Income, Education and Employment

Income, education, and employment are foundational to the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. In Hume City, many residents face complex and compounding socio-economic challenges that limit access to secure income, education, and meaningful employment opportunities. These include lower income levels, barriers to education and training, and high unemployment rates, all of which can contribute to poorer health and wellbeing outcomes.

Hume City ranks as the third most socio-economically disadvantaged area in Greater Melbourne. Many households experience financial stress, with nearly half falling into the bottom 40% of the income distribution. The median household income is also lower than the metropolitan average, which can limit access to essential services, secure housing, and nutritious food.

Educational attainment has improved over time, with more residents holding tertiary qualifications than in previous years. However, levels remain below the Greater Melbourne average and indicate that some members in our community may face barriers to further education and training. Some of our younger children are also starting school at a disadvantage. According to the Australian Early Development Census, children are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable than their peers across Greater Melbourne and Victoria.

Employment is another key driver of wellbeing, as it improves living conditions, supports mental health, and strengthens social connection. A lack of employment, however, can lead to financial hardship, social isolation, and poor psychological health. Hume City currently has the highest unemployment rate across both Greater Melbourne and Victoria.

It is important that our community has access to opportunities where people can access learning, find meaningful work, and improve their quality of life. Supporting income security, educational attainment, and employment pathways is essential to building a resilient and thriving community.

Key Statistics

One in nine young people in Hume City aged 15-24 years (11.0%) are not engaged in employment, education or training, compared to 7.0% across Greater Melbourne.
28.7% of residents aged 25-54 years holding a bachelor's degree or higher - up from 20.7% in 2016 but still below Greater Melbourne's 44.9%.
Hume City has the highest unemployment rate in the state, with a rate of 8.0% as of March 2025, compared to 4.4% for greater Melbourne.
Hume City is the third most socio-economically disadvantaged local government area in Greater Melbourne.
6.4% of families in Hume City are low income, welfare dependent families with children, compared to 3.4% across Greater Melbourne.
Hume City has the highest rate of poverty overall across Victoria at 20.6% compared to 13.3% for Victoria.
Hume City had a higher proportion of children developmentally vulnerable across all three physical health and wellbeing sub-domains than Metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria, especially in ‘Physical readiness for the school day’.

Detailed Context

Early Childhood Development

Physical, emotional, social and cognitive development in the early childhood period deeply influences future outcomes across health and wellbeing, employment, success in school, and social participation. Being developmentally vulnerable across key domains in the AEDC can indicate serious risks for children in their future life and development, this is further impacted for children who are vulnerable across two or more domains.

Results from the Australian Early Development Census show that across all domains children living in Hume City are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable than their peers across both greater Melbourne and Victoria. Hume City has the highest proportion of children developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains across all local government areas in Greater Melbourne.

Patterns of vulnerability vary across the physical health and wellbeing domain: for example, children might be coming to school hungry but still have developmentally appropriate fine and gross motor skills. In Hume City in 2024 the proportion of children developmentally vulnerable on each of the three physical health and wellbeing sub-domains were all greater compared to Metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria, particularly the ‘Physical readiness for school day’ sub-domain.

Proportion of children developmentally vulnerable in the 2024 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)

Hume City

Metropolitan Melbourne

Victoria

Physical health and wellbeing

Sub-domains

Physical readiness for school day

Physical independence

Gross and fine motor skills

10.8%

14.5%

8.4%

7.7%

7.8%

11.0%

7.1%

5.9%

8.5%

12.1%

7.6%

6.4%

Social competence

16.5%

10.3%

10.6%

Emotional maturity

12.4%

9.2%

9.9%

Language and cognitive skills (school based)

11.7%

7.1%

7.3%

Communication skills and general knowledge

14.0%

8.4%

8.2%

Vulnerable on one or more domain

30.7%

21.7%

22.3%

Vulnerable on two or more domains

17.8%

11.4%

11.8%

Youth Disengagement

One in nine young people in Hume City aged 15-24 years (11.0%) are not engaged in employment, education or training. This is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne sitting at 7.0%. Hume suburbs with the highest percentage of disengaged youth include the southeastern areas of Coolaroo, Campbellfield, Dallas, Meadow Heights and Broadmeadows.

Education

Educational attainment in Hume City has improved, with 28.7% of residents aged 25-54 years holding a bachelor's degree or higher—up from 20.7% in 2016 but still below Greater Melbourne's 44.9%. Popular fields of study include Teacher Education, Business and Management, Accounting, Nursing, and Computer Science. Additionally, 16.4% of residents in this age group have a Certificate 3 or 4 level of education, slightly higher than Greater Melbourne's 13.9%. Top fields of study for persons with a certificate 3 or 4 level of education are Building, Human Welfare Studies and Services, Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Technology, Automotive Engineering and Technology, and Food and Hospitality.

