Urban Centre · Area profile
Murchison
3 km²
A small, quiet pocket of the Greater Shepparton region, Murchison (L) is a sparsely populated area that has seen its population shrink by 23% since 2011. It is a community of older residents, with a typical age of 51 and nearly one third of the population aged 65 or over. This age profile is reflected in the housing, where many people live alone and a high proportion of homes are owned outright. Life here is largely centered around the home and car, though the town center is very walkable.
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The community is far older than the national figure, with 30.6% of people aged 65 and over. This trend has shifted slightly, as the typical resident is now 51, which is 5 years younger than in 2011. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 5.0%, which is well above the state average.
Most residents were born in Australia (81.3%), and the area has far fewer people born overseas than the national average. English and Australian ancestries are the most common, making up 42.5% and 40.5% respectively.
English is the primary language for 90.5% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 3.2%, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large portion of the community reports no religion (45.8%), a figure that rose by 17 points since 2011. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is far below the state average, with only 32.1% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher. Both figures fell since 2011.
Household incomes are much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly household income of $956. Just 6.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, although this is a small increase from 2011.
Long-term health challenges are common here, with 40.0% of people reporting a health condition—far above the national figure of 27.7%. This includes 16.1% of residents with arthritis and 12.4% with a mental health condition.
Volunteering is more common than in most areas, though the rate fell 11 points since 2011 to 17.7%. There is also a notably high number of former Defence Force members at 4.8%.
Nearly 40% of residents live alone, a figure far above the national average. This contributes to a smaller typical household size of 2.1 people.
Home ownership is strong, with 46.4% of homes owned outright. While separate houses are the most common dwelling type, typical weekly rents of $231 are far below the national figure.
The area is heavily dependent on cars, with 70.0% of workers driving to work and no one using public transport to commute. However, 10.4% of the workforce now works from home, up from 5.6% in 2011.
Movement into the area is relatively low, with 34.8% of people moving in the last five years. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work (48.7%) compared to the state average. The unemployment rate is 8.1%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%.
The town center is highly accessible, with 86.5% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 86.1% near health services, both far above state averages.