Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Whittlesea
106 km²
A steady population of 6,117 people live in Whittlesea, where a mix of young children and a high proportion of seniors defines the community. It is a place of large, detached family homes and a notable preference for non-religious identities. While many residents are born in Australia, the area is seeing more people move in, and a significant number of families are raising children here in homes that are larger than the national average.
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The typical resident is 41, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. This aging trend is seen in the 20.5% of people aged 65 and over, a figure well above the 17.2% seen across Australia.
Most people here were born in Australia (84.0%), leaving only 10.9% born overseas, which is far below the 27.7% national average.
Only 6.0% of residents use a language other than English at home, a figure far below the national average of 22.3%.
A large 45.5% of the community report having no religion, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are far below the national average, with only 12.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 26.3% across Australia.
Typical weekly household income is $1,628, which is about the same as the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week is well below the national average.
Health challenges are more common here, with 33.8% of people living with a long-term health condition, well above the national figure of 27.7%.
Unpaid care is a key part of local life, with 14.5% of people providing unpaid care, which is higher than the national figure of 11.9%.
The First Nations community is larger than in about 85% of similar areas, and residents here have a personal income that is well above the national figure.
Homes tend to be larger, with an average of 2.7 people per home. Single-parent families are also much more common here than in most other areas.
Separate houses are far more common than the national average, and 86.6% of homes have three or more bedrooms. This helps explain why people per bedroom is higher than in most areas.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 61.6% of people driving to work. While there are many public transport stops, the walk to the nearest one is among the highest in the region.
The community has seen some movement, with 34.5% of people moving in the last five years, though this is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
Construction is the most common industry for local workers (20.4%), and the unemployment rate of 3.7% is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.
The area is only somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.8, which is well below the Victorian average of 6.4. Many homes are far from groceries and health services.