Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Alpine Council
Buffalo River, 3737
Est. population · Jun 2025
281
Growth (1 yr)
+0.7%
Growth (5 yr)
+1.8%
Median age
54
Median income
$1,421/wk
Employment rate
59.1%
Languages at home
7.8%non-English
Most common: Italian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- River access
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Alpine Council, Buffalo River keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice.
Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Homes are neither a bargain nor a premium buy against the wider market.
Reported crime has been rising recently. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because local dining and lifestyle amenities trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Buffalo River snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
281
+0.7% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.9%
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
#223
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
9th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
60th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
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
- 33.5/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4956th in Australia
- State rank
- 957th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #223 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #471 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 62%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
281(June 2025)
+0.7% annual · +1.8% over 5 years · 60th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.7%
- 5-year growth
- +1.8%
- Change in 1 year
- +2
- Change in 5 years
- +5
- Growth rank in VIC
- 60th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 285
- Median age
- 54
- Median household income / week
- $1,421
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 10 of 127
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 59.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 112 / 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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 4
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 14.2
- State safety percentile
- 8.9th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +100%
Most common offence types
- B21 Criminal Damage2
- B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
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
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
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
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Myrtleford Memorial Hospital (14.6 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)
- 5
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 17.8
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
- 20° / 9°
- Rainfall
- 232 mm · ~29 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 14° / 5°
- Rainfall
- 299 mm · ~37 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 5° / -1°
- Rainfall
- 420 mm · ~52 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 12° / 3°
- Rainfall
- 345 mm · ~43 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).
6 planning-related records
2021· 3 proposals
August 2021
- Use and Buildings and Works for the Construction of a Dwelling, and Alteration of Access to a Road in a Road Zone - Category 1.650 BUFFALO RIVER RD BUFFALO RIVER 3737Refusal issued by the Resp. Authority
May 2021
- Buildings and Works RHIANNON VICSMART1237 BUFFALO RIVER RDPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2021
- Buildings and Works642 BUFFALO RIVER RDPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 3 proposals
December 2020
- Mobile Chicken Coop VICSMART ALISON650 BUFFALO RIVER RDPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- Buildings and Works for the Construction of an Outbuilding ALISON716 BUFFALO RIVER RDPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2020
- Buildings and Works for the Construction of a Dwelling, and the creation of access to a road in a Road Zone Category 1Lot 1 Buffalo River 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
- Overlay applies
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
- Indi
- Member of Parliament
- Helen HAINES (Independent)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 120,774
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.4 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 56.7%Labor 43.3%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 28.2 km away).
Coalition 60.2%Labor 39.8%
3.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.7 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- MyrtlefordLabor 45.0% · Coalition 55.0% TPP (2025)12.2 km away
- GapstedLabor 34.6% · Coalition 65.4% TPP (2025)16.4 km away
- WhoroulyLabor 26.3% · Coalition 73.7% TPP (2025)17.8 km away
- PorepunkahLabor 52.6% · Coalition 47.4% TPP (2025)22.9 km away
- MudgegongaLabor 33.5% · Coalition 66.5% TPP (2025)23.6 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)
- 6/10
- 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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Alpine Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.