Maffra

The area is noticeably older than the national average, with the proportion of people aged 65 and over rising by 13 percentage points since 2011 to reach 25%. Children under 15 make up 19.2% of the population, which is higher than most similar areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (7.8%) than the state or national figures. English and Australian ancestries are the most common, each accounting for 44.4% of the population.

English is the primary language for 92.2% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is far below the national figure, falling to 2.5% since 2011.

Nearly half of residents (47.4%) now report having no religion, a figure that is well above the national average and rose 13 percentage points since 2011. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 44.4%.

Qualifications are lower than the state average, with 12.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 has risen since 2011 to 37.7%.

Typical weekly household incomes are well below the national figure, sitting at $1,179. While this is low, the number of households earning $3,000 or more per week rose from 1.1% in 2011 to 9.3% in 2021.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 35.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. This includes 12.1% with arthritis and 11.3% with a mental health condition.

Volunteering is high, with 18.9% of people pitching in, well above the national figure. Unpaid care is also common, with 26.1% of people caring for children.

A high number of people live alone (32.8%) compared to the state average. One-parent families make up 16.7% of households, though this is a 12 percentage point drop since 2011.

The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 92.1% of homes. This is far above the national average, and 39.4% of these homes are owned outright.

Cars are essential for travel, with 67.9% of people driving to work and almost no one commuting by public transport. Only 7.9% of the workforce works from home, far below the state figure.

While 36.5% of residents moved in the last five years, the number of recent arrivals from overseas rose significantly since 2011 to reach 10.5%.

About 52.7% of adults are working or looking for work, which is well below the national figure. The most common industries are health care, construction, and education.

The town is somewhat walkable, with residents having far better access to groceries and health services than the state average. However, fewer homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school.