VIC · South Gippsland Council

Dumbalk, 3956

Est. population · Jun 2025

466

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+3.6%

Median age

48

Median income

$1,108/wk

Employment rate

53.5%

Languages at home

2.9%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.2/100
Average

673rd in VIC

Verified 62% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • High desirability
What Dumbalk is known for: Green suburb, High desirability

Suburb profile

Dumbalk offers a slower smaller community life in South Gippsland Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting.

Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Green space punches above what many regional towns offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.

Purchase and rent costs sit on the more affordable side of the local range. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads around average on desirability, chiefly because growth momentum trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Dumbalk snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

466

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

7.1%

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

#94

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

47th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

58th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

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
42.2/100 — Average
National rank
3372nd in Australia
State rank
673rd in VIC
Peer rank
#94 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#241 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
62%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

466(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +3.6% over 5 years · 58th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+3.6%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+16
Growth rank in VIC
58th 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 (~500), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
455
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,108
Dwelling vacancy
7.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
14 of 197
Median monthly mortgage
$1,278
Employment rate
53.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
181 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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)
23
Against the person
6
Against property
8
Rate per 1,000 residents
49.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 76 residents
State safety percentile
47.1th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+9.5%

Most common offence types

  • A211 Fv Serious Assault2
  • A731 Fv Threatening Behaviour2
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft2
  • B49 Other Theft3
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order8

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

7 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 cafes

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
2/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
2.2
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
2.2
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.2
Food & drink(1)
  • On the Way CafeCafe
Shopping(1)
  • General StoreConvenience store
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Dumbalk Memorial ParkPark
  • Sports field
Other(3)
  • Dumbalk CFAFire station
  • Public toilets
  • Telephone

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Dumbalk Memorial ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
198
Parks (OSM)
1

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Leongatha Memorial Hospital (14.0 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)
11
Participants per 1,000 residents
23.6

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
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 normalsWorldClim 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· 2 proposals
  • May 2021

  • Develop land with Dependant Persons Unit (DPU) and outbuilding
    500 MEENIYAN-MIRBOO NORTH ROAD DUMBALK 3956Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • January 2021

  • Develop land with a replacement dwelling
    60 GOOLEYS LANE DUMBALK 3956Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 4 proposals
  • December 2020

  • Develop land with an agricultural building (dairy shed)
    70 Dollar RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • November 2020

  • Develop land with an extension to an existing dwelling
    220 Mardan-Dumbalk RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2020

  • Develop land with a replacement dwelling
    365 Dollar RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2020

  • Development of land for an agricultural outbuilding
    240 Dollar 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 overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Monash
Member of Parliament
Mary ALDRED (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,463
Turnout (2025)
93.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.2 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 54.1%Labor 45.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 16.4 km away).

Coalition 65.8%Labor 34.2%

11.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.2 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • DumbalkLabor 33.0% · Coalition 67.0% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • MeeniyanLabor 37.5% · Coalition 62.5% TPP (2025)10.9 km away
  • NerrenaLabor 27.2% · Coalition 72.8% TPP (2025)10.9 km away
  • Mirboo NorthLabor 48.9% · Coalition 51.1% TPP (2025)14.2 km away
  • Leongatha EastLabor 42.6% · Coalition 57.4% TPP (2025)15.2 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)
3/10
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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in South Gippsland Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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