VIC · Unincorporated Vic Council

French Island, 3921

Est. population · Jun 2025

133

Growth (1 yr)

-3.6%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

51

Median income

$1,015/wk

Employment rate

45.5%

University qualified

26.8%

Work from home

42.1%

Languages at home

12.7%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Beach
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
What French Island is known for: Beach, Green suburb, National parks, Agricultural, Holiday parks

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French Island, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “French Island, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 22 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/french-island

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Suburb profile

French Island is a semi-rural locality near Melbourne, in Unincorporated Vic. It is close to the Philip Island and the island. Notable landmarks include Tankerton Jetty and Western Port.

Local amenities are a relative strength. Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked semi-rural and lifestyle localities. Working from home is a very strong feature of the suburb, with working from home 74% above the peer median, and university qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 30% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Employment is a relative weakness, with employment 26% below the peer median.

Overall, French Island suits people prioritising open space and local amenities over employment.

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

Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in Victoria (228)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Working from home is a relative strength
  • Local amenities are a relative strength
  • University qualifications are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Employment is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • French Island Beach
  • Micks Beach
  • Philip Island
  • Island
  • Tankerton Jetty
  • Western Port

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How French Island compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$346/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

133

-3.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

53.3%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Pop. growth

0th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

0%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

36th

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

Population

Estimated resident population

133(June 2025)

-3.6% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 0th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-3.6%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
-5
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in VIC
0th 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 (~150), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
141
Median age
51
Median household income / week
$1,015
Dwelling vacancy
53.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
65 of 122
Median monthly mortgage
$1,800
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$346
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
80.9% / 19.1% / 0%
Employment rate
45.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
42.1% / 7% / 29.8%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
56 / 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

26.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 10.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified26.8% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified8.1% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational10.6% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below54.5% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies20.8%
  • Society and culture18.9%
  • Management and commerce17%
  • Architecture and building11.3%
  • Health9.4%
  • Information technology9.4%
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)
$40,845

4th percentile in VIC · -30% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$55,925

38th percentile in VIC · -14% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

68th percentile in VIC · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$80,012

49th percentile in VIC · +26% vs Australia

Residents with business income
23.0%

100th percentile in VIC · +121% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3921 — 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
71
Taxpayers reporting net rent
11
Median net rent
$12,399
Taxpayers reporting business income
16
Taxable income vs state median
-23%
Salary / wages vs state median
-4%
Rental investment vs state median
+15%
Super vs state median
-1%
Business income vs state median
+109%

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

Seasonal & agricultural work

36.8% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 16.0× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
36.8%

82nd percentile in VIC · +1500% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
21
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3921

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers16

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 3921 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Latrobe - Gippsland (SA4 205), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12135,481
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415940
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212417
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214382
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211370
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412228
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419184
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413112
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841624
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Latrobe - Gippsland is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 57 · AFF share +1652% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

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

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

12.7% speak a language other than English at home; 15.3% born overseas

Language at home
110 English only · 16 other
Non-English at home
12.7%
Born overseas
18 (15.3%)
Australian citizens
118

Religion

63.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 63.1%, while Christianity accounts for 22.7%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion63.1%38.8%
Christianity22.7%40.9%
Other / not stated14.2%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic12.1%20.5%

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

Offence counts & rates
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
6
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
45.11

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

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
977
Median ICSEA percentile
36th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
1
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Perseverance Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 977 · 36th percentile · Top SEA quarter 0%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Perseverance Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Western Port Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

Amenities

18 mapped amenities

7 beaches · 2 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
7.09
Sport & outdoors(16)
  • Beach (6)
  • Micks BeachBeach
  • French Island (east) Reference AreaNature reserve
  • French Island (north) Reference AreaNature reserve
  • French Island G230 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • French Island Marine National ParkNature reserve
  • French Island National ParkNature reserve
  • Western Port Coastal Reserve (COM)Nature reserve
  • Western Port Intertidal Coastal ReserveNature reserve
  • Old Coast Road TrackWalking trail
  • West Coast Wetlands TrackWalking trail
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Chateau BaudinCampground
  • Fairhaven CampsiteCampground

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

4 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • French Island (east) Reference AreaNature reserve
  • French Island (north) Reference AreaNature reserve
  • French Island G230 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • French Island Recreational ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
4.7%
Woodland / forest cover
4.6%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
21
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
24°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
The Bays Hospital (16.1 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

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° / 13°
Rainfall
155 mm · ~19 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 11°
Rainfall
186 mm · ~23 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 6°
Rainfall
203 mm · ~25 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 9°
Rainfall
207 mm · ~26 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).

2 planning-related records

2020· 2 proposals
  • July 2020

  • Application to amend endorsed plans and to extend time of permit expiry.
    290 Mt Wellington RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2020

  • use and development of a camping and caravan park, associated vegetation removal and works in accordance with the plans.
    20 FARM ROAD FRENCH ISLAND 3921Refusal issued by a delegate

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
Flinders
Member of Parliament
Zoe McKENZIE (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,540
Turnout (2025)
93.4%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 54.8%Labor 45.2%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 23.3 km away).

Coalition 48.6%Labor 51.4%

6.2 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Crib PointLabor 51.6% · Coalition 48.4% TPP (2025)16.5 km away
  • BitternLabor 53.4% · Coalition 46.6% TPP (2025)19.0 km away
  • Hastings WestLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)19.1 km away
  • HastingsLabor 50.3% · Coalition 49.7% TPP (2025)19.7 km away
  • SomersLabor 64.9% · Coalition 35.1% TPP (2025)20.0 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)
6/10
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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Unincorporated Vic Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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