State Electorate · Area profile
Lara (Western Victoria)
694 km²
Daily life in Lara revolves around a spacious, family-oriented environment where separate houses dominate the landscape. This growing community has added over 5,000 people since 2016 and is mostly made up of people in their late thirties. While it feels like a typical Australian suburb, it is marked by a higher number of one-parent families and a population that faces more long-term health challenges than most similar areas.
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The typical resident is 38 years old, which is about the same as the national figure. The population grew by 7.9% since 2016 to reach 70,504 people.
Australian and English are the most common ancestries, though 22.5% of people were born overseas. This is well below the 30.0% seen across Victoria.
English is the main language for 73.5% of the community. About 19.0% of people use another language at home, which is well below the state and national figures.
About 39.4% of people report having no religion, a figure that rose 8.3 points since 2016. This is about the same as the national average.
Education levels are far below the national average, with only 15.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the proportion of people who completed Year 12 rose 6.7 points since 2016 to 45.7%.
Typical incomes are much lower than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly household income of $1,408. This is a little below the national figure of $1,746.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas; 32.2% of people have a long-term health condition. Additionally, 8.0% of residents need help with daily activities, which is among the highest for its level.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 13.3% of people provide such support, which is much higher than most areas. Conversely, the volunteer rate is much lower than most areas at 10.6%.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 19.8% of households. About 28.6% of people live alone, which is higher than the national figure.
Separate houses are very common at 87.5%, far above the national figure of 72.3%. Renting is also more frequent here than in most areas, with 32.3% of households renting at a typical weekly cost of $300.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as 62.2% of people drive to work. While working from home rose 12 points since 2016 to 14.8%, this is still far below the state average.
The community is relatively stable, with 36.5% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to most areas, at 56.5%. The unemployment rate is 5.9%, which is about the same as the state and national figures.
The area is considered very walkable with a score of 6.0, and 94.0% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, access to health services is lower than the state average.