A NEW report has ranked Ararat, Stawell and St Arnaud among Victoria's most disadvantaged areas, and Natimuk and Marnoo as the Wimmera's most advantaged towns.

The Dropping Off the Edge report released this week ranks 667 postcodes in Victoria across 22 disadvantage indicators.

The indicators include housing stress, income, unskilled workers, domestic violence and criminal convictions.

They are based on statistics collected from government agencies and reflect factors that could limit life opportunities in the areas of social wellbeing, health, community safety, access to housing, education and employment.

The report classes areas as most disadvantaged, disadvantaged, advantaged, or most advantaged.

The most disadvantaged places in Victoria were placed into six bands, with band one being the most severe.

St Arnaud was in band three, while Ararat and Stawell were in band six. 

Ararat’s average disadvantage rank across all indicators was 120^th of 667.

It ranked second in the state for juvenile convictions, and ninth for prison admissions.

Stawell’s average disadvantage rank on all indicators was 113th. It ranked 17^th for juvenile convictions and 111^th for prison admissions.

St Arnaud – and other towns in the 3478 postcode – had the highest overall rank for disadvantage of any Wimmera town at 109^th. Its highest rank in any of the 22 categories was for internet access, where it ranked 16^th.

The 3478 postcode also ranked poorly for unskilled workers, disability support, and long-term unemployment.

In comparison, Natimuk and other towns with the 3409 postcode ranked 403^rd overall.

This put them in the ‘most advantaged’ bracket. The 3409 postcode ranked 615^th for housing stress, 618^th for criminal convictions and 643^rd for domestic violence, which put it in the state’s top 25.

Marnoo and other areas with the 3387 postcode ranked 449^th overall, the best of anywhere in the Wimmera. However, the postcode was ranked only on eight of the 22 indicators. 

Other Wimmera towns in the ‘most advantaged’ bracket included Neuarpurr and Glenisla.