Kangaroo Flat is a major regional centre in Victoria, in Greater Bendigo Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Kangaroo Flat Railway Station Complex.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Childcare access is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres. Green cover is an exceptional strength. Crime remains above typical levels but is improving. Reported offences have fallen 16% year on year. The clearer weaknesses are lower socio-economic advantage and higher rents.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising childcare and daily services over socio-economic advantage.
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
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Victoria (187)
Strengths
Childcare access is a relative strength
Green cover is a relative strength
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Weaknesses
Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median
Median rents are a relative weakness
What stands out
Kangaroo Flat Railway Station Complex
Crime remains above typical levels but is improving
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★★☆☆☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★★★☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Kangaroo Flat compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$602k
+13% change
Median rent
$475/wk
Population (ERP)
11,532
+0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.6%
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
#34
among Country & regional · Established
Crime rate
78th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
44th
percentile in VIC
Rented dwellings
29%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
31st
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
51.0/100 — Average
State standing
Top 35% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
1801st in Australia
State rank
440th in VIC
Peer rank
#34 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#163 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
99%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
All types (Sep 2025)
$475
Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
$601,500
Median price change
+13%
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
+0.0% annual · +2.1% over 5 years · 44th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.0%
5-year growth
+2.1%
Change in 1 year
+5
Change in 5 years
+235
Growth rank in VIC
44th 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 (~12,050), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
11,328
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,144
Dwelling vacancy
5.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
278 of 4,939
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$285
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
39.8% / 31.3% / 28.8%
Employment rate
48.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.6% / 1.3% / 73.7%
Walked or cycled to work
1.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
4,176 / 436 / 42
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.
12.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 20.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified12.9% · 29.2% VIC
Diploma qualified8.1% · 9.8% VIC
Trade / vocational20.3% · 14.2% VIC
Year 12 or below58.8% · 46.8% VIC
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies17.5%
Society and culture16.7%
Management and commerce15.6%
Health14.5%
Education10.5%
Architecture and building7.8%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 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)
$53,462
51st percentile in VIC · -9% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$58,302
49th percentile in VIC · -10% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
9.0%
14th percentile in VIC · -35% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$63,003
27th percentile in VIC · 0% vs Australia
Residents with business income
8.0%
5th percentile in VIC · -23% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3555 — 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
11,984
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,055
Median net rent
-$779
Taxpayers reporting business income
962
Taxable income vs state median
0%
Salary / wages vs state median
0%
Rental investment vs state median
-31%
Super vs state median
-22%
Business income vs state median
-27%
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
Community & culture
8.6% speak a language other than English at home; 11.9% born overseas
Language at home
9,577 English only · 899 other
Non-English at home
8.6%
Born overseas
1,257 (11.9%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
281 (2.5%)
Australian citizens
10,042
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
27
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Punjabi51 · 20.2%
Mandarin26 · 10.3%
Tagalog19 · 7.5%
Vietnamese18 · 7.1%
Hindi13 · 5.2%
Filipino12 · 4.8%
Gujarati10 · 4%
Greek9 · 3.6%
Religion
44%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 44%, while Christianity accounts for 43.3%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
44%
38.8%
Christianity
43.3%
40.9%
Other / not stated
12.7%
20.3%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
16%
20.5%
Anglican
11.6%
6.5%
Uniting Church
5.5%
2.4%
Baptist
3.2%
1.3%
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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
1,231
Against the person
216
Against property
593
Rate per 1,000 residents
106.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 52 residents
State crime-rate percentile
77.5th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+0.8%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
271
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
23.5
Most common offence types
B21 Criminal Damage92
B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle74
B43 Steal From A Retail Store156
B49 Other Theft90
E21 Breach Family Violence Order216
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Bendigo Special Developmental SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 940 · 21th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 167 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
St Monica's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1032 · 61th percentile · LBOTE 24% · 284 students · Top SEA quarter 14% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Crusoe 7-10 Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 966 · 31th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 925 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Big Hill Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Crusoe 7-10 Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Kangaroo Flat Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Spring Gully 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
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
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
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
Places of worship
5 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Enjoy Church
10 Phillips Drive
Kangaroo Flat Baptist Church
32-38 Church Street
Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church
10 Camp Street
St Mary's Anglican Church
193-195 High Street
St Monica's Catholic Church
97 High Street
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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.
