Urban Area · Area profile
Portland
64 km²
Daily life in Portland revolves around a predominantly older population living in spacious, detached homes. The community is far older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 47 and a significant number of seniors. It is a quiet, largely Australian-born town where nearly half the residents identify as having no religion. With a shrinking population and low levels of overseas migration, it maintains a very traditional character within the Glenelg region.
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The area is far older than the state average, with people aged 65 and over making up 24.8% of the population. Children under 15 account for only 15.7%, a figure that has fallen since 2011.
Portland is very traditional in its roots, with 83.9% of people born in Australia. Only 9.4% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the dominant language, spoken by 90.2% of residents. Only 3.4% of people use another language at home, which is far below the Victoria average.
Almost half of the population (49.0%) reports having no religion, a figure well above the national average. This represents a significant increase of 22 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 11.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people completing Year 12 rose to 36.5% since 2011.
Incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,200 a week. Only 10.5% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, though this has risen since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in most areas, affecting 36.4% of people. Around 8.3% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the state average.
Volunteerism is much higher than most areas, with 17.4% of people pitching in. Unpaid care for others is also more common, while fewer people are caring for children.
People are more likely to live alone here than in most areas, with 32.2% of households consisting of one person. This contributes to a low average of 2.2 people per home.
Housing is dominated by separate houses (89.3%), and 41.2% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Rent is much lower than usual, typically $250 a week.
Cars are essential, as only 0.1% of people commute by public transport. Most homes have at least one vehicle, and 38% have two.
The population is relatively stable, with 37.0% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals account for 10.1% of the community.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (53.0%) compared to the state average. The local workforce is largely employed in health care, manufacturing, and education.
The area is only somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.3. Many residents lack easy access to amenities, as only 34.5% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed.