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Posted: 2017-06-27 09:50:27

Victoria – all 5,926,624 of us – has grown at a thumping pace since the last time the Bureau of Statistics took the state's pulse.

In all 572,582 extra people came to the state between the 2011 census and last year. That's a 10.7 per cent increase – one of the most rapid periods of growth in the state's history.

Melbourne grew more quickly than the state did, putting on an extra 12.1 per cent to 4.485 million. 

And it was central Melbourne that recorded the state's biggest percentage population increase – by 45 per cent to 136,000 people, up from 94,000 in 2011.

The biggest increase of residents was to Melbourne's CBD grid – with much of the jump young Chinese students.

Among them was Karen Chen, who came to Monash University to learn how to teach English.

The 23-year-old from Chengdu, a city in southern China with a population of more than 14.5 million, said Melbourne was a charming, liveable city. "I also like the weather, although it is kind of chilly," she said.

Wyndham, on city's western edge, was the fastest growing council area by sheer numbers – its population increased by 55,500 people to 217,000.

And Melbourne's fastest growing suburb was Point Cook – where infrastructure is struggling to cope with the influx of young families wanting good schools and better roads.

Raul Garcia and partner Cristina Fernandez moved to the suburb two months ago, and have children in the local school. They're very happy there.

But traffic in the area was a mess, Mr Garcia said: "It takes 15 to 20 minutes to get onto the freeway and traffic in the mornings is getting worse and worse as they build more houses."

Anna Seth, who also has a child at Point Cook College, said the strong Indian community was a drawcard for her. "We have clubs and the kids have more friends so we enjoy our life here," she said.

Outside of Melbourne, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula were the fastest growing areas, showing a population increase of 18.4 per cent since the last census.

To see how inner, middle and outer Melbourne and regional Victoria were performing, Fairfax Media asked the Bureau of Statistics to look at each to see how they were coping with the influx of new citizens. Despite so much focus from the city's metropolitan media on events and developments in inner Melbourne, far more of the metropolis lives in the city's outer suburbs.

And while Melbourne is an increasingly wealthy city, the highest incomes have become concentrated in the inner city.

Analysis by one economist revealed that Melbourne's inner east had lost its crown as the area with the highest household incomes. The bayside suburbs in Melbourne's south now have the city's highest median weekly household income, of $1787, followed by the inner east at $1752.

The Mornington Peninsula, popular with retirees, had Melbourne's lowest median weekly income of $1301, followed by the north-west ($1483).

Terry Rawnsley, an economist with SGS Economics and Planning who undertook the analysis, said the increasing household income in the inner city had been driven by its superior access to jobs.

"And the census data shows the inner south has attracted a new generation of high income earners, while the inner east hasn't seen the same level of renewal," he said.

The census showed that, across Australia, renting is on the rise, jumping from 26.9 per cent to 30.9 per cent of the population over the past two decades.

In Melbourne, renting was far more common in the inner city, with 48 per cent on a lease. In the city's middle belt 29 per cent rented, while in its outer suburbs just 24 per cent had a landlord.

Homeless and housing groups said the census data showed many more Melburnians had trouble paying their rent, which increased at twice the rate of inflation.

"As housing prices have skyrocketed, more Australians are forced to rent long term, creating greater competition and squeezing low-income renters out of the market and into homelessness," Jenny Smith from the Council to Homeless Persons said.

The median rent in Melbourne rose from $300 a week in 2011 to $350 week in 2016, the census showed.

And despite the city facing a housing crisis, the number of unoccupied houses and apartments rose to almost 10 per cent of dwellings – pointing to a trend of landlords sitting on vacant investment properties for capital gain. On census night there were 167,500 dwellings in Melbourne left vacant, 26,000 more empty homes than in 2011.

Melburnians live in all types of housing, but in the city's middle and outer suburbs the most common is still by far a free-standing house. Regional Victoria was much the same. But apartment and townhouse living is becoming dominant in inner Melbourne.

The predominant place of birth for Melburnians is still Australia, but it's changing. In inner Melbourne, 56 per cent of residents are born in Australia, while 5 per cent are born in China and 3 per cent in England. In middle Melbourne more people were born in Australia, and the proportion in outer Melbourne is even higher.

For the entire state, England tied with India for the most common country of birth outside Australia, with both countries accounting for 2.9 per cent of Victoria's population.

Christianity was the most common religion reported in Victoria, accounting for just under half the state's population – 2.8 million people, down from 3 million in 2011. But religious belief was spread quite differently across the three Melbournes – especially those who said they had no religion.

Outer Melbourne and regional Victoria still had around half of their residents saying they were Christians, however.

The tale of the impact of population growth in Melbourne was best told by three Chinese students interviewed in front of the State Library of Victoria on Tuesday morning.

Qian Ying, 20, moved to Melbourne from China three years ago. She finished high school in Kilmore before renting an apartment in Melbourne's CBD. The location is convenient, she said, as she now studies at RMIT University.

She pays $330 rent a week for her flat, which she shares with one other. Is it expensive compared to China? "Of course but it's much better than Sydney," she said.

King Huan, Qian Ying and Liam Xue left China to live and study in Melbourne.

King Huang, Qian Ying and Liam Xue left China to live and study in Melbourne. Photo: Allison Worrall

Ms Ying said she hopes to stay in Melbourne after she finishes her studies. "I prefer here to China." What's better? "People are more kind here," she says.

Friend King Huang recently gained permanent residency after moving to Melbourne four years ago. The 21-year-old Chinese-born student is studying engineering at RMIT University, and wants to work in Melbourne when he finishes.

But not all recent Chinese immigrants to Melbourne plan on staying. Liam Xue, 19, lives in a high-rise in the city while finishing a diploma at Monash University. "I will go back [to China], to be closer to my parents," he said.

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