Urban Area · Area profile
Colac
55 km²
Typical weekly incomes in Colac are well below the national figure, but the area is known for its high rate of home ownership. This is an older community where the typical resident is 42 and nearly one in four people are seniors. While it has a small total population of 12,756, it has seen a steady 9% growth since 2011. The town is predominantly made up of separate houses and has a strong Australian and English heritage.
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Colac is noticeably older than the state and national average, with 24.1% of residents aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown by 3.3 points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen slightly to 17.0%.
The community is overwhelmingly Australian or English in ancestry, and only 9.9% of people were born overseas. This is far below the national figure of 27.7% and has fallen since 2011.
English is the main language for 87.8% of the population, and those using another language at home are far fewer than in the rest of Victoria. However, the share of people who speak little or no English rose to 2.1% by 2021.
A large number of residents report no religion, at 44.7%, which is well above the national figure. This represents a significant shift since 2011, when the figure was 25.2%.
Education levels are much lower than most similar areas, with only 11.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the state average of 29.2%.
Typical weekly family income is $1,701, which is well below the national figure of $2,120. Only 10.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this has risen since 2011.
Health needs are higher here than in most areas, with 8.8% of people needing help with daily activities. Long-term health conditions are also more common than the state average, affecting 33.5% of residents.
Unpaid care is a notable feature of the community, with 14.1% of people providing unpaid care, which is higher than most areas. Volunteering is around the middle for its level at 15.1%.
Living arrangements are distinct, as 34.3% of people live alone—well above the national figure. Meanwhile, the typical number of people per home has dropped to 2.3 since 2011.
Housing is dominated by separate houses, which make up 88.1% of dwellings. Home ownership is strong, with 39.8% of homes owned outright, and weekly rents of $260 are well below the national figure.
The town is heavily dependent on cars, as only 0.2% of people commute by public transport. Very few people work from home at 6.2%, far below the national rate of 21.0%.
While most residents are long-term locals, there has been a sharp rise in recent overseas arrivals, which jumped from 6.4% in 2011 to 30.7% in 2021.
The local job market is led by manufacturing and health care, with a low unemployment rate of 3.0%. This is a little below the national figure of 5.1%.
The area is somewhat walkable with a score of 5.8, and most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park or school. However, access to health services is far below the state average.