Urban Centre · Area profile
Nathalia
3 km²
Tucked away in the Moira region, Nathalia is a walkable country town where almost every home is within a short stroll of health services and groceries. It is a predominantly older community, with a typical resident aged 47 and a high proportion of seniors. While the total population has shrunk by over half since 2011, the town remains a place of stability, with many residents owning their homes outright and a strong tradition of volunteering.
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The typical resident is 47, making the area far older than the national figure. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 28.3% of the population, which is far above the state and national averages.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people than most other similar areas. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, each accounting for about 45% of the community.
English is the primary language for the vast majority of residents, with only 2.4% using another language at home. This is far below the figures for both Victoria and Australia.
About 40.8% of people report having no religion, a figure that rose 11 points since 2011. Over half the population identifies as Christian.
The community has a lower rate of university qualifications than the state, with 11.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, the percentage of people who completed Year 12 rose slightly to 38.8% since 2011.
Incomes in Nathalia are generally lower than the national figure, with a typical household earning $1,096 a week. Only 8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, though this has risen since 2011.
Health challenges are common here, with 42.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. This is far above the national average, and 9.5% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is very common, with 23.4% of people helping out, which is far above the state average. Unpaid care is also more frequent than in most similar areas.
A large proportion of the population—40.3%—lives alone, which is far above the national figure. One-parent families are also more common here than in most other areas.
The town consists mostly of separate houses, and 47.7% are owned outright, far exceeding the state average. Typical weekly rents are much lower than the national figure at $190.
Most people rely on cars to get to work, and very few use public transport. About 7.6% of homes do not have a motor vehicle.
About 36.3% of residents moved here in the last five years, which is lower than the national average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 12.3% of the population, a figure that rose since 2011.
About 51.3% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state average. The most common industries for local workers are health care, manufacturing, and retail.
The town is very walkable, with 99% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school, park, or grocery store. This makes it far more accessible on foot than the average Victorian suburb.