suburb.guide

VIC · Ballarat Council

Black Hill, 3350

Est. population · Jun 2025

2,094

Growth (1 yr)

+0.6%

Growth (5 yr)

+3.4%

Median age

40

Median income

$1,471/wk

Employment rate

58.2%

University qualified

28.1%

Work from home

20.9%

Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025

$581,000

Languages at home

8.9%non-English

Most common: Mandarin, Cantonese, Croatian

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

52.8/100
Average

Top 29% of Victoria's suburbs

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Regional centre
What Black Hill is known for: Green suburb, Regional centre

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Suburb Guide, “Black Hill, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/black-hill-vic

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Suburb profile

Black Hill is a major regional centre in Victoria, in Ballarat Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.

Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, well above typical levels for major regional centres, and local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median. Recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 75% below the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 84% above the peer median. Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places, with dining and cafés 100% below the peer median.

Overall, Black Hill suits people prioritising open space and school quality.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Victoria (187)

Strengths

  • Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Black Hill compares

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

Median house price

$581k

-11% change

Median rent

$430/wk

Population (ERP)

2,094

+0.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

7.4%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#25

among Country & regional · Established

Crime rate

52nd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

56th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

36%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

65th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
52.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 29% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
1473rd in Australia
State rank
358th in VIC
Peer rank
#25 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#112 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
$430
Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
$581,000
Median price change
-10.6%

Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

2,094(June 2025)

+0.6% annual · +3.4% over 5 years · 56th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.6%
5-year growth
+3.4%
Change in 1 year
+12
Change in 5 years
+69
Growth rank in VIC
56th 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 (~2,200), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
2,124
Median age
40
Median household income / week
$1,471
Dwelling vacancy
7.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
69 of 929
Median monthly mortgage
$1,393
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$290
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
33.2% / 31.1% / 35.8%
Employment rate
58.2%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
20.9% / 1.2% / 62.8%
Walked or cycled to work
3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
727 / 136 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

28.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 16.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified28.1% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified10.1% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational16.4% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below45.5% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce16.3%
  • Society and culture16.3%
  • Health14.3%
  • Education14.2%
  • Engineering and related technologies10.9%
  • Creative arts7.6%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$57,488

66th percentile in VIC · -2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,410

65th percentile in VIC · -4% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

54th percentile in VIC · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$81,201

51st percentile in VIC · +28% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

31st percentile in VIC · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3350 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
41,156
Taxpayers reporting net rent
5,246
Median net rent
-$2,680
Taxpayers reporting business income
4,029
Taxable income vs state median
+8%
Salary / wages vs state median
+7%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+1%
Business income vs state median
-9%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

8.9% speak a language other than English at home; 13.5% born overseas

Language at home
1,817 English only · 177 other
Non-English at home
8.9%
Born overseas
271 (13.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
44 (2.1%)
Australian citizens
1,874
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
12

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Mandarin14 · 18.7%
  • Cantonese8 · 10.7%
  • Croatian8 · 10.7%
  • French8 · 10.7%
  • Urdu7 · 9.3%
  • Punjabi6 · 8%
  • Arabic5 · 6.7%
  • Bengali4 · 5.3%

Religion

50.6%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 50.6%, while Christianity accounts for 38.2%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion50.6%38.8%
Christianity38.2%40.9%
Other / not stated11.2%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic20.4%20.5%
Anglican7.9%6.5%
Uniting Church3.7%2.4%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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)
116
Against the person
25
Against property
80
Rate per 1,000 residents
55.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 85 residents
State crime-rate percentile
51.5th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+30.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
12
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
5.73

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage10
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft16
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle28
  • B49 Other Theft9
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order9

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
1,042
Median ICSEA percentile
65th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Black Hill Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1042 · 65th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 397 students · Top SEA quarter 23% · 0.2 km awayView on My School →
  • St Columba's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1090 · 81th percentile · LBOTE 1% · 334 students · Top SEA quarter 36% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Macarthur Street Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 951 · 25th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 83 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
  • St Alipius' Parish SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1052 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 248 students · Top SEA quarter 19% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
  • Ballarat North Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1002 · 48th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 330 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Ballarat North Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Black Hill Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Caledonian Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Macarthur Street Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Woodmans Hill Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

13 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Black Hill Pool/Chisholm St
  • Clissold St/Peel St N
  • Napier St/Peel St N
  • Nicholson St/Chisholm St
  • Peel St N/Gregory St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

