Urban Centre · Area profile
Darnum
1 km²
Surrounded by accessible schools and shops, Darnum is a small community in the Baw Baw region that has grown by 50% since 2011. It is a notably young area, with a typical resident aged 38 and a high proportion of children. Many residents live in large family homes, creating a community focused on raising the next generation. This shift is reflected in the population, which has become significantly younger over the last decade.
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The area is much younger than most similar places, with 21.8% of residents being children under 15. While the total population is small at 386 people, there has been a rise in de facto relationships to 17.9%, which is well above the national figure.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 6.5% of the population. This is far below the Victorian average, with English, Australian, and Scottish being the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 95.3% of the community. Only 1.6% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the state and national levels.
A large majority of the community—57.3%—report having no religion. This is far above the national average and has risen by 19 points since 2011.
Around 41% of residents have completed Year 12, though this is far below the state average. However, 14.6% hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is a higher proportion than in most similar areas.
Typical weekly household income is $1,739, which is much higher than most similar areas and about the same as the national figure. Weekly family income has also risen significantly since 2011 to $1,906.
About 31.6% of people have a long-term health condition, which is well above the national figure. Mental health conditions are also slightly more common here than elsewhere, affecting 10.9% of residents.
Unpaid work is common here, with 30.5% of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly. Caring for children is also more frequent than in most areas, involving 29.2% of the population.
Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children, who make up 62.6% of families.
The area is dominated by separate houses, 90.1% of which have three or more bedrooms. Renting is very uncommon here, with only 8.4% of households renting their home.
Cars are essential for the community, as every single home has at least one motor vehicle. No one in the area uses public transport to commute to work.
The population is relatively stable, with 30.1% of people moving in the last five years, which is lower than the national average. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
More adults are working or looking for work (66.2%) compared to most similar areas. However, the unemployment rate of 7.4% is also a little above the national figure.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 90% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school and 86.1% near groceries. Despite this, there is no 15-minute walk access to health services.