Urban Centre · Area profile
Wonthaggi
14 km²
Daily life in Wonthaggi is defined by a strong presence of older residents and a high number of detached homes. This is a far older community than the state average, with nearly a third of the population aged 65 or over. Most people live in separate houses, and many have owned their homes outright for years. While it is a very walkable town for parks and transport, typical incomes are much lower than across Australia.
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The typical resident is 51, making the area far older than Victoria. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 31.2% of the population, which is far above the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, though 14.1% were born overseas. English is the most common ancestry at 44.3%, followed by Australian at 39.1%.
English is the primary language for 88.5% of people. While 5.3% use another language at home, this is far below the Victorian average.
A high proportion of the community reports no religion, at 47.3%, which is well above the national figure. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 42.2%.
Education levels are far below the state average, with only 11.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Many residents hold a Certificate III or IV.
Typical incomes are much lower than in most other areas. The typical household earns $917 a week, which is far below the national figure of $1,746.
Health challenges are more common here, with 40.9% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is far above the state average, and 10.5% of residents need help with daily activities.
Providing unpaid care is more common here than in most areas. Around 14.9% of people provide unpaid care, and 23.8% do more than 15 hours of unpaid housework per week.
The area has a high number of people living alone, at 37.1%. One-parent families are also much more common than in other areas, making up 21.4% of households.
Most people live in separate houses, and 46.0% own theirs outright, which is far above the state average. Typical weekly rent is $280, well below the national figure.
Cars are the main way to get around, with 64.4% of workers driving to work. Only 0.1% use public transport to commute, and 8.7% work from home.
About 37.8% of the population moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 5.1% of the community, which is well below the national average.
Only 45.0% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state figure. The most common industries are health care and retail trade.
The town is very walkable, with 97.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. However, access to groceries and health services is far below the state average.