47 mapped amenities

3 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools · 1 post offices

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 13 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access — 13 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
20/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
6.12
Everyday services(1)
  • Black Hill Post OfficePost office

    503 Peel Street North, Black Hill

Community(1)
  • Black Hill Primary SchoolSchool

    601-607 Chisholm Street

Sport & outdoors(26)
  • Goldfields TrackCycling route
  • Wallaby TrackCycling route
  • Yarrowee Creek TrailCycling route
  • Yarrowee River TrailCycling route
  • Drinking water
  • Howitt Street Trig Station Natural Features ReserveNature reserve
  • Binney ReservePark
  • Black HillPark
  • Chisholm Street ReservePark
  • Park (9)
  • Peal Street ParkPark
  • Walter Jones Memorial ParkPark
  • Playground (3)
  • Sports field
  • Black Hill Swimming PoolSwimming pool
  • Swimming pool
Entertainment(1)
  • Black Hill LookoutViewpoint
Transport(3)

3 bus stops

Other(7)
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Black Hill trailsInformation
  • Information
  • Pineview Residential CareNursing Home

    324 Nicholson Street

  • Napier Street CarparkParking
  • Parking (5)
  • Shelter (5)

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

6 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Binney ReservePark
  • Black HillPark
  • Chisholm Street ReservePark
  • Howitt Street Trig Station Natural Features ReserveNature reserve
  • Peal Street ParkPark
  • Walter Jones Memorial ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
35.4%
Woodland / forest cover
3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
16
Parks (OSM)
13
Typical summer maximum
26°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Nazareth House Aged Care (2.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
80
Participants per 1,000 residents
38.2

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
26° / 12°
Rainfall
128 mm · ~16 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
124 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 6°
Rainfall
149 mm · ~19 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
182 mm · ~23 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

21 planning-related records

2021· 9 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Demolition of outbuilding, partial demolition, alterations and additions to dwelling, demolition/development of fencing
    325 PEEL STREET NORTH BLACK HILL 3350Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2021

  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to a dwelling including demolition/development of fencing
    317 PEEL STREET NORTH BLACK HILL 3350Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • May 2021

  • Demolition and replacement of roof and guttering
    412 Peel Street NorthPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Partial demolition and alterations to a dwelling
    400 HAVELOCK STREET BLACK HILL 3350Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2021

  • Development of a dwelling and associated works
    2 Mopoke LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2021

  • Demolition of outbuildings
    110 Clissold StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Demolition of front fence (retrospective)
    48 Rowe StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • February 2021

  • Development of a dwelling and associated works
    1B Walker StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • January 2021

  • Installation of a solar panels (retrospective)
    410 Peel Street NorthPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 12 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Partial demolition to rear of dwelling and alterations and additions to an existing dwelling
    9 Clissold StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Partial demolition, alterations, additions to dwelling including demolition of front fencing and construction of a garage, habitable outbuilding and vehicle crossing
    7 Napier StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • November 2020

  • Development of a dwelling
    207 Sim StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • September 2020

  • Development of outbuildings and a pergola
    622 Peel Street NorthPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Two lot subdivision and removal of vegetation
    113 Duggan StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to a dwelling and demolition of garage
    54 Rowe StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • August 2020

  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to convert existing outbuilding into a second dwelling on a lot, a two (2) lot subdivision, and creation of carriageway easement
    1 CLISSOLD STREET BLACK HILL 3350Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a Dwelling
    102 Duggan StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to a dwelling and demolition of outbuildings
    404 Nicholson StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to a dwelling and demolition of an outbuilding
    35 Rowe StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2020

  • Two lot subdivision and development of a fence
    11 Moola StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • Partial demolition, alterations and additions to a dwelling and demolition and development of a front fence
    334 Peel Street NorthPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Ballarat
Member of Parliament
Catherine KING (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,238
Turnout (2025)
93.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 39.3%Labor 60.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.4 km away).

Coalition 28.3%Labor 71.7%

11.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +0.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Black HillLabor 72.1% · Coalition 27.9% TPP (2025)0.3 km away
  • Ballarat EastLabor 72.9% · Coalition 27.1% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
  • Ballarat NorthLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
  • Brown HillLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
  • BallaratLabor 71.8% · Coalition 28.2% TPP (2025)2.3 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)
5/10
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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Ballarat Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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