Urban Centre · Area profile
Meredith
2 km²
Younger families have moved into Meredith in recent years, helping the population grow by 42% since 2011. The typical resident is now 41, which is 14 years younger than in 2011. This shift has made the community more family-oriented, with nearly 60% of households consisting of couples with children. It is a predominantly residential area of detached houses where most people are born in Australia and speak English only.
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The area is noticeably older than the Victorian and national average, though children under 15 now make up 18% of the population. De facto relationships are much more common here than in most similar areas, at 14.6%.
People born overseas make up 10.2% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are English (45.1%) and Australian (41.3%).
English is the only language used at home for 94.9% of residents, and the proportion of people using another language is much lower than in most areas. No one in the community speaks little or no English.
A majority of residents (52.9%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This is a significant shift from 2011, when only 18.6% felt this way.
More adults here have a bachelor degree or higher (13.7%) and have completed Year 12 (42.8%) compared to most similar areas. However, both figures remain far below the Victorian averages.
Typical family weekly income is $1,843, which is higher than in most similar areas but still a little below the national figure. Weekly personal income is $633, which is around the middle for its level.
Long-term health conditions are more common here than in the state, with 32.8% of people reporting one. Around 8.3% of residents need help with daily activities, which is higher than most areas.
Unpaid care is very common in Meredith; 29.9% of people care for children and 17.6% provide other unpaid care, both of which are well above the national average. Volunteering has fallen to 14.6% since 2011.
Homes tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per dwelling. This is consistent with the high proportion of couples with children (59.4%) and a big drop in people living alone, which fell to 22.4%.
The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (96.3%), far above the national figure. Renting is much less common here than elsewhere, at 14.9%, while 50.3% of homes are owned with a mortgage.
Car dependency is absolute, with every single home owning at least one motor vehicle. No one in the community commutes to work using public transport.
The area has seen significant movement, with 41.1% of people moving house in the last five years. However, there have been no recent arrivals from overseas.
Full-time employment is much higher than in most similar areas at 62.0%. The most common industries for workers are education, health, and agriculture.
Meredith is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. While most homes are near a school or park, no one can walk to groceries or health services within 15 minutes.