Tongala

The area has a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (3.8%) than most similar areas. It is an older community overall, with 23.1% of people aged 65 and over, which is well above the Victorian average of 16.8%.

Most residents were born in Australia (86.1%), and the town has a much lower percentage of overseas-born residents (7.7%) compared to the national figure of 27.7%. English, Scottish, and Irish ancestries are the most common after Australian.

English is the primary language for 92.4% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 3.3%, which is far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.

A large number of residents report no religion (48.4%), a figure that is well above the national average of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 42.8%.

Educational qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 32.7% of residents completing Year 12, compared to 61.8% across Victoria. Only 8.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical weekly household earning $1,220. High earners are rare here; only 8.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is far below the state average.

Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 34.4% of people. This is reflected in a higher number of residents who need help with daily activities (8.6%).

Volunteering is common, with 17.9% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. More people care for children unpaid (28.7%) than in most other areas.

The First Nations community is relatively large for an area of this size, with a typical age of 18, which is noticeably younger than the state average. However, Year 12 completion is very low at 12.5%.

The town has a high number of people living alone (32.3%) and a higher rate of one-parent families (16.3%) compared to most areas. Typical homes house 2.4 people.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (89.0%), and rent is far below the national figure at a typical $200 per week. Home loan payments are also much lower than the state average.

The town is highly dependent on cars, with 66.2% of workers driving to work and 0% using public transport to commute. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 39.2% have two.

While 30.6% of the population moved in the last five years, recent arrivals from overseas are much higher than in most similar areas at 15.8%.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest employer (15.4%), followed closely by health care and social assistance. The unemployment rate is 4.5%, which is about the same as the national figure.

The town is considered somewhat walkable, though it is far below the state average for access to public transport within 10 minutes. Residents have good access to health services within a 15-minute walk.