Urban Centre · Area profile
Murtoa
3 km²
A rapidly aging population marks the recent shift in Murtoa (L), where the typical resident is now 49. This town has grown by 21% since 2011, but the community has become much older, with seniors now making up 28.1% of the population. It is a predominantly Australian-born community where most people own their homes outright. The town is very walkable, with almost all residents living within a short stroll of health services and shops.
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The area is far older than the state and national figure, with the typical age climbing 16 years since 2011. While the total population grew to 780 people, the proportion of children under 15 fell by 11 points over the last decade.
Murtoa (L) is overwhelmingly Australian-born, and those born overseas make up just 6.4% of the population. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the primary language for 92.3% of residents. The proportion of people using another language at home is 2.2%, which is far below the Victorian average of 27.6%.
Nearly half the community (42.9%) reports having no religion, a figure that rose 8.1 points since 2011. Christianity is the other major affiliation at 49.1%.
Education levels are lower than the national figure, with only 10.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The proportion of people who completed Year 12 fell by 21 points since 2011 to 30.8%.
Typical household incomes are far below the state average, with the usual weekly figure at $942. Nearly half of all individuals earn under $650 a week.
Health challenges are common here, as 41.2% of people have a long-term health condition. This is far above the national figure, and the proportion of people needing help with daily activities rose 7.4 points since 2011.
Volunteering is much more common here than in other similar areas, with 25.1% of people pitching in. Unpaid care for others is also high, affecting 18.4% of the population.
The community has seen a sharp increase in people living alone, which rose 27 points since 2011 to 37.6%. One-parent families also make up a higher proportion than usual at 18.5%.
Housing is very stable, with 49.6% of homes owned outright. Both rents and mortgage payments are far below the state average, with typical weekly rent at just $178.
Most people rely on cars to get around, as 74.1% of workers drive to their jobs. Only 5.5% of the workforce works from home, which is far below the state figure.
The population is relatively stable, and far fewer people moved house in the last five years compared to the rest of Victoria. There were no recent arrivals from overseas reported.
Unemployment is very low at 1.3%, though the overall number of adults working or looking for work fell 27 points since 2011. The most common industries are health, education, and agriculture.
The town is very walkable, with 94% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' layout. Most residents can easily reach parks, schools, groceries, and health services on foot.