Urban Centre · Area profile
Wallan
23 km²
Rapid growth and a wave of young families have turned Wallan into one of the largest areas of its kind. The population grew by 39% since 2016, and the typical resident is now just 33, making it noticeably younger than the rest of the state. This shift has created a community where children make up nearly a quarter of the people. It is a place of large family homes and rising incomes, situated in the outer reaches of Greater Melbourne.
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Wallan is much younger than most similar areas, with children under 15 making up 24.7% of the population. This is well above the national figure of 18.2%. Seniors are much less common here, falling to just 9.0% in 2021.
People born overseas make up 19.6% of the community, a figure that rose by 9.2 points since 2016. While this is much higher than in similar areas, it remains well below the Victorian average of 30.0%.
Language diversity is growing, with 18.7% of people using a language other than English at home. This is among the highest for its level, though still well below the state figure of 27.6%.
About 41.2% of residents have no religion, which is a little above the national figure of 38.9%. This represents a significant increase of 14 points since 2016.
More people have completed Year 12 here than in most similar areas, at 53.1%. However, the 15.7% of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is far below the national figure of 26.3%.
Typical weekly household incomes are much higher than in similar areas at $1,917. This reflects a broader trend of rising wealth, with the typical personal weekly income increasing by $246 since 2016.
The community is generally healthy, with 27.4% of people having a long-term health condition, which is about the same as the national figure. Those needing help with daily activities are less common than in most similar areas.
Caring for children is very common here; 34.6% of people provide this unpaid care, which is well above the national average of 26.3%. Conversely, volunteering has fallen sharply to 9.2% since 2016.
Homes are larger than usual, with an average of 3.0 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 64.8% of families.
The area is dominated by large separate houses, with 93.7% of homes having three or more bedrooms. This is far above the national figure of 73.8%.
Car use is essential, as only 1.7% of homes have no motor vehicle. While 15.4% of people now work from home, very few—just 1.3%—use public transport to commute.
Wallan is a high-turnover area, with 47.7% of residents moving in the last five years. This is well above the national figure of 40.7%.
More people are working or looking for work here than in most similar areas, at 67.9%. Full-time employment is also well above the national figure at 62.7%.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.7, far below the state average of 6.4. Most residents live far from groceries and health services, though 89.3% are within a 15-minute walk of a park.