Urban Centre · Area profile
Casterton
5 km²
A typical resident in Casterton is 59 years old, making it one of the oldest communities in its category. The population has shrunk by 15% since 2011, and the area is now defined by a high number of seniors and people living alone. With many residents owning their homes outright and very few children, it is a quiet, aging town in regional Victoria where a high proportion of the population is retired.
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Casterton is far older than the state and national average, with 39.1% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown significantly, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen by 8.2 points since 2011.
The community is predominantly Australian and English, though the proportion of people born overseas has risen to 10.9% since 2011. This is still far below the 30% seen across Victoria.
English is the main language for nearly 90% of residents, but the use of other languages at home has risen to 4.6%. Despite this, no one in the area reports speaking little or no English.
About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 40.3% report having no religion. This last group has grown by 18 points since 2011.
Education levels are far below the national figure, with only 10.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people completing Year 12 has risen by 7.5 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than most areas at $845, which is far below the Victorian figure of $1,759. Only 5.7% of households earn $3,000 or more a week.
Health challenges are common here; 41.5% of people have a long-term health condition, and 13.6% need help with daily activities, which is well above the national average.
Volunteering is much higher than most areas at 22.5%, though this has fallen slightly since 2011. There is also a higher rate of unpaid care compared to the rest of the state.
The area has a very high number of single-person households, with 43.6% of people living alone. Consequently, the typical home has just 1.9 people, among the lowest in the region.
Home ownership is very strong, with 55.1% of homes owned outright. Most are separate houses, and the typical weekly rent of $160 is far below the national figure.
The town is heavily reliant on cars, as 0.0% of people now commute by public transport. Only 4.5% of the workforce works from home, which is far below the state average.
Casterton is relatively stable, with 32.9% of people moving in the last five years, which is well below the national average of 40.7%.
Only 41.2% of adults are working or looking for work, far below the national figure of 61.1%. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, followed by agriculture.
The town is somewhat walkable, and nearly 95% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school. However, fewer than half of the homes are within a short walk of groceries.