the state or national averages. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, followed by Irish and Scottish.
About 12.4% of people use a language other than English at home, which is much higher than most similar areas, though still well below the Victorian average. English remains the primary language for 81.0% of the population.
Religion in Swan Hill follows national trends, with 46.6% of people identifying as Christian and 39.1% reporting no religion.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 13.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the state figure, at 43.9%.
Household incomes are generally lower than in other parts of the country; the typical weekly household income is $1,390, which is well below the national figure of $1,746.
Residents experience health challenges more often than those in similar areas, with 31.1% living with a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure, and 6.6% of people need help with daily activities.
Swan Hill has a strong culture of giving back, with 17.9% of people volunteering. This is well above the national figure of 14.1%.
The First Nations community is larger than in most similar areas, with a typical age of 20, which is noticeably younger than the national figure. However, the unemployment rate here is 13.9%, well above the Victorian average.
One-parent families make up 16.5% of the community, which is much higher than most similar areas. There are also more people living alone (30.6%) compared to the national figure.
Separate houses are very common, making up 83.0% of dwellings. Renting is much more common here than in most similar areas (31.8%), though typical weekly rents at $235 are well below the national figure.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 70.2% of people driving to work. Very few people work from home (6.3%), which is far below the national average.
The area has seen a high number of recent overseas arrivals (34.2%), a figure that is far above the state and national averages.
Full-time employment is higher than in most similar areas, at 60.0%. The largest employers are in health care and social assistance, followed by retail and education.
The town is very walkable, with 98.6% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, access to health services is a challenge, as only 47.9% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of such services.