West Wimmera
Statistical Area - sa2

West Wimmera has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

West Wimmera's population is approximately 2,701 as of August 2025. This figure represents a decrease of 65 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,766. The change is inferred from an estimated resident population of 2,680 in June 2024 and an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.50 persons per square kilometer. West Wimmera's population decline of -2.3% since the census is similar to that of the SA3 area, which had a decline of -0.6%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, West Wimmera's population is expected to decrease by 856 persons by 2041.

The level of residential development activity in West Wimmera is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

West Wimmera has averaged approximately four new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, totalling 24 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with no approvals recorded so far in FY-26. The population decline over recent years suggests that new supply has likely been keeping pace with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $491,000. There have also been $8.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicative of the area's primarily residential nature.

Compared to Rest of Vic., West Wimmera shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 73.0% fewer approvals per person than the regional average. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, though development activity has picked up in recent periods. Nationally, West Wimmera also reflects lower development activity, which may indicate market maturity or possible development constraints. Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated population count per dwelling approval is 718 people, reflecting its quiet and low activity development environment.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, West Wimmera may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

West Wimmera has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 26thth percentile nationally

No changes can influence a region's performance more than alterations to local infrastructure, significant projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact this area. Key projects include Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan, Limestone Coast Energy Park, Melbourne To Adelaide Freight Rail Improvements, and Victorian Renewable Energy Zones, with the following list outlining those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The labour market in West Wimmera demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

West Wimmera has a balanced workforce with representation across white and blue collar jobs, diverse sectors, and an unemployment rate of 2.4% as of June 2025. The area's employment rate is 1.4% below the Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%, with similar workforce participation at 57.4%.

Key employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Notably, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 6.4 times more residents than the regional average, while construction employs only 4.1% of local workers, below Rest of Vic.'s 10.4%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12 months prior to June 2025, West Wimmera's labour force decreased by 4.3%, employment declined by 4.0%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points.

This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment fell by 0.9%, labour force contracted by 0.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows VIC employment grew by 1.08% year-on-year, adding 39,880 jobs, with a state unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Wimmera's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.7% over five years and 11.0% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

West Wimmera's median income among taxpayers was $46,752 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $58,832 during the same period. This compares to figures for Rest of Vic., which were $48,741 and $60,693 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.11% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $51,479 (median) and $64,780 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, personal income ranks at the 28th percentile ($698 weekly), while household income sits at the 12th percentile. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 25.7% of locals (694 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category. Housing costs are modest with 94.4% of income retained. The total disposable income ranks at just the 23rd percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

West Wimmera is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in West Wimmera, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.4% houses and 3.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Vic.'s 93.0% houses and 6.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Wimmera was 60.1%, with the rest either mortgaged (23.7%) or rented (16.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $758, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average. The median weekly rent was $150, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $215. Nationally, West Wimmera's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $758 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

West Wimmera features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 60.8% of all households, including 20.7% couples with children, 32.9% couples without children, and 6.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 39.2%, consisting of 36.4% lone person households and 2.8% group households. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic average of 2.2.

Educational outcomes in West Wimmera fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates of 16.3%, substantially below the VIC average of 33.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 11.8%, followed by graduate diplomas at 2.4% and postgraduate qualifications at 2.1%. Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.1% and certificates at 26.9%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education. West Wimmera's 4 schools have a combined enrollment reaching 281 students as of the latest data. West Wimmera demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 980) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 2 primary and 2 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stand at 10.5, falling below the regional average of 13.9, with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas.

Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transportation in West Wimmera indicates that there are four active transport stops currently operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes. There is one individual route servicing these stops, collectively providing ten weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as limited in the area, with residents typically located 3367 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages one trip per day across all routes, equating to approximately two weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in West Wimmera is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

West Wimmera faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, or around 1,326 people, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (affecting 12.4% of residents) and mental health concerns (7.7%). About 64.4% report having no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of Vic.'s 61.2%. West Wimmera has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 29.5% or 796 people, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 25.2%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, even better than those for the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees West Wimmera placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

West Wimmera had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 87.6% of its population being citizens, 92.1% born in Australia, and 97.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in West Wimmera, making up 57.7% of people, compared to 51.6% across Rest of Vic.. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.3%), Australian (32.2%), and Irish (9.6%).

Notably, German (6.9% vs 6.6%) and Scottish (9.4% vs 9.0%) ethnicities were overrepresented in West Wimmera compared to regional averages. Samoan ethnicity showed a smaller divergence, with 0.2% in West Wimmera versus 0.1% regionally.

West Wimmera ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

West Wimmera's median age is 51 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Vic average of 43 and considerably older than the Australian median of 38. The 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented in West Wimmera at 16.4%, compared to the Rest of Vic average, while the 15 - 24 year-olds are under-represented at 7.6%. This concentration of the 65 - 74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 8.7% to 10.0%, and the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 9.4% to 10.5%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 17.9% to 15.8%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.9% to 10.8%. By 2041, West Wimmera is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 85+ group is projected to grow by -16 people (-16%), reaching 101 from 119. Population declines are projected for the 85+ and 0 to 4 cohorts.