Median house price
$423k
-18% change
VIC · Latrobe Council
Boolarra, 3870
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,052
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.7%
Median age
50
Median income
$1,200/wk
Employment rate
49.3%
Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025
$422,500
Languages at home
3.9%non-English
Most common: Arabic, German
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Boolarra is a regional smaller community in Latrobe Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Melbourne. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
The overall desirability read is below average, pulled by softer growth momentum, plus community and employment compared with similar regional towns, though safety remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Boolarra snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$390/wk
Population (ERP)
1,052
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
12.4%
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
#140
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
23rd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
73rd
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
25th
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
- 39.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3950th in Australia
- State rank
- 788th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #140 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #328 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
- $390
- Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
- $422,500
- Median price change
- -18%
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DFFH rent report and Valuer-General property sales report — Department of Families, Fairness and Housing / Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 4th Quarter 2025; Sep 2025 (council median) · Updated · Quarterly releases; council median rent fallback where suburb rent unavailable
Population
Estimated resident population
1,052(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +4.7% over 5 years · 73th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +4.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +12
- Change in 5 years
- +47
- Growth rank in VIC
- 73th 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 (~1,100), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,023
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,200
- Dwelling vacancy
- 12.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 57 of 460
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,083
- Employment rate
- 49.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 397 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 30
- Against the person
- 6
- Against property
- 17
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 28.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 170 residents
- State safety percentile
- 23.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -6.3%
Most common offence types
- A231 Fv Common Assault2
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft6
- B49 Other Theft5
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order5
- Other Crimes Against The Person2
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · 2025 · Updated
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 951
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 25th
School list
- Boolarra Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 951 · 25th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 28 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 0.2 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
2 public transport stops in this suburb
- Boolarra Terminus/Tarwin St
- Limonite St/Bastin St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
30 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 1 pubs · 3 places of worship · 1 playgrounds · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 3 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 7/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.98
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.96
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.93
Food & drink(2)
- Cafe
- Boolarra Community HotelPub
Shopping(1)
- Boolarra Top ShopConvenience store
Community(2)
- Boolarra Primary SchoolSchool
49-51 Tarwin Street
- Boolarra & District Memorial HallTownhall
Sport & outdoors(7)
- Boolarra Memorial ParkPark
- Park
- Railway ParkPark
- Picnic area
- Playground
- Boolarra Skate ParkSports field
- Sports field
Entertainment(1)
- Boolarra Old School MuseumMuseum
Transport(2)
2 bus stops
Other(14)
- Boolarra Community HotelCamp Site
- Drinking water
- Boolarra CFAFire station
- Boolarra Railway StationInformation
- Parking
- Glory To The KingPlace of worship
- Place of worship (2)
- Boolarra Police StationPolice
- Post Box
- Boolarra LPOPost office
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Telephone
- Boolarra BMX trackTrack
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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Boolarra Memorial ParkPark
- Railway ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 9
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
3 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Glory To The King
- Place of worship (2)
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Maryvale Private Hospital (22.6 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 39
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 37.1
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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 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).
4 planning-related records
2021· 2 proposals
August 2021
- Use and development of land for a dwelling and ancillary outbuildingPIGGERY ROAD BOOLARRA 3870Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
- Use of land for a shop (pharmacy), display of business identification signage and waiver of car parking requirements7 CHRISTIAN STREET BOOLARRA 3870Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 2 proposals
November 2020
- Two (2) Lot Subdivision of land in the Township Zone (TZ) and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (LSIO)2760 Monash WayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
October 2020
- Development of land with a dwelling and removal of native vegetation6 Brights RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 2020–2022 · Updated · MapServer through FY 2022–23; newer data needs council/API access
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 overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Gippsland
- Member of Parliament
- Darren CHESTER (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 118,075
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.0%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.2 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 69.4%Labor 30.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 24.7 km away).
Coalition 61.0%Labor 39.0%
8.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -1.5 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- BoolarraLabor 38.9% · Coalition 61.1% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
- YinnarLabor 38.2% · Coalition 61.8% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
- ChurchillLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)14.4 km away
- Churchill CentralLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)14.7 km away
- Hazelwood NorthLabor 33.9% · Coalition 66.1% TPP (2025)19.5 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Latrobe Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.