VIC · Greater Bendigo Council

Emu Creek, 3551

Est. population · Jun 2025

440

Growth (1 yr)

+1.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+11.7%

Median age

45

Median income

$1,963/wk

Employment rate

69.5%

University qualified

31.5%

Work from home

26.8%

Languages at home

0.8%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

51.2/100
Average

Top 34% of Victoria's suburbs

Verified 81% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Leafy
  • Rural living
What Emu Creek is known for: Leafy, Rural living

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Emu Creek, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Emu Creek, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/emu-creek-vic

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Suburb profile

Emu Creek is a rural locality in Victoria, in Greater Bendigo Council.

Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities, and university qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and green cover is an exceptional strength, and population growth is an exceptional strength, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 61% below the peer median. Rents run above those in comparable places.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising socio-economic advantage and university qualifications over lower rents.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Victoria (1828)

Strengths

  • Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Recorded road crashes are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Rents run above those in comparable places

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Emu Creek compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$475/wk

Population (ERP)

440

+1.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

4.6%

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

#88

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

2nd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

86th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

7%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

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
51.2/100 — Average
State standing
Top 34% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
1762nd in Australia
State rank
424th in VIC
Peer rank
#88 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#154 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
81%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
$475

Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

440(June 2025)

+1.9% annual · +11.7% over 5 years · 86th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.9%
5-year growth
+11.7%
Change in 1 year
+8
Change in 5 years
+46
Growth rank in VIC
86th 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 +2.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
376
Median age
45
Median household income / week
$1,963
Dwelling vacancy
4.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
6 of 130
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$320
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
44.3% / 48.9% / 6.9%
Employment rate
69.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
26.8% / 0% / 57.1%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
126 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

31.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 20.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified31.5% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified9.1% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational20.8% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below38.6% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies15.8%
  • Education15.3%
  • Management and commerce14.3%
  • Society and culture12.8%
  • Architecture and building11.7%
  • Health10.7%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$60,154

75th percentile in VIC · +2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,192

69th percentile in VIC · -1% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
12.0%

39th percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$95,748

71st percentile in VIC · +51% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

7th percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3551 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
23,530
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,876
Median net rent
-$1,480
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,137
Taxable income vs state median
+13%
Salary / wages vs state median
+10%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
+19%
Business income vs state median
-18%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

0.8% speak a language other than English at home; 6.1% born overseas

Language at home
364 English only · 3 other
Non-English at home
0.8%
Born overseas
22 (6.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
6 (1.6%)
Australian citizens
361

Religion

49.5%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 49.5%, while 44.9% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion44.9%38.8%
Christianity49.5%40.9%
Other / not stated5.6%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic18.4%20.5%
Anglican11.2%6.5%
Uniting Church7.4%2.4%
Christian (not further defined)3.5%2.5%
Baptist3.2%1.3%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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)
3
Against the person
1
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
6.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 376 residents
State crime-rate percentile
2.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+50%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
8
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
18.18

Most common offence types

  • A212 Non-Fv Serious Assault1
  • B21 Criminal Damage1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

School list
School catchments
  • Bendigo South East 7-10 Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Eppalock Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Strathfieldsaye Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Amenities

2 mapped amenities

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)
  • Emu Creek Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Emu Valley Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (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

  • Emu Creek Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Emu Valley Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
43.3%
Woodland / forest cover
43.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
27°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
St John of God Bendigo Hospital (12.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
15
Participants per 1,000 residents
34.1

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

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 (12%)

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).

14 planning-related records

2021· 6 proposals
  • August 2021

  • Realignment of existing title boundaries, creation of easement on lot 1 and construction of a dwelling on lot 2
    200 RED TANK ROAD EMU CREEK 3551Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2021

  • Development of the land for an outbuilding (carport)
    93 Collins LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2021

  • Construction of shed
    670 Emu Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use and development of land for a dwelling
    LOT 1 JAMES COOK DRIVE EMU CREEK 3551Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • February 2021

  • Use and Development for a dwelling
    LOT 8 HARGREAVES ROAD EMU CREEK 3551Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of an outbuilding
    686 Emu Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 8 proposals
  • December 2020

  • Construction of dwelling and shed (Amended plans to increase depth of garage)
    Lot 4 Collins LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of an outbuilding
    40 Collins LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • November 2020

  • Construction of an outbuilding
    258 Emu Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • September 2020

  • 3 lot subdivision and removal of native vegetation
    136 Kronks LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use and development of land for a dwelling and outbuilding
    138 Collins LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • August 2020

  • Buildings and works for the construction of a patio
    129 Red Tank RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2020

  • Construction of dwelling and shed
    Lot 4 Collins LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2020

  • Construction of an outbuilding and removal of one tree
    142 Red Tank RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood 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 10.1 km away).

Coalition 49.5%Labor 50.5%

0.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +50.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Axe CreekLabor 50.2% · Coalition 49.8% TPP (2025)3.3 km away
  • MandurangLabor 46.6% · Coalition 53.4% TPP (2025)5.3 km away
  • StrathfieldsayeLabor 50.2% · Coalition 49.8% TPP (2025)5.3 km away
  • StrathdaleLabor 50.0% · Coalition 50.0% TPP (2025)8.4 km away
  • Spring GullyLabor 59.7% · Coalition 40.3% TPP (2025)9.0 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)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
10/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Greater Bendigo Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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