Urban Centre · Area profile
Boolarra
1 km²
A small population of 534 people makes Boolarra a quiet residential pocket in Victoria. The community is noticeably older than the state average, with a typical resident aged 44. It is a place where many people live alone or in de facto relationships, and a huge majority now report having no religion. The area has shrunk by 19% since 2011, suggesting a shift in who chooses to live here.
Explore Boolarra by topic
The typical resident is 44, which is noticeably older than the national figure. Children under 15 make up 19.3% of the population, while those aged 65 and over fell to 18.4% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (9.6%) than the state or national averages. English is the most common ancestry at 47.8%.
English is the primary language here, with only 1.9% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure and has fallen since 2011.
A striking 61.6% of residents have no religion, which is far above the national average. This figure has risen by 47 points since 2011.
Education levels are higher than in most similar areas, with 18.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The number of people who completed Year 12 also rose by 16 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,088, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Mental health conditions are among the highest at this level, affecting 14.8% of people. Overall, 39.1% of residents have a long-term health condition, which is far above the national average.
Local residents are more likely to volunteer (18.9%) and provide unpaid care (16.6%) than those in most similar areas. Many also spend a high amount of time on unpaid housework.
Living alone is very common here, with 41.2% of people in single-person homes, far above the national figure. Typical homes are small, with 2.2 people per dwelling.
Almost every home is a separate house (99.5%), and 80.6% have three or more bedrooms. Renting is uncommon at 13.4%, and typical weekly rents are far below the national figure.
No one in the area commutes by public transport. Most people drive to work, though the number of people working from home rose by 14 points since 2011.
The community is very stable, with far fewer people moving house in the last five years (24.8%) compared to the rest of Australia. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
Unemployment is much higher than in most similar areas, sitting at 7.2%. Health care, social assistance, and education are the most common industries for those who work.
Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school or groceries, though there is no health service within that distance. The walkability score is 5.4, making it somewhat walkable.