2011 CENSUS RESULTS RELEASED

Written by Melanie Toye, 22 June, 2012

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced the 2011 Census first release today relating to Population and Housing. The last Census was performed in 2006. Specifically, the Census of Population and Housing is the largest statistical operation undertaken by the ABS.

When goal setting, one wants to determine what they want to achieve in five years. Let’s look at what Victoria achieved in the past five years:

• An 8.5% increase in population
• Dwelling structures such as units, townhouses, semi-detached houses and apartments all increased
• 76.9% owned a house, whereas in 2006 77.5% did
• Dwellings which have four bedrooms or more increased by 26.8%
• Of occupied dwellings, 34.2% were owned outright, 35.9% were mortgaged and 26.5% were being rented
• In Victoria, the median weekly rent was $277. For 9.1% of households, their rent was more than 30.0% of their income

What do the above results tell us? Although many people are still living in houses, there has been an increase in smaller dwellings such as units and townhouses. As the state expands, smaller dwellings and living closer to the city becomes a more popular choice.

Dwellings are being built with four or more bedrooms as families and space become more important than a backyard.

What can you look forward to in the next five years in Victoria? As Melbourne gets a facelift in expanding the city upwards through apartments and units to keep growth and employment where it’s needed, need for houses and smaller homes will decrease.

Whatever happens in the next five years, let’s hope it contributes to a society that is expected to flourish.

Above data was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.