suburb.guide

VIC · Ararat Council

Cathcart, 3377

Est. population · Jun 2025

104

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

53

Median income

$1,899/wk

Employment rate

55.9%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • National parks
What Cathcart is known for: National parks

Suburb profile

In Ararat Council, Cathcart keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Distance from Melbourne is unmistakable: this is well outside the capital's everyday orbit. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life.

Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.

Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

At a glance

Cathcart snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

104

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

8.9%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

35th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

67th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

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

104(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 67th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in VIC
67th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
110
Median age
53
Median household income / week
$1,899
Dwelling vacancy
8.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
4 of 45
Median monthly mortgage
$1,315
Employment rate
55.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
35 / 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 are unchanged compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
4
Against the person
3
Against property
1
Rate per 1,000 residents
38.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 37 residents
State safety percentile
35.3th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+0.3%

Most common offence types

  • A722 Non-Fv Harassment And Private Nuisance1
  • A89 Other Dangerous Or Negligent Acts Endangering People1
  • B19 Other Fire Related Offences1
  • Other Crimes Against The Person1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool

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

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Crochan Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
East Grampians Health Service (6.0 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)
2
Participants per 1,000 residents
19.2

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
27° / 12°
Rainfall
102 mm · ~13 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 8°
Rainfall
138 mm · ~17 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 4°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 7°
Rainfall
169 mm · ~21 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).

3 planning-related records

2021· 1 proposal

  • July 2021

  • Building and Works in a Rural Zone - replacement dwelling
    59 REID ROAD CATHCART 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 2 proposals

  • September 2020

  • Building and Works for construction of a Shed in a Rural Zone
    3 Deenicull Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • January 2020

  • Use and development of a dwelling and assocated shedding
    Better Route RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

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
Wannon
Member of Parliament
Dan TEHAN (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,788
Turnout (2025)
94.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 60.9%Labor 39.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 46.6 km away).

Coalition 55.0%Labor 45.0%

5.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +45.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Ararat WestLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
  • AraratLabor 41.3% · Coalition 58.7% TPP (2025)5.5 km away
  • MoystonLabor 44.5% · Coalition 55.5% TPP (2025)10.3 km away
  • WillauraLabor 26.8% · Coalition 73.2% TPP (2025)28.6 km away
  • ElmhurstLabor 25.6% · Coalition 74.4% TPP (2025)35.8 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)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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 Ararat Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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