State Electorate · Area profile
Barwon
355,955 km²
A far higher proportion of people identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Barwon than in the rest of the state. This community has grown by nearly 10% since 2011, though it is now noticeably older than the national average. While many residents enjoy the stability of owning their homes outright, the area faces significant challenges with lower typical incomes and educational attainment. These factors combine to create a distinct regional character shaped by strong cultural identity and a slower pace of life.
Families are well catered for: 92 schools serve Barwon.
Explore Barwon by topic
The typical resident is 43, making the area noticeably older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 21.8% of the population, a figure that has risen by 5.7 points since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and only 5.2% were born overseas, which is far below the national average. English is the dominant ancestry at 35%.
English is the primary language for 84.3% of the community. Only 3.1% of people use another language at home, and very few speak little or no English, both of which are far below state and national figures.
Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 31.8% have no religion. The number of people claiming no religion has risen by 20 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 32.6% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Typical weekly family income is $1,632, which is well below the national figure of $2,120. Only 12.8% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, though this has risen by 8.2 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 32% of residents. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%.
Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, with 17.4% of people participating, despite this being 7.3 points lower than in 2011.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas at 19.1%. Additionally, 33.3% of people live alone, which is well above the national average.
The area is dominated by separate houses, making up 91.6% of dwellings. Rent is very affordable, with a typical weekly cost of $200, far below the national figure of $375.
Reliance on cars is high, and public transport use is much lower than in most areas. Only 0.8% of people commute using public transport.
The community is relatively stable, as only 27.8% of people have moved in the last five years. However, there has been a rise in recent arrivals from overseas to 19.7%.
Full-time employment is well above the national average at 64.4%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as healthcare and social assistance.
Walkability is lower than the state average, with only 57.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of essential services. Public transport access is especially limited, with 44.5% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop.