VIC · Moorabool Council

Blackwood, 3458

Est. population · Jun 2025

393

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.8%

Median age

47

Median income

$1,424/wk

Employment rate

58.7%

University qualified

30.2%

Work from home

28.4%

Languages at home

7.7%non-English

Most common: Greek

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.6/100
Average

855th in VIC

Verified 83% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Holiday parks
  • Rural living
What Blackwood is known for: Holiday parks, Rural living

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Blackwood, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Blackwood, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/blackwood-vic

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Suburb profile

Blackwood is a rural locality in Victoria, in Moorabool Council. It is close to the Lerderderg River.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and working from home is another area where the suburb performs particularly well, with working from home 33% above the peer median. The main trade-offs are higher recorded crash rates relative to resident population and thinner mapped green cover within the suburb boundary, with green cover 100% below the peer median.

Blackwood is a better fit for people who value university qualifications and open space.

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

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Victoria (1828)

Strengths

  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
  • Working from home is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Recorded crashes relative to resident population are elevated
  • Green cover is thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Lerderderg River

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Blackwood compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$305/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

393

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

41.3%

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

#253

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

43rd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

69th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

10%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
42.6/100 — Average
National rank
3724th in Australia
State rank
855th in VIC
Peer rank
#253 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#450 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
83%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

393(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +4.8% over 5 years · 69th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+4.8%
Change in 1 year
+4
Change in 5 years
+18
Growth rank in VIC
69th 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 (~400), extrapolated at +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
387
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,424
Dwelling vacancy
41.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
119 of 288
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$305
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.6% / 51.3% / 10.1%
Employment rate
58.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
28.4% / 0% / 51.6%
Walked or cycled to work
2.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
160 / 0 / 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

30.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 18.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified30.2% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified8.3% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational18.5% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below43.1% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Society and culture22.4%
  • Creative arts15.8%
  • Engineering and related technologies10.9%
  • Health10.9%
  • Management and commerce10.9%
  • Architecture and building7.1%
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)
$51,960

43rd percentile in VIC · -11% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,872

66th percentile in VIC · -3% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

70th percentile in VIC · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$133,934

93rd percentile in VIC · +112% vs Australia

Residents with business income
18.0%

95th percentile in VIC · +73% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3458 — 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
1,461
Taxpayers reporting net rent
215
Median net rent
$557
Taxpayers reporting business income
258
Taxable income vs state median
-3%
Salary / wages vs state median
+8%
Rental investment vs state median
+15%
Super vs state median
+66%
Business income vs state median
+64%

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

7.7% speak a language other than English at home; 14.3% born overseas

Language at home
337 English only · 28 other
Non-English at home
7.7%
Born overseas
51 (14.3%)
Australian citizens
339
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

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

  • Greek3 · 100%

Religion

63%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 63%, while Christianity accounts for 26.1%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion63%38.8%
Christianity26.1%40.9%
Buddhism2.8%3.1%
Other / not stated8%17.2%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic11.4%20.5%
Anglican6.2%6.5%
Christian (not further defined)3.4%2.5%
Uniting Church2.6%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)
18
Against the person
7
Against property
9
Rate per 1,000 residents
45.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 55 residents
State crime-rate percentile
42.8th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+38.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
54
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
137.4

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage3
  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary3
  • C12 Drug Trafficking2
  • Other Crimes Against The Person2
  • A722 Non-Fv Harassment And Private Nuisance2

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

School list
School catchments
  • Bacchus Marsh CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Ballan Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Bullarto Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Daylesford Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Gisborne Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Kyneton Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Myrniong Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Trentham District Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_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

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Amenities

6 mapped amenities

1 caravan parks · 2 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.58
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Ruths Gully Reference AreaNature reserve
  • Walk 5Walking trail
Camping & holiday parks(3)
  • Campground
  • Margarets CornerCampground
  • Mineral Springs Caravan ParkCaravan park
Other(1)
  • Parking

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

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
1
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
Trentham Aged Care Hostel (12.1 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)
13
Participants per 1,000 residents
33.1

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).

23 planning-related records

2021· 11 proposals
  • September 2021

  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and Shed
    LOT 16 821 GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and a Shed
    LOT 12, 821 GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • July 2021

  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and Ancillary Outbuilding
    LOT 14, 821 GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458NOD issued by a delegate
  • Development of Additions Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling
    108 SIMMONS REEF ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a Dwelling and removal of vegetation
    35 BATES ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2021

  • Development of Additions Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling and Works in an ESO1
    89 Simmons Reef RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2021

  • Development of Additions Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling and Works in an ESO1
    89 Simmons Reef RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and Shed
    LOT 11, 821 GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458NOD issued by a delegate
  • March 2021

  • Development of Additions Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling
    106 Golden Point RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and a Shed
    821 Greenhills RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • January 2021

  • Two (2) Lot Subdivision and Development of a Dwelling
    20 Decker StreetWithdrawn
2020· 12 proposals
  • November 2020

  • Development and Use of a Dwelling and Ancillary Outbuilding
    LOT 10, 821 GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of an Ancillary Outbuilding (Double Garage)
    3 Clarendon StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • October 2020

  • Development of a Dwelling and Removal of Vegetation (2 Trees)
    6 Rayner CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a Shed Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling and Replacement of Sewerage Treatment Plant
    7 Whipstick LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • September 2020

  • Two (2) Lot Subdivision and Development of a Dwelling
    20 Decker StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a Dwelling
    Victoria StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • August 2020

  • Development of a Shed Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling
    6 King StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • July 2020

  • Development and Use of a Dwelling
    GREENHILLS ROAD BLACKWOOD 3458In progress
  • May 2020

  • Alteration to an Existing Dwelling (Roof)
    Byres RoadNOD issued by a delegate
  • April 2020

  • Development of a Dwelling
    Victoria StreetNOD issued by a delegate
  • January 2020

  • Development of a Dam
    Greenhills RoadRefusal issued by a delegate
  • Development of a Shed Ancillary to an Existing Dwelling and Replacement of Sewerage Treatment Plant
    Whipstick LaneNOD issued by a delegate

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • WHEELERS TRAMWAYNH2015

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

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
Hawke
Member of Parliament
Sam RAE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
118,785
Turnout (2025)
91.1%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
0.0 pp

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 42.4%Labor 57.6%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 30.0 km away).

Coalition 33.4%Labor 66.6%

9.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +1.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • BlackwoodLabor 68.1% · Coalition 31.9% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • BallanLabor 58.6% · Coalition 41.4% TPP (2025)13.5 km away
  • MyrniongLabor 47.3% · Coalition 52.7% TPP (2025)15.5 km away
  • Pentland HillsLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)22.0 km away
  • DarleyLabor 56.8% · Coalition 43.2% TPP (2025)22.7 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)
6/10

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 Moorabool Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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