VIC · Baw Baw Council

Athlone, 3818

Est. population · Jun 2025

168

Growth (1 yr)

+1.8%

Growth (5 yr)

+15.1%

Median age

33

Median income

$1,803/wk

Employment rate

61.1%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Green suburb
  • Excellent transport
What Athlone is known for: Green suburb, Excellent transport

Suburb profile

Athlone is a quieter smaller community in Baw Baw Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Distance from the metro area around Melbourne is part of the appeal, with regional hubs closer to hand than the city. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with plenty of young families in the mix.

Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Green space punches above what many comparable suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.

Property prices are middling for the area: fair relative to what is nearby. Crime reports are up on the previous period.

At a glance

Athlone snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

168

+1.8% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

18.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

12th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

85th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Population

Estimated resident population

168(June 2025)

+1.8% annual · +15.1% over 5 years · 85th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.8%
5-year growth
+15.1%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+22
Growth rank in VIC
85th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~200), extrapolated at +3.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
147
Median age
33
Median household income / week
$1,803
Dwelling vacancy
18.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
10 of 54
Median monthly mortgage
$1,647
Employment rate
61.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
47 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
3
Against the person
0
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
17.9
State safety percentile
12.4th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+50%

Most common offence types

  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
  • B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Public transport

1 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Athlone Primary School/Drouin Poowong Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life2 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
2/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
13.61
Community(1)
  • Athlone Community HallCommunity centre
Sport & outdoors(3)
  • Athlone Public Hall ReservePark
  • Athlone Recreation ReservePark
  • Sports field

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Athlone Public Hall ReservePark
  • Athlone Recreation ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
6
Parks (OSM)
2

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Proposed West Gippsland Hospital (14.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
6
Participants per 1,000 residents
35.7

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 9°
Rainfall
228 mm · ~28 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 5°
Rainfall
261 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
304 mm · ~38 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Monash
Member of Parliament
Mary ALDRED (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,463
Turnout (2025)
93.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.2 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 54.1%Labor 45.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 14.5 km away).

Coalition 59.8%Labor 40.2%

5.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.5 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Drouin SouthLabor 31.0% · Coalition 69.0% TPP (2025)8.8 km away
  • PoowongLabor 36.3% · Coalition 63.7% TPP (2025)11.1 km away
  • Drouin SummerhillLabor 48.2% · Coalition 51.8% TPP (2025)12.3 km away
  • EllinbankLabor 39.6% · Coalition 60.4% TPP (2025)13.0 km away
  • DrouinLabor 48.0% · Coalition 52.0% TPP (2025)13.5 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Baw Baw Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.