Urban Centre · Area profile
Castlemaine
35 km²
Nestled in the Mount Alexander region, Castlemaine is an older, well-educated community that has seen its population shrink by 11% since 2011. The typical resident is now 50, making the area far older than the national figure. This shift towards a senior population is reflected in a high number of people living alone and a strong trend toward non-religious beliefs. It is a place where professional qualifications and a high rate of home ownership create a distinct, mature character.
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The typical resident is 50, which is far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors make up 29.2% of the population, while children under 15 have fallen to 14.1% since 2011.
English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries. While the proportion of overseas-born residents has risen to 13.3% since 2011, this is still far below the national figure of 27.7%.
English is the primary language for 84.1% of residents. Only 3.8% of people use another language at home, and very few (0.4%) speak little or no English, which is well below the state and national figures.
A huge majority of the community identifies with no religion, at 59.3%. This is far above the national figure and represents a significant rise of 32 points since 2011.
The area is highly qualified, with 30.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is well above the national figure, and the proportion of people who completed Year 12 has risen by 20 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,196, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen to 11.7% since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than elsewhere, affecting 34.2% of residents. Mental health conditions are also slightly more frequent than the national figure, at 11.7%.
Residents are very active in their community, with 23.2% volunteering—a rate well above the national figure. Unpaid care is also common, with 14.5% of people providing unpaid care.
The community has a high number of people living alone (36.3%) and smaller households, with only 2.1 people per home. One-parent families are also more common than in most similar areas.
Most people live in separate houses (93.9%) and 46.7% own their home outright, which is far above the national figure. Renting is less common here, at 20.9%.
Working from home is very common at 25.8%, which is well above the national figure. Most residents rely on cars, as only 1.6% of the population commutes via public transport.
The area has seen less movement recently, with 35.4% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas have also fallen to 4.4% since 2011.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state average, at 48.1%. Those who are employed are often professionals, with many working in health, education, and manufacturing.
The area is somewhat walkable with a score of 5.3. While most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park, many are far from health services and groceries compared to the state average.