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%)
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
103 planning-related records
2021· 40 proposals
August 2021
Construction of a Patio
2 KARULA CLOSE KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Partial demolition, extension to an existing dwelling, replacement of pool fence and removal of four non-native plants
39-41 CRUSOE ROAD KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Subdivide land into 13 lots and construction of 5 dwellings (Amended plans for design changes)
17 ELDRIDGE COURT KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Removal of vegetation and construction of a dwelling (Amended plans to allow for revised setback)
303-305 MACKENZIE STREET WEST KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of dwelling (Amended plans for design changes)
32 FURNESS STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
3 Lot Subdivision and Removal of Native Vegetation
14 FAIRVIEW ROAD KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling extension, covered deck area and fence
66 CRUSOE ROAD KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2021
Construction of a Dependant Persons Unit and Outbuilding
11 STATION STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Development of the land for a dwelling
18 ROBERT STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling (Amended plans for design changes)
10 Cannon LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Installation of animated signage
134 HIGH STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Lapsed
Construction of 3 dwellings
6 RAILWAY STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling
22 ROBERT STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
Development of the land for an outbuilding (shed)
37 Stanley CrescentNo permit required
Use of land for a restricted recreation facility (24 hour fitness centre) and display of business identification signage
6A/239-249 HIGH STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Display business identification signage
134-136 High StreetNo permit required
May 2021
Construction and display of an electronic promotion sky sign
148-152 HIGH STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Refusal issued by the Resp. Authority
7 lot subdivision, creation of an easement and removal of native vegetation (amendment to extent of vegetation approved for removal)
165-175 Olympic ParadeWithdrawn
Construction of a dwelling
20 Eldridge CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling
41 Railway StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Subdivide land into 2 lots and construct a dwelling (Amendment to plans for design changes)
5 Page CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of three dwellings on a lot
7 ALEXANDER STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2021
Construction of a Dwelling
157 Crusoe RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a convenience restaurant; display advertising signage; and reduction in car parking requirements
267A HIGH STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling
33 VICTORIA AVENUE KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
3 lot subdivision and construction of 3 warehouses
39 COLLINS STREET KANGAROO FLAT 3555Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2021
Construction of a Dwelling
17 Tununga CircuitPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Buildings and works for the construction of a dwelling
12 Robert StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a Dwelling
7 Alpina PlacePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Development of a Second Dwelling on a Lot and 2 Lot Subdivision
4 Bowles StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of an outbuilding
26 Needlewood DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2 lot subdivision
5766-5770 Calder HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of 3 dwellings
6 Railway StreetLapsed
Construction of a building (motor repairs) and waiver of parking spaces
39 Fairview RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2021
Development of the land for two (2) dwellings
7 Douglas StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Development of the land for a dwelling
2 Cortland ClosePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of two dwellings, creation of a party wall easement and two lot subdivision (Amended plans to allow for design changes)
10 Potters LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Display an illuminated panel sign and electronic sign (amendment to allow operation of the electronic sign until 10:00PM)
20-22 Phillips DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling
82 Furness StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a dwelling
10 Cannon LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
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 5.3 km away).
Coalition 46.0%Labor 54.0%
2.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Kangaroo FlatLabor 50.4% · Coalition 49.6% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
Big HillLabor 45.6% · Coalition 54.4% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
Golden SquareLabor 60.4% · Coalition 39.6% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
Spring GullyLabor 59.7% · Coalition 40.3% TPP (2025)4.3 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.
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%)