Employment and Industry

Hume City is home to more than 27,000 local businesses that employ over 143,000 people. The largest employing industries include Manufacturing; Transport, Postal and Warehousing; Construction; Retail Trade; and Health Care and Social Assistance, which collectively account for two-thirds (66%) of local jobs.

Two in five (40%) employed residents work within Hume City, while the majority (56%) commute outside the municipality for work. The top industries for employed residents include Health Care and Social Assistance; Construction; Transport, Postal and Warehousing; Retail Trade; and Manufacturing, with over half (52%) working in these sectors. The largest growth since 2016 for the industries that Hume City residents work in has been in the ‘Construction’ and ‘Health care and social assistance’ sectors.

Unemployment

Hume has the highest unemployment rate in the state, with a rate of 8.0% as of March 2025, compared to 4.4% for Greater Melbourne. Four of the top seven SA2 regions in Victoria with the highest unemployment rates are all within Hume City: Meadow Heights (17.8%), Campbellfield-Coolaroo (17.6%, which also incorporates the suburb of Dallas), Broadmeadows (15.8%, which also incorporates the suburb of Jacana), and Roxburgh Park-North (15.2%).

Socio-economic Disadvantage

Hume City faces socio-economic challenges. It ranks as the third most socio-economically disadvantaged local government area in Greater Melbourne, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics SEIFA (Socio-economic Economic Indexes for Areas) Index of Disadvantage which includes measures such as unemployment, low income, and low education levels. The most disadvantaged suburbs in Hume and the top five across Greater Melbourne with populations over 500 are Meadow Heights, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Dallas, Broadmeadows.

Household Income

As at the 2021 Census, the median weekly household income in Hume City was $1,703 which is lower when compared to Greater Melbourne at $1,901. Nearly half (47.0%) of households in Hume City fall into the bottom 40% of the income distribution, compared to 36.6% in Greater Melbourne. This represents the third-highest rate of low-income households in Greater Melbourne.

Income support

A significant number of Hume residents rely on welfare support to meet their basic needs and maintain their quality of life. For these individuals and families, government assistance plays a crucial role in providing essential resources such as financial aid for housing, healthcare, and daily living expenses.

Low-income welfare dependent families – 6.4% of families in Hume City are low income, welfare dependent families with children. This is almost double that of Greater Melbourne at 3.4%. Together with Melton City it is the highest rate across all metropolitan LGAs.

Disability support pension – 5.2% of persons aged 16-64 years in Hume City receive a disability support pension. This is higher compared to Greater Melbourne at 3.6% and the third highest rate across all metropolitan LGAs.

JobSeeker payment – 7.4% of persons aged 22-64 years in Hume City receive JobSeeker payment. This is higher compared to Greater Melbourne at 4.3% and the second highest amongst metropolitan LGAs.

Youth allowance – 4.4% of persons aged 16-21 years in Hume City receive Youth Allowance. This is double that of Greater Melbourne at 2.2% and the highest rate across all metropolitan LGAs.

Long-term unemployment benefits – 5.6% of persons aged 16-64 years in Hume City have been receiving a JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for six months or more. This is higher compared to Greater Melbourne at 3.2% and the second highest rate across all metropolitan LGAs.

Health care card holders – 8.4% of persons aged 0-64 years in Hume City are Health Care Card holders. This is higher compared to Greater Melbourne at 5.7%. It is the second highest rate across all metropolitan Melbourne local government areas.

Proportions of persons or families receiving support in 2023

Poverty Rates

The VCOSS (Victorian Council of Social Service) report, Mapping Poverty in Victoria, provides a comprehensive analysis of poverty across the state of Victoria. It examines the distribution and impact of poverty, highlighting areas with the highest levels of economic disadvantage. The report presents data on income levels, housing affordability, and access to essential services, offering insights into how poverty affects different regions and demographics.

According to the most recent report, Hume City has the highest rate of poverty overall across Victoria at 20.6% compared to 13.3% for Victoria. Compared to Victoria, Hume’s poverty rates are higher across all age groups, gender, household composition, housing tenure (excl. public rentals) and employment status. Hume’s poverty rates rank as the highest in Victoria amongst males, females, full-time employed persons, and households with a mortgage. Hume is also amongst the top three ranking local government areas for those aged 15-24 years, 25-64 years, couples (with or without children), lone parents with children, part-time employed persons, and unemployed persons.

2023 VCOSS Poverty rates by demographic

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