Odds favour single women in Colac

THE dating scene is more competitive in Colac for men in their early 30s than anywhere else in Victoria.

The latest Census data found there were 1.6 single men for every single woman aged 30-34 in the western districts town.

The disparity is greatest among 20-somethings in the state’s rural areas of Hopetoun Park (3.4 to every 1) and Bunyip (3.3 to 1).

A brain drain among young adults, who left for greater education or work opportunities, is considered a factor.

Demographics Group research director Simon Kuestenmacher said the data proved there was an imbalance in available singles between city and country areas.

“It’s the luck of the draw where you end up living,” Mr Kuestenmacher said.

“Certain areas are lucky to have a higher male population.

“Women tend to be more educated than men so they work in the city or big regional towns while the men stay in rural towns running the farm or rural business.”

Despite the imbalance among singles, population figures for the Colac Otway Shire show there is an even split of males and females.

However, almost half (49.1 per cent) of all residents at the last census were not married — more than six percentage points higher than Victoria’s rate.

The regional town also had a higher amount of people who had become separated, divorced or widowed than the state and national averages.

Mr Kuestenmacher said it’s easier to find single women in the big cities and harder to find men primarily because of where they work.

“This sends a message to women living in the big cities who say it’s hard to find a good man,” he said. “They’re not losing their minds. It’s just a reflection of the way the population is distributed.”

At the other end of the spectrum, there are far more single women than men in pockets of the Geelong region.

In Portarlington and St Leonards, there are almost twice as many single women as there are single men in the 80-84 years bracket. The disparity is even greater among 95-99year-olds in Geelong, where there are only 0.42 single men for every woman.

“Women tend to be more educated than men so they work in the city or big regional towns while the men stay in rural towns running the farm or rural business.” DEMOGRAPHICS GROUP‘ S SIMON KUESTENMACHER