VIC · Greater Bendigo Council

Harcourt North, 3453

Est. population · Jun 2025

307

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+7.7%

Median age

55

Median income

$2,146/wk

Employment rate

57.7%

University qualified

34.1%

Work from home

33.3%

Languages at home

1.2%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

50.7/100
Average

Top 36% of Victoria's suburbs

Verified 83% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Rural living
What Harcourt North is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Holiday parks, Rural living

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Harcourt North, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Harcourt North, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/harcourt-north

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Suburb profile

Harcourt North is a rural locality in Victoria, in Greater Bendigo Council. It is close to Mount Alexander.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group, and university qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and green cover is an exceptional strength. Rents run above those in comparable places.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising open space and socio-economic advantage 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

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Rents run above those in comparable places

What stands out

  • Mount Alexander

Who it suits

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

Housing, growth and risk

How Harcourt North compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$475/wk

Population (ERP)

307

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

13.7%

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

#98

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

43rd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

68th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

8%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

10/10

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
50.7/100 — Average
State standing
Top 36% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
1851st in Australia
State rank
452nd in VIC
Peer rank
#98 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#170 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
83%

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

307(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +7.7% over 5 years · 68th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+7.7%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+22
Growth rank in VIC
68th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
291
Median age
55
Median household income / week
$2,146
Dwelling vacancy
13.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
17 of 124
Median monthly mortgage
$1,760
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$285
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
51.5% / 40.4% / 8.1%
Employment rate
57.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
33.3% / 0% / 44.2%
Walked or cycled to work
4.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
106 / 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

34.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 12.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified34.1% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified13.5% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational12.7% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below39.7% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Health22.6%
  • Engineering and related technologies16.8%
  • Management and commerce13.5%
  • Society and culture10.3%
  • Education9.7%
  • Natural and physical sciences7.7%
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)
$53,443

50th percentile in VIC · -9% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,210

54th percentile in VIC · -9% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

69th percentile in VIC · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$100,692

78th percentile in VIC · +59% vs Australia

Residents with business income
11.0%

42nd percentile in VIC · +6% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3453 — 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
1,229
Taxpayers reporting net rent
184
Median net rent
-$496
Taxpayers reporting business income
138
Taxable income vs state median
0%
Salary / wages vs state median
+1%
Rental investment vs state median
+15%
Super vs state median
+25%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

8.8% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3.8× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
8.8%

45th percentile in VIC · +283% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
13
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3453

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 3453 (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 Bendigo (SA4 202), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415728
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1213707
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212360
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214285
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 841274
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841969
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841654
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 721133
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841310

Bendigo 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: 147 · AFF share +319% 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

1.2% speak a language other than English at home; 11.2% born overseas

Language at home
250 English only · 3 other
Non-English at home
1.2%
Born overseas
28 (11.2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
4 (1.4%)
Australian citizens
253

Religion

49.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 49.1%, while Christianity accounts for 30.9%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion49.1%38.8%
Christianity30.9%40.9%
Other / not stated19.9%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic10%20.5%
Anglican9.6%6.5%
Uniting Church5.2%2.4%

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 are unchanged compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
14
Against the person
1
Against property
7
Rate per 1,000 residents
45.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 291 residents
State crime-rate percentile
42.8th (higher = more crime)
No change (daily rate)
0%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
20
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
65.15

Most common offence types

  • B51 Forgery And Counterfeiting1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
  • B45 Receiving Or Handling Stolen Goods1
  • B49 Other Theft2
  • C32 Drug Possession3

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
  • Big Hill Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Castlemaine Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Crusoe 7-10 Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Harcourt Valley 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

5 mapped amenities

3 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 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
6.87
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Mount Alexander Regional ParkNature reserve
Wineries & breweries(1)
  • Lome VineyardVineyard
Camping & holiday parks(3)
  • Leanganook Camping AreaCampground

    Harcourt North

  • Picnic GullyCampground
  • Picnic Gully - Mt Alexander Regional ParkCampground

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

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Mount Alexander Regional ParkNature reserve
  • Oak PlantationPark
  • Old Koala ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
23.3%
Woodland / forest cover
23.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
2
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
Mt Alexander Hospital (12.6 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)
9
Participants per 1,000 residents
29.3

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
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).

10 planning-related records

2021· 4 proposals
  • July 2021

  • Development of the land for an outbuilding
    101 FENTON DRIVE HARCOURT NORTH 3453Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • February 2021

  • Buildings and works associated with a detached extension to the existing dwelling
    254 North Harcourt RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of shed (amended plans to allow for design changes)
    486 North Harcourt RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • January 2021

  • Construction of an outbuilding
    594 North Harcourt RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 6 proposals
  • October 2020

  • Use and development of a dwelling
    Lot 2 Bryden RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Extension and alterations to existing dwelling
    37 Moffatt DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • August 2020

  • Construction of a machinery shed (Amendment to permit condition)
    39 Barker RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2020

  • Buildings and works for the construction of a shed
    216 North Harcourt RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a machinery shed
    39 Barker RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • May 2020

  • Construction of shed
    486 North Harcourt RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

5 heritage places

  • BLIGHTS QUARRYNH2127
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • FORMER MOUNT ALEXANDER SILK WORM FARMNH1348

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
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 15.9 km away).

Coalition 35.5%Labor 64.5%

13.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +64.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • HarcourtLabor 58.9% · Coalition 41.1% TPP (2025)5.7 km away
  • Castlemaine NorthLabor 84.8% · Coalition 15.2% TPP (2025)11.5 km away
  • CastlemaineLabor 78.0% · Coalition 22.0% TPP (2025)13.3 km away
  • Big HillLabor 45.6% · Coalition 54.4% TPP (2025)14.1 km away
  • ChewtonLabor 80.8% · Coalition 19.2% TPP (2025)14.1 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
10/10
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.