Moorabool Shire is located in the Central Highlands region of Victoria between 45 and 95 kilometres west of Melbourne and between 5 and 55 kilometres east of Ballarat. The Shire covers a total area of 2,110 square kilometres.  On the west, it borders the City of Ballarat and on the east it borders the Shire Of Melton. The Shire contains 43 towns, with the main centres being Bacchus Marsh and Ballan, then Gordon and Blackwood. 

The total population of the Shire was estimated at 26,138 in 2004, and is experiencing strong population growth (2.4% in 2004-2005) exceeding the Victorian state average concentrated in the major centres of Bacchus Marsh and Ballan.  The total population is expected to increase to 33,208 in 2016.  One-third of the Moorabool population is aged 0-19 years, and there are comparatively fewer older people aged 60 plus years (14%) living there compared with the state average (17%).  Moorabool Shire has been described as being a dormitory shire, experiencing a mass exodus of the working population and school children each weekday. 

 Life expectancy rates for males and females in the Moorabool Shire are similar to, but slightly lower than, state averages.

 
From ABS Census data (2001) 23,832 persons were counted in the Moorabool Shire on August 7^th, 2001.  Of these, 49.7% were males and 50.3% females.  25.55% were aged 0-14 years, 12.6% aged 15-24 years, 43.8% aged 25-54 years, and 18.05% aged 55 years and over.  In relation to family characteristics, there were 6,519 families counted in the Shire of Moorabool, 53.2% were couple families with children, 32.0% were couple families without children, 13.8% were one parent families, and 0.9% were other families. Of the occupied private dwellings, 77.8% were family households, 18.1% were lone person households and 1.7% were group households.  11,196 people in the Shire of Moorabool were in the labour force.  Of these, 60.3% were employed full time, 30.1% were employed part-time, 3.1% were employed but did not state their hours worked and 6.4% were unemployed.

The highest rates of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) per 1000 population in 2001 for males in the Moorabool Shire, as measured by the Victorian Burden of Disease Estimates (2001), were for malignant cancers (30.8), cardiovascular diseases (25.8), mental disorders (18.4), ischaemic heart disease (15.0), and neurological and sense disorders (13.0).  The highest DALY rates for females in the Moorabool Shire were for malignant cancers (26.5), cardiovascular diseases (22.2), mental disorders (18.2), neurological and sense disorders (15.2), and ischemic heart disease (10.3).

The highest rates of the Years of Life Lost prematurely (YLL)  per 1000 population in 2001 for males in the Moorabool Shire as measured by the Victorian Burden of Disease Estimates (2001), were for malignant cancers ( 24.2),  cardiovascular disease (21.0), ischaemic heart disease (13.5), and lung cancer (5.3).  The highest YLL rates for females in the Moorabool Shire were for malignant cancers (21.2), cardiovascular disease (17.3), ischaemic heart disease (9.1), and stroke (4.4).

Oral health, dental caries, hearing loss, asthma and diabetes mellitus comprise the five highest prevalent rates of disease for residents in the Moorabool Shire according to the Victorian Burden of Disease estimates (2001).

 
Moorabool Shire Council Website