Heybridge

The community is far older than most areas, with 25.7% of people aged 65 and over and a typical age of 50. This is reflected in a smaller proportion of children, who make up just 12.1% of the population, a figure that has fallen since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, though 10.3% were born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 42.5% and 44.5% respectively.

English is the primary language for 88.5% of the community. Only 2.7% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A majority of residents (53.7%) now report having no religion, a figure that has risen by 34 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.

Education levels are lower than in most areas, with only 8.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. The typical resident has a Certificate III or IV, and only 24.7% completed Year 12.

Typical weekly household income is $1,303, which is well below the national figure. While most earn under $1,500 a week, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more rose to 10.0% since 2011.

Long-term health conditions are reported by 33.0% of residents, which is well above the national average. Arthritis is the most common condition, affecting 14.5% of the population.

A high proportion of people (28.2%) do more than 15 hours of unpaid housework weekly, well above the state average. However, the number of volunteers fell to 13.3% by 2021.

Homes tend to be smaller than average, with 2.2 people per household. Couples without children make up the largest group at 47.0%, while 28.6% of people live alone.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (90.7%), with 43.6% owned outright. Renting is much less common here than elsewhere, and the typical weekly rent of $205 is far below the national figure.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with no one commuting by public transport and 66.7% of workers driving to their jobs. Only 2.2% of homes have no motor vehicle.

While 31.7% of the population moved in the last five years, there has been a significant increase in recent overseas arrivals, which rose to 20.0% since 2011.

Full-time employment is high at 61.2%, and the unemployment rate of 3.8% is lower than both the state and national figures. Many residents work in health care and social assistance.

The area is very car-dependent with a low walkability score of 1.9. While most homes are near a park or public transport, there are no groceries, schools, or health services within a 15-minute walk.