VIC · Hepburn Council

Hepburn Springs, 3461

Est. population · Jun 2025

374

Growth (1 yr)

+1.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.3%

Median age

58

Median income

$1,232/wk

Employment rate

52.3%

Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025

$750,000

Languages at home

5.7%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

26.9/100
Below average

1139th in VIC

Verified 85% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • Heritage area
  • Café precinct
  • High desirability
What Hepburn Springs is known for: Excellent transport, Education hub, Heritage area, Café precinct, High desirability

Suburb profile

Hepburn Springs is a quieter smaller community in Hepburn Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees. A genuine café and dining culture runs through the area, denser than many peers of a similar size.

Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield. Housing sits above the suburban middle: not the top of the market, but clearly pricier than average.

Reported crime has been rising recently. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because growth momentum trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Hepburn Springs snapshot

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

Median house price

$750k

-22% change

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

374

+1.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

43.3%

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

#326

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

61st

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

71st

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

49th

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
26.9/100 — Below average
National rank
6023rd in Australia
State rank
1139th in VIC
Peer rank
#326 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#627 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
85%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
$750,000
Median price change
-22.1%

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

374(June 2025)

+1.1% annual · +6.3% over 5 years · 71th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+6.3%
Change in 1 year
+4
Change in 5 years
+22
Growth rank in VIC
71th 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 +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
368
Median age
58
Median household income / week
$1,232
Dwelling vacancy
43.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
133 of 307
Median monthly mortgage
$1,387
Employment rate
52.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
157 / 6 / 0 (+ 4 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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)
25
Against the person
4
Against property
17
Rate per 1,000 residents
66.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 92 residents
State safety percentile
60.9th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+31.6%

Most common offence types

  • A212 Non-Fv Serious Assault1
  • B21 Criminal Damage4
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft2
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle7
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order3

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
1,004
Median ICSEA percentile
49th
School list
  • Hepburn Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1001 · 47th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 42 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Daylesford Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1007 · 50th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 417 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

8 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Fifth St/Hepburn Springs Rd
  • Fifth St/Hepburn Springs Rd
  • Fifth St/Hepburn Springs Rd
  • Main Rd/Mineral Springs Cres
  • Mineral Springs Cres/Main Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

15 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 pubs

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access8 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
18/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
2.72
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
8.15
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink(3)
  • Harry's HepburnCafe

    115 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

  • Hepburn Springs Brewing Co.Pub

    12 Forest Avenue, Hepburn Springs

  • Rubens @ HepburnRestaurant

    70 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Sports field
Transport(3)

3 bus stops

Other(6)
  • Portal 108Clothes

    108 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

  • Hepburn Springs General StoreGeneral

    102 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

  • Savoia HotelHotel

    69 Main Road, Hepburn Springs

  • Parking (3)
  • Australia PostPost Box
  • TelstraTelephone

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
1
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
Daylesford Hospital and Nursing Home (2.0 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)
9
Participants per 1,000 residents
24.1

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 (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

3 heritage places

  • FORMER MACARONI FACTORYNH0407
  • MAXWELL CONSOLIDATED QUARTZ GOLD MINENH1760
  • PARMA HOUSENH0608

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

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 overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Ballarat
Member of Parliament
Catherine KING (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,238
Turnout (2025)
93.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 39.3%Labor 60.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 23.9 km away).

Coalition 29.9%Labor 70.1%

9.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.1 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Hepburn SpringsLabor 71.0% · Coalition 29.0% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
  • DaylesfordLabor 69.0% · Coalition 31.0% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
  • GlenlyonLabor 67.3% · Coalition 32.7% TPP (2025)9.9 km away
  • YandoitLabor 63.0% · Coalition 37.0% TPP (2025)12.8 km away
  • NewlynLabor 44.2% · Coalition 55.8% TPP (2025)16.9 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)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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 Hepburn Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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