Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · East Gippsland Council
Forge Creek, 3875
Est. population · Jun 2025
360
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+5.9%
Median age
45
Median income
$1,863/wk
Employment rate
61.2%
Languages at home
3.5%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In East Gippsland Council, Forge Creek keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, 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. Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Desirability sits below average overall, with growth momentum the main drag compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Forge Creek snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
360
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
18.3%
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
#336
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
42nd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
72nd
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
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
- 26.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6120th in Australia
- State rank
- 1154th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #336 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #639 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 52%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
360(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +5.9% over 5 years · 72th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +5.9%
- Change in 1 year
- +4
- Change in 5 years
- +20
- Growth rank in VIC
- 72th 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 (~400), extrapolated at +1.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 346
- Median age
- 45
- Median household income / week
- $1,863
- Dwelling vacancy
- 18.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 23 of 126
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,517
- Employment rate
- 61.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 100 / 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)
- 16
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 44.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 173 residents
- State safety percentile
- 42th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +14.3%
Most common offence types
- A232 Non-Fv Common Assault2
- B49 Other Theft2
- C32 Drug Possession2
- E19 Other Justice Procedures Offences2
- E23 Breach Bail Conditions2
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
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bairnsdale Flora ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (11.2 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)
- 10
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 27.8
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
- 24° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 187 mm · ~23 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 190 mm · ~24 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 15° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 188 mm · ~24 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 9°
- Rainfall
- 218 mm · ~27 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· 1 proposal
July 2021
- Three lot rural subdivision (boundary realignment)40 RIDGEWAY LANE FORGE CREEK 3875Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 5 proposals
December 2020
- Buildings and works for the purpose of extending a building used for accommodation298A Cranswick RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- Use of land for Low Density Mobile Outdoor Poultry Farming940 Forge Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2020
- Buildings and works for an outbuilding and additions to an existing dwelling3/571 Barkhill RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2020
- Use of land for Grazing Animal Production (Free range eggs)30 Cranswick RoadWithdrawn
March 2020
- Use and development of a dwelling and native vegetation removal222 Wattle Point 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
- 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
- Gippsland
- Member of Parliament
- Darren CHESTER (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 118,075
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.0%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.2 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 69.4%Labor 30.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 12.9 km away).
Coalition 67.9%Labor 32.1%
1.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Newlands ArmLabor 32.7% · Coalition 67.3% TPP (2025)7.3 km away
- Eagle PointLabor 31.8% · Coalition 68.2% TPP (2025)7.4 km away
- PaynesvilleLabor 39.8% · Coalition 60.2% TPP (2025)10.0 km away
- Bairnsdale WestLabor 34.7% · Coalition 65.3% TPP (2025)11.5 km away
- BairnsdaleLabor 27.7% · Coalition 72.3% TPP (2025)11.6 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)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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 East Gippsland Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.