The Community reading the Geelong Independent at a glance;

AGE 

• 0 - 16 years    24%
• 16 - 24 years  9%
• 25 - 34 years  13%
• 35 - 49 years  21%

Age & Sex - Middle Aged, Children & Retired

Readers in the area covered by the Geelong Independent are pedominately in the 50 plus and 35 to 49 age brackets. There is also a strong representation of children and young adults. There are slightly more females than males in the Geelong Region, potentially due to the affordability of housing for single parent families and the longer life expectancy of female retirees.

The second and third largest groups are children under 18 and adults aged between 35 and 49. Along with representation of young adults, we believe that this strong family demographic makes the Geelong Independent an ideal advertising vehicle for business servicing this market.

In line with societal trends, the proportion of readers aged 50 plus means that the newspaper gives advertisers access to this  important market. The lucrative segment of leisure and lifestyle focused recent retirees represent a key proportion of the aging population.

Occuaption - Professional, Trades, Sales & Clerical

In line with the self contained nature of Geelong, there is a relatively even spread of occupations. The majority of readers are employed as either; Professionals, Tradespeople or as Intermediate Clerical Sales and Service workers.

With a strong trades audience, the newspaper is a useful vehicle to advertise trade supplies including; tools, equipment, materials and cars such as vans & utes. With the majority of tradespeople working as sub-contractors or in a self employed capacity, the newspaper is also suitable for providers of business services such as accountants and business finance.

The readers working as professionals and in sales and clerical roles are a strong audience for; business wear and accessories, computer and telecommunications equipment, training and further education, gyms and personal trainers, catering suppliers and other office services.

Household Income - $57k pa, $30k pa & $16k pa  

The majority of households in the Geelong Independent distribution area earn around $30k pa with the next highest groups earning $57k and $16k pa.

The proportion  of income earners in the income bracket around $100k is in line with the state average however the proportion of incomes $100k plus are below the state average.

Although these income brackets seem low, they are consistent with the high number of retired people. While the incomes of this group are lower, the lack of expenses such as mortgages means that the spending power of this segment is relativley strong.

The lower incomes for families living in this area are offset by the lower housing prices and lower cost of living that this provides and therefore the ratio of disposable income is maintained.