Urban Centre · Area profile
Macarthur
1 km²
Far older than the national average, Macarthur is a small community of 204 people where the typical resident is 57. The population has shrank by 36% since 2011, and the area is now defined by a high proportion of seniors and retirees. Most people live in their own detached houses, though incomes are significantly lower than in the rest of Victoria. It is a quiet, residential setting where many residents now require assistance with daily living.
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The community is aging rapidly, with the typical age rising 11 years since 2011 to 57. People aged 65 and over make up 32.4% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%.
Most residents were born in Australia (86.8%), and the proportion of people born overseas has fallen to 9.8%, which is far below the state and national figures.
English is the primary language for 96.6% of the community. Only 1.5% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the Victorian average.
More than half of the population identifies as Christian (53.9%), while 38.7% report no religion, which is about the same as the national figure.
Education levels are far below the state and national averages, with only 11.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The number of people who completed Year 12 also fell 12 points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $782, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. No one in the area earns $2,000 or more per week.
Health needs are high, as 40.7% of people have a long-term health condition. This helps explain why 10.3% of residents need help with daily activities, a figure well above the national average.
Volunteering is common here, with 22.2% of people volunteering, well above the national figure. There is also a high rate of unpaid care for others (16.1%).
The area has a high number of people living alone (38.1%) and a higher than usual proportion of one-parent families (18.5%).
Every home in Macarthur is a separate house, and 57.7% are owned outright, which is far above the state average. Renting is very uncommon, with only 9.3% of households renting.
Cars are the main way to get around, and no one uses public transport to commute. About 5.2% of homes have no motor vehicle.
While 30.3% of residents moved in the last five years, there has been a notable rise in recent arrivals from overseas, who now make up 25% of the population.
Employment is low, with only 41.1% of adults working or looking for work, far below the national figure. The unemployment rate is 8.1%, which is well above the state average.
Residents are within a 15-minute walk of a school and a park, but the area is mostly car-dependent as there are no groceries or health services within walking distance.