Median house price
$674k
+5.3% change
VIC · Greater Bendigo Council
Marong, 3515
Est. population · Jun 2025
2,159
Growth (1 yr)
+1.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+8.2%
Median age
31
Median income
$1,989/wk
Employment rate
71.8%
Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025
$673,800
Languages at home
3.9%non-English
Most common: Afrikaans, Filipino, Punjabi
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Marong is a quieter smaller community in Greater Bendigo Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.
Property prices are middling for the area: fair relative to what is nearby. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer growth momentum, plus schools and education compared with similar regional towns, though safety, plus community and employment remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Marong snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$475/wk
Population (ERP)
2,159
+1.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.9%
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
#73
among Country & regional · Emerging
Safety
26th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
77th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
44th
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
- 40.1/100 — Average
- National rank
- 3740th in Australia
- State rank
- 745th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #73 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #295 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
- $475
- Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
- $673,800
- Median price change
- +5.3%
Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DFFH rent report and Valuer-General property sales report — Department of Families, Fairness and Housing / Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 4th Quarter 2025; Sep 2025 (council median) · Updated · Quarterly releases; council median rent fallback where suburb rent unavailable
Population
Estimated resident population
2,159(June 2025)
+1.3% annual · +8.2% over 5 years · 77th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.3%
- 5-year growth
- +8.2%
- Change in 1 year
- +27
- Change in 5 years
- +164
- Growth rank in VIC
- 77th 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 (~2,350), extrapolated at +1.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,005
- Median age
- 31
- Median household income / week
- $1,989
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 41 of 695
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,560
- Employment rate
- 71.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 635 / 0 / 0 (+ 14 other)
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.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 67
- Against the person
- 17
- Against property
- 32
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 31
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 118 residents
- State safety percentile
- 26.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +11.7%
Most common offence types
- B21 Criminal Damage9
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft4
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle10
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order10
- Other Crimes Against The Person9
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · 2025 · Updated
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 994
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 44th
School list
- Marong Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 994 · 44th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 235 students · Top SEA quarter 9%View on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
4 public transport stops in this suburb
- Marong/Calder Hwy
- Marong/Calder Hwy
- Marong/Calder Hwy
- Marong/Calder Hwy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 7
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Bendigo Day Surgery (14.1 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 69
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 32.0
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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 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).
20 planning-related records
2021· 5 proposals
July 2021
- Use of the land for a retail premises (Opportunity Shop); display signage and car parking to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority36 TORRENS STREET MARONG 3515Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Construction of an outbuilding466 McKenzie RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
- 4 lot subdivision and removal of an easement2 HILLS ROAD MARONG 3515Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2021
- Construction of a building (Machinery Shed)801 Edwards RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Removal of native treeCATHCART STREET MARONG 3515Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 15 proposals
November 2020
- Redevelopment of existing camping and caravan park, including layout reconfiguration, signage, feature wall landscaping, play ground, swimming pool and demolition and construction of buildings1449 Calder HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Use and development of land for a residential village, removal of native vegetation and alterations of access to road zone category 1 (Amended permit to amend condition 14)1449 Calder HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- 2 lot subdivision of land57 Salvarezza RoadWithdrawn
October 2020
- Construction of a shed10 Parnell StreetNo permit required
September 2020
- Construction of a pergola97 Powers RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Use and development of the land for a dwelling, outbuilding and swimming pool (Amended plans to allow for design change)Lot 2 Allies RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Use and development of the land for a dwelling and alteration and creation of an access to a Road Zone Category 1CA 33 CALDER HIGHWAY MARONG 3515Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Construction of an outbuilding16 Forest DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2020
- Use and develop land for a dwelling. (Amended plans to allow for design changes)578 Harris RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- 81 Lot subdivision (staged); removal of native vegetation (including within road reserve); approval of a development plan; and a 10 year permit life. . (Amendment to permit and plans to reduce number of lots to 79, amend conditions 3f and 16d, and amend subdivision layout plan)23 Goldie StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Construction of a storage shed (Amended plans for changes to location of shed)1181 Calder HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2020
- Extension to existing dwelling and construction of swimming pool751 Edwards RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Construction of a storage shed1181 Calder HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2020
- Boundary realignment (2 lot subdivision)171 Old Bridgewater RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2020
- Use and develop land for a dwelling578 Harris RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · 2020–2022 · Updated · MapServer through FY 2022–23; newer data needs council/API access
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
- 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 10.4 km away).
Coalition 60.5%Labor 39.5%
11.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +39.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- MarongLabor 37.5% · Coalition 62.5% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Maiden GullyLabor 40.4% · Coalition 59.6% TPP (2025)6.3 km away
- LockwoodLabor 45.9% · Coalition 54.1% TPP (2025)6.4 km away
- Kangaroo FlatLabor 50.4% · Coalition 49.6% TPP (2025)9.5 km away
- Sailors GullyLabor 51.9% · Coalition 48.1% TPP (2025)9.8 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
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
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
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.