What Does The 2021 Census Tell Us About The Surf Coast?

On 10 August last year – during one of the pandemic lockdowns – we all participated in the Census, answering questions about who we are and how we live.

We answered a range of questions designed to provide a snapshot of the population: from our birth dates to religion, gender, occupation, how we travel to work, and whether we owned the property we were sleeping in that night.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released some of the key population data collected in that Census. Here’s what it reveals about how we live here in Torquay and Anglesea, on the Surf Coast, what’s changed over time, and how we compare to the rest of the state and country.

But first, why does the Census matter for property?

Census data is an important tool for local and regional planners. Councils, as well as state and federal governments rely on this information to help them prepare their local housing and planning strategies. They use it to inform vital infrastructure, including recreation facilities, roads, healthcare and schools – all of which impact the livability of an area.

The Census can also provide us with valuable insights into the property market. It not only tracks basic demographic data such as population growth – a major factor influencing prices – but also asks us questions about the type of property we live in, how old we are, how many people we live with and whether we own or rent.

Questions about income and rent or mortgage payments reveal what portion of our incomes we spend on housing, and therefore how much we can afford.

Some property investors use the demographics revealed in the Census to make educated decisions about where to invest, and what to invest in. For example, if the area is home to young families or students, they may buy a property suitable to rent to them. They also use it to measure demand, and population growth, in an attempt to predict future capital growth.

Who lives on the Surf Coast?

As of August 2021, there were a total of 93,417 of us living on the Surf Coast Bellarine Peninsula, and of that number 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women. 81% of us were born in Australia and just under one percent of our population had Indigenous heritage. Families had on average 1.9 children.

So, if we were to create an ‘average’ Surf Coast inhabitant based on this Census data, she would be a 45-year-old woman. More likely than not, she would be married with two children (or 1.9 to be exact). She’d have English, Australian, Irish or Scottish heritage.

And she would live in a freestanding house with three or more bedrooms.

How does our local area compare to the rest of Victoria and Australia?

• We’re a little older. The people of the Surf Coast (average age 45) are generally a bit older than the Victorian and Australian averages (average age both 38). We also have a higher percentage of people in each of the 55+ age groups in our population than either the state or national average.
• We earn a slightly above-average income. The average Surf Coast inhabitant’s median weekly household income is $1,770 – just a few dollars more than the average state or national figure.
• But our homes are much larger. The Surf Coast has a greater percentage of large houses than the state and national averages. Here, 42.5% of homes have four or more bedrooms, while in Victoria, it’s 32.6%. Nationwide, that figure is 34.8%.
• We’re more likely to own a property outright and be mortgage-free. On the Surf Coast, 41.7% of properties are owned outright, which is higher than the state (32.2%) and national (31%) averages. Around 35.1% of people currently own their property with a mortgage, which aligns with the state and national averages.
• There are fewer rented properties. We have far fewer rented properties on the Surf Coast, with just 19.6% of residents renting, compared to the state average of 28.5% and the national average of 30.6%.
• Only around half of us are religious. 49.2% of respondents classified themselves as having “no religion”, compared to a Victorian average of 38.8% and a National average of 38.4%. 20.8% said they were Catholic, 9.5% Anglican, and 4.2% Uniting Church.
• But we like to give back. Surf Coast inhabitants are more likely to have performed volunteer work over the last year (18.8%) than the average Victorian (13.3%) or Australian (14.1%).

What’s changed on the Surf Coast since the last Census in 2016?

• We’re growing fast. Our population grew by more than 30% in just five years – gaining 21,688. In 2016 our population was 71,729 and in 2021 it was 93,417. That makes us one of the fastest-growing regions in Victoria.
• There are more homes, and more homes are being occupied. Five years ago, there were 26,040 occupied dwellings and 15,381 unoccupied dwellings. By 2021, the number of occupied dwellings had increased to 34,913, while the number of unoccupied dwellings had decreased to 13,776. This reveals a net gain of new properties, with more occupied by owners and renters
• Median mortgage repayments have gone up. In 2016, the median monthly mortgage repayment on the Surf Coast was $1,733. Five years later it had risen by 12.5% to $1,950. Given that property values have grown in our area over the past five years, it stands to reason that mortgages are now larger too.

Want more?

Are you thinking about making a property move here on the Surf Coast? Get in touch with me today.