State Electorate · Area profile
Mulgrave
818 km²
A young population with a strong Indigenous presence defines Mulgrave, where the typical resident is just 35. The community is notably family-oriented, with many large households and a high proportion of children under 15. While the population has grown by 13% since 2011, the area remains distinct for its high number of one-parent families and a workforce largely concentrated in health and trade roles. This is a predominantly residential area where detached houses and car travel are the norm.
Mulgrave has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
Families are well catered for: 20 schools serve Mulgrave.
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The area has a very strong Indigenous identity, with 16.5% of people being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, far above the national figure of 3.2%. It is also a young community; 22.6% of residents are children under 15, which is well above the Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas is 15.5%, which is far below the national average of 27.7%. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, each accounting for over 30% of the population.
About 14.9% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure that has risen by 5.5 points since 2011. Despite this, the community is more English-speaking than the national average, and only 1.6% of people speak little or no English.
Nearly half of the population identifies as Christian (48.6%), while those with no religion make up 38.4%. The number of people reporting no religion has grown significantly, rising 18 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 12.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, there has been progress, with the share of people completing Year 12 rising 12 points since 2011 to reach 49.9%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,637, which is about the same as the state and national figures. However, the area has fewer high earners, with only 7.2% of people earning $2,000 or more a week, well below the national average of 12.5%.
Residents are generally healthier than those in most other areas, with a long-term health condition rate of 24.5%, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%. Mental health conditions are also reported less often than the state average.
Unpaid childcare is very common here, with 29.5% of people providing this care, well above the national average. Additionally, a higher-than-usual 4.4% of the community have served in the Defence Force.
Families in Mulgrave tend to be larger, with 2.8 people per home. The area has one of the highest rates of one-parent families at 20.6%, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%.
The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 88.2% of dwellings, far above the national average. Homes are typically large, with 84.3% having three or more bedrooms, and typical weekly rent is a little below the national figure at $340.
Car travel is the primary way to get around, as only 1.1% of people commute by public transport. Most homes are well-equipped for driving, with 41.6% containing two vehicles and only 4.9% having no car.
The community is relatively stable, with 38.1% of people moving in the last five years, which is a little below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals have also fallen sharply, dropping 8.1 points since 2011 to 6.6%.
The local workforce is mostly employed full-time (60.2%), though the unemployment rate of 6.5% is a little above the national average. Most residents work in health care and social assistance or retail trade.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.9, well below the state average of 5.0. While many homes are near public transport, only 43.2% of residents are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.