State Electorate · Area profile
Murray
107,333 km²
A population of 85,919 people makes Murray one of the largest areas of its type in the region. This is an ageing community where the typical resident is 42, and over a fifth of the people are seniors. It is a place where traditional roots run deep, with a high proportion of people owning their homes outright and a strong culture of volunteering. The area has grown by about 9,100 people since 2011, though it remains largely dependent on cars for daily life.
Explore Murray by topic
The community is noticeably older than the national figure, with a typical age of 42 and a senior population that has risen by 14 points since 2011. There is also a significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence at 5.7%, which is much higher than in most similar areas.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people than the state or national figures. The most common ancestries are Australian and English, though Italian and Irish heritage are also prominent.
English is the primary language for 80.1% of residents, and those using another language at home have fallen to 10.9% since 2011. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Over half of the population identifies as Christian, while 28.9% report no religion. While the number of people with no religion is much lower than in most areas, it has risen by 17 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 12% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The proportion of people who completed Year 12 has also fallen since 2011 to 37.1%, which is far below the national figure.
Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than the national figure, at $1,408. High earners are rare here, with only 6.8% of people earning $2,000 or more a week.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 30.4% of people. Arthritis and asthma are the most reported conditions, while mental health conditions are slightly lower than the national figure.
Volunteering is very strong here, with 17.2% of the population helping out, which is well above the national figure. Unpaid care for children has fallen since 2011, but the number of people providing other types of unpaid care has risen slightly.
Living arrangements vary, as 27.9% of people now live alone, a figure that has risen by 12 points since 2011. More than half of households consist of couples with children.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 88.1% of dwellings. Ownership is high, with 39.3% of homes owned outright, while typical weekly rents at $250 are far below the state average.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 0.3% of people commute using public transport. This is reflected in the fact that 38.3% of homes have two vehicles.
While few people have moved in the last five years compared to most areas, there has been a surge in recent arrivals from overseas, which rose 17 points since 2011 to 26.2%.
Full-time employment is much higher than the national average at 62.9%, and the unemployment rate is among the lowest for similar areas at 3.4%. Agriculture and manufacturing are the primary industries.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.9. Less than half of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or public transport.