Urban Centre · Area profile
Cohuna
3 km²
Typical weekly household incomes in Cohuna are much lower than the national figure, with a typical income of $1,003. The town is an ageing community where the population has shrunk by 27% since 2011. Residents here are far older than those in the rest of Victoria, and nearly 40% are seniors. This shift toward an older population helps explain why many people now live alone and why there is a higher need for daily health support.
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The typical resident is 56, which is far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 39.5% of the population, a figure that rose 17 points since 2011, while children under 15 fell to 14.3%.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (6.3%) than the state average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, each accounting for over 40% of the community.
English is the main language for 88.6% of the town, and the 3.4% who use another language at home is far below the Victorian average. Very few people speak little or no English.
About 48.2% of residents identify as Christian, while 41.1% have no religion. The proportion of people with no religion rose by 12 points since 2011.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 9.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 27.1% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure.
Typical weekly personal income is $554, which is well below the national figure of $805. Very few households earn $3,000 or more per week, though this rose slightly to 6.6% since 2011.
Health needs are high, with 40.7% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is much higher than most areas, and 9.6% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is more common here than elsewhere, with 20.7% of people volunteering. There is also a higher rate of people providing unpaid care and those who served in the Defence Force.
Homes are smaller than average with just 2.0 people per dwelling. A large proportion of the community, 39.1%, live alone, which is far above the national figure.
A high 52.5% of homes are owned outright, and typical weekly rent at $180 is far below the national figure. Most people live in separate houses, and mortgage payments are much lower than in most areas.
Cars are the primary way to get around, with 75.3% of workers driving to work. No one in the community uses public transport to commute.
The population is relatively stable, as the proportion of people who moved in the last five years (29.2%) is far below the national figure. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 11.1% of the town.
Far fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state average, at 41.7%. The unemployment rate is 2.8%, which is much lower than most similar areas.
The town is somewhat walkable, and 98% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school. However, access to health services is lower than the state average.