Every Suburb, Every Town: mapping poverty in Victoria.

VCOSS and economic modelling firm NATSEM have launched a major report and online mapping project, providing new data and analysis previously unavailable.

For the first time, we have broken down poverty data in Victoria, allowing policy makers to better target the needs of people in different places. We have created an interactive mapping site allowing everyone to better understand the specific nature of poverty in their local community.

Read media release.

Key findings

• 774,000 Victorians live in poverty (13.2%)
• Regional Victoria has a higher poverty rate than Melbourne (15.1% versus 12.6%)
• More than 1 in 6 Victorian children live in poverty (18.7% or 198,600 children)
• Women comprise the majority of adults living in poverty (54.1% or 311,800 women)
• A majority of people experiencing poverty live in families with children (57.8% or 447,300 people)
• A majority of people living in poverty live in owner-occupied homes (51.4% or 397,900 people)
• More than one-third of adults living in poverty have a disability (34.3% or 197,600 people)
• More than a quarter of adults living in poverty have a job (28.2% or 162,600 people)
• Even the richest communities had poverty rates from 6%
• High poverty communities had poverty rates of up to 40%

Full report

Explore maps

This original analysis allows for smarter targeting of local services for greatest impact. We hope it will be used by state and local governments, community planners, and service providers for better services.

We hope this report makes a contribution to stronger policy responses in various parts of Victoria to start reducing poverty by addressing the specific needs of different groups facing different challenges.