Urban Area · Area profile
Bendigo
287 km²
Sprawling across 287 square kilometres of regional Victoria, Bendigo is a large community of over 103,000 people. It is a place of contrasts, where a high number of detached family homes and wide-open spaces meet a growing population of seniors. The area has seen significant growth since 2011, adding nearly 17,000 residents. It remains a predominantly Australian-born community with a strong preference for separate housing and a landscape defined by regional space.
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The population is a little older than the national figure, with the typical resident being 39. Seniors make up 19.7% of the community, a figure that has risen by 3.9 points since 2011.
Bendigo is far less diverse than the state or nation, with only 10.0% of people born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, combining for over 80% of the population.
English is the main language for 87.5% of residents, which is far above the national and state figures. However, the use of other languages at home has risen by 3.9 points since 2011 to reach 7.2%.
A large proportion of the community identifies as having no religion at 47.3%. This is well above the national figure and represents a sharp increase of 21 points since 2011.
The area has a higher proportion of qualified adults than most similar areas, with 20.3% holding a bachelor degree or higher. The number of people completing Year 12 has also risen by 8.2 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,435, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 10 points since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.9% of people reporting a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly high at 13.0%, well above the national rate of 8.8%.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, as 14.4% of people provide unpaid care, among the highest rates for its level. Caring for children is also common, with 27.8% of the community involved.
Single-person households are more common than usual at 29.7%, while one-parent families are well above the national figure at 17.7%.
The community is dominated by separate houses, which make up 90.4% of homes. Most are large, with 80.2% having three or more bedrooms, though typical weekly rents at $295 are well below the national figure.
Cars are essential for most, as only 0.9% of people commute by public transport. Working from home has become more popular, rising 10 points since 2011 to 13.1%.
The area is fairly mobile, with 40.9% of people moving in the last five years. This includes recent overseas arrivals, who make up 17.0% of the population.
Health care and social assistance is the largest industry, employing 19.7% of the workforce. The unemployment rate of 4.3% is lower than most similar areas.
While 95.5% of homes are within a short walk of a park, the area is far less walkable for daily needs. Only 54.4% of homes are within 15 minutes of groceries, well below the state figure of 74.0%.