Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Mount Alexander Council
Elphinstone, 3448
Est. population · Jun 2025
667
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+7.8%
Median age
50
Median income
$1,447/wk
Employment rate
57.1%
Languages at home
3.9%non-English
Most common: Greek
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Heritage area
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- National parks
Suburb profile
Elphinstone is a quieter smaller community in Mount Alexander Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.
Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus community and employment trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Elphinstone snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
667
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
12.9%
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
#260
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
49th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
70th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
62nd
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
- 31.5/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5334th in Australia
- State rank
- 1028th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #260 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #530 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 74%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
667(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +7.8% over 5 years · 70th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +7.8%
- Change in 1 year
- +7
- Change in 5 years
- +48
- Growth rank in VIC
- 70th 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 (~700), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 633
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,447
- Dwelling vacancy
- 12.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 38 of 295
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,594
- Employment rate
- 57.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 253 / 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)
- 34
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 18
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 51
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 158 residents
- State safety percentile
- 48.7th (lower crime is better)
- No change (daily rate)
- 0%
Most common offence types
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle4
- B45 Receiving Or Handling Stolen Goods4
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception3
- C32 Drug Possession5
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order3
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
- 1,036
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 62th
School list
- Elphinstone Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1036 · 62th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 29 students · Top SEA quarter 13%View 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
- Elphinstone Hotel/14 Wright St
- War Memorial/Wright 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
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
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Elphinstone Recreation ReservePark
- Sawpit Gully ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
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
- Mt Alexander Hospital (13.1 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)
- 21
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 31.5
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
- 27° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 115 mm · ~14 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 133 mm · ~17 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 13° / 4°
- Rainfall
- 180 mm · ~22 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 7°
- Rainfall
- 172 mm · ~22 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- Maintenance Works activities occurring between 12/03/2026 and 30/10/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Weekends 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed both directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 60 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.CALDER FREEWAY, THOMPSON STREET11 Mar 2026 – 29 Oct 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Heritage
3 heritage places
- COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
- ELPHINSTONE RAILWAY PRECINCTNH1782
- RAILWAY ROAD BRIDGE (ELPHINSTONE)NH1781
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
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
- Bendigo
- Member of Parliament
- Lisa CHESTERS (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 120,088
- Turnout (2025)
- 94.0%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +51.4 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 48.6%Labor 51.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.4 km away).
Coalition 35.6%Labor 64.3%
12.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +64.3 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- ElphinstoneLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)4.0 km away
- TaradaleLabor 73.1% · Coalition 26.9% TPP (2025)7.3 km away
- ChewtonLabor 80.8% · Coalition 19.2% TPP (2025)8.6 km away
- Castlemaine NorthLabor 84.8% · Coalition 15.2% TPP (2025)12.0 km away
- HarcourtLabor 58.9% · Coalition 41.1% TPP (2025)12.1 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
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Mount Alexander Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.