suburb.guide

VIC · Swan Hill Council

Happy Valley, 3549

Est. population · Jun 2025

75

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

-1.3%

Median age

39

Median income

$1,312/wk

Employment rate

53.4%

Languages at home

11.7%non-English

Most common: Italian

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Green suburb
  • National parks
What Happy Valley is known for: Green suburb, National parks

Suburb profile

Happy Valley is a quieter smaller community in Swan Hill Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Distance from Melbourne is unmistakable: this is well outside the capital's everyday orbit. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix.

Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Green space punches above what many comparable suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.

Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Property prices are middling for the area: fair relative to what is nearby.

At a glance

Happy Valley snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

75

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

28.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Pop. growth

79th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

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

Population

Estimated resident population

75(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · -1.3% over 5 years · 79th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
-1.3%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
-1
Growth rank in VIC
79th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
75
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$1,312
Dwelling vacancy
28.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
9 of 32
Median monthly mortgage
$1,900
Employment rate
53.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
21 / 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.

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

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(1)
  • Sports field

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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Bumbang I264 Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
24
Parks (OSM)
0

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
Robinvale District Health Services (14.5 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)
1
Participants per 1,000 residents
13.3

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
32° / 15°
Rainfall
70 mm · ~9 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
24° / 10°
Rainfall
78 mm · ~10 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
16° / 5°
Rainfall
90 mm · ~11 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
23° / 9°
Rainfall
100 mm · ~12 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).

9 planning-related records

2021· 4 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Use and Development of Rural Worker¿s Accommodation in the Farming Zone affected by the Environmental Significance Overlay & the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
    169 HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROAD HAPPY VALLEY (ROBINVALE) 3549Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2021

  • Use and Development of a Rural Industry and reduction of car parking in the Farming Zone.
    HOCKING ROAD HAPPY VALLEY (ROBINVALE) 3549Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2021

  • Development of an extension to an existing rural industry
    90 HOCKING ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2021

  • Development associated with existing pump stations in the Public Conservation and Resource Zone affected by Environmental Significance Overlay and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
    HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 5 proposals

  • October 2020

  • Proposed Building and Works (Ancillary to farm use)
    169 HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADWithdrawn

  • July 2020

  • 2 Lot Subdivision (Dwelling Excision)
    127 HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • Subdivision of Land (House Excision) in the Farming Zone affected by Land Subject to Innundation Overlay
    135 HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use and development of a minor utility installation in the Public Conservation and Resource Zone
    HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • February 2020

  • Use and development of a rural store
    117 HAPPY VALLEY LANDING ROADNo permit required

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 overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Mallee
Member of Parliament
Anne WEBSTER (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,604
Turnout (2025)
91.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-0.1 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 69.0%Labor 31.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 71.7 km away).

Coalition 73.8%Labor 26.2%

4.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.7 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • RobinvaleLabor 27.6% · Coalition 72.4% TPP (2025)13.9 km away
  • NangilocLabor 28.3% · Coalition 71.7% TPP (2025)41.1 km away
  • ManangatangLabor 17.5% · Coalition 82.5% TPP (2025)42.4 km away
  • OuyenLabor 18.5% · Coalition 81.5% TPP (2025)55.4 km away
  • Red CliffsLabor 28.6% · Coalition 71.4% TPP (2025)64.9 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)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

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 Swan Hill Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.