VIC · Ararat Council

Moyston, 3377

Est. population · Jun 2025

379

Growth (1 yr)

+0.8%

Growth (5 yr)

-0.3%

Median age

49

Median income

$1,260/wk

Employment rate

53.1%

University qualified

16.1%

Work from home

11.6%

Languages at home

1%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

34.4/100
Below average

1176th in VIC

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Moyston is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Rural living

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Moyston, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Moyston, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/moyston

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Suburb profile

Moyston is a rural locality in Victoria, in Ararat Council.

Local amenities are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on weaker population growth and weaker employment, with population growth 116% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising local amenities and open space over population growth.

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

  • Local amenities are a relative strength
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining
  • Employment is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Moyston compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$200/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

379

+0.8% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

10.4%

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

#376

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

72nd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

62nd

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

5%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

39th

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
34.4/100 — Below average
National rank
5726th in Australia
State rank
1176th in VIC
Peer rank
#376 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#675 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

379(June 2025)

+0.8% annual · -0.3% over 5 years · 62th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
-0.3%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
-1
Growth rank in VIC
62th 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 +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
403
Median age
49
Median household income / week
$1,260
Dwelling vacancy
10.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
18 of 173
Median monthly mortgage
$1,083
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$200
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
50% / 44.6% / 5.4%
Employment rate
53.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.6% / 0% / 66.9%
Walked or cycled to work
8.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
152 / 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

16.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 22% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified16.1% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified12.4% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational22% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below49.4% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Health17.2%
  • Engineering and related technologies15.6%
  • Education14.4%
  • Management and commerce14.4%
  • Agriculture and environment9.4%
  • Society and culture7.2%
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)
$50,878

38th percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$57,217

43rd percentile in VIC · -12% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
9.0%

17th percentile in VIC · -35% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$68,032

33rd percentile in VIC · +7% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

16th percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3377 — 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
5,224
Taxpayers reporting net rent
485
Median net rent
-$112
Taxpayers reporting business income
448
Taxable income vs state median
-5%
Salary / wages vs state median
-2%
Rental investment vs state median
-31%
Super vs state median
-15%
Business income vs state median
-18%

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

18.6% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 8.1× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
18.6%

62nd percentile in VIC · +709% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
32
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3377

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers25

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 3377 (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 North West (SA4 215), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12132,133
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,933
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415800
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214769
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412685
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211504
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419195
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8416194
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841319
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

North West 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: 172 · AFF share +786% 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% speak a language other than English at home; 10.7% born overseas

Language at home
383 English only · 4 other
Non-English at home
1%
Born overseas
41 (10.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
3 (0.7%)
Australian citizens
366

Religion

50.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 50.1%, while Christianity accounts for 42.4%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion50.1%38.8%
Christianity42.4%40.9%
Other / not stated7.4%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic17.4%20.5%
Anglican9.9%6.5%
Uniting Church7.4%2.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.5%1.4%

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 increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
34
Against the person
3
Against property
20
Rate per 1,000 residents
89.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 134 residents
State crime-rate percentile
71.9th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+9.7%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
16
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
42.22

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage7
  • B322 Non-Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary3
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order7
  • A231 Fv Common Assault2
  • B49 Other Theft3

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

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
983
Median ICSEA percentile
39th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
  • Moyston Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 983 · 39th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 31 students · Top SEA quarter 6%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Ararat Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Ararat West Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Maroona Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Moyston Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Pomonal Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Stawell Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

Public transport

1 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Moyston - Dunkeld Rd/Ararat - Pomonal Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

11 mapped amenities

1 wineries

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
2/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.48
Sport & outdoors(10)
  • Jallukar Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Lennox Springs Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Masons Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Mount William Creek Streamside ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston Common Natural Features ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston Flora ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston I77 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston Rifle Range Natural Features ReserveNature reserve
  • Pollands Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Rocky Point Bushland ReserveNature reserve
Wineries & breweries(1)
  • Clayfield WinesWinery

    25 Wilde Lane

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

6 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Lennox Springs Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Mount William Creek Streamside ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston Flora ReserveNature reserve
  • Moyston I77 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Pollands Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Rocky Point Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.5%
Woodland / forest cover
0.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
1
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
East Grampians Health Service (17.4 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)
6
Participants per 1,000 residents
15.8

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
102 mm · ~13 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 8°
Rainfall
138 mm · ~17 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 4°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 7°
Rainfall
169 mm · ~21 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).

15 planning-related records

2021· 9 proposals
  • September 2021

  • Removal of existing dwelling & development of a dwelling and pool
    697 REDMAN ROAD MOYSTON 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a Dwelling across two stages and building and works for a Machinery Shed
    2406 ARARAT HALLS GAP RD POMONAL 3381Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • August 2021

  • Demolition of existing Dwelling and buildings and works for a new dwelling and shed;
    CRN POLLANDS AND ARARAT-HALLS GAP ROAD MOYSTON 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Re-alignment of Boundaries (5 parcels)
    ARARAT-HALLS GAP ROAD MOYSTON 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • July 2021

  • Use and Development for Stone Extraction.
    69 BARTON ROAD MOYSTON 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2021

  • Boundary reconfiguration of 10 parcels
    864 ROCKY POINT ROAD MOYSTON 3377Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • May 2021

  • Extension to Existing Dwelling
    23 Bolton RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2021

  • Construction of a Dam
    Ararat-Halls Gap RdPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2021

  • Use & Development of a Single Dwelling
    Wilde LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 6 proposals
  • November 2020

  • Construction of a farm storage shed
    Londonderry RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • October 2020

  • 2 Lot Subdivision
    Ararat-Halls Gap RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of Farm Shed in the Significant Landscape Overlay
    111 Moyston West RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • September 2020

  • Use and development for dwelling and outbuildings
    11 Lovells LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2020

  • Buildings and Works for Club House / Club Rooms
    2 Moyston-Great Western RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2020

  • Building and works on land less than 40ha in Farming Zone and within 100m of a waterway
    108 Moyston-Great Western RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • LEXINGTONNH0258

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
Overlay applies
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
Wannon
Member of Parliament
Dan TEHAN (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,788
Turnout (2025)
94.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 60.9%Labor 39.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 55.0 km away).

Coalition 55.9%Labor 44.1%

5.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +44.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • MoystonLabor 44.5% · Coalition 55.5% TPP (2025)3.3 km away
  • Ararat WestLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)15.4 km away
  • AraratLabor 41.3% · Coalition 58.7% TPP (2025)16.3 km away
  • WillauraLabor 26.8% · Coalition 73.2% TPP (2025)29.8 km away
  • GlenthompsonLabor 26.2% · Coalition 73.8% TPP (2025)44.0 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)
5/10
IRSD decile (2021)
5/10

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 Ararat Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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