suburb.guide

VIC · Surf Coast Council

Pennyroyal, 3235

Est. population · Jun 2025

105

Growth (1 yr)

+1.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+10.5%

Median age

47

Median income

$1,916/wk

Employment rate

62%

University qualified

41.9%

Work from home

56.4%

Languages at home

5.9%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Rural living
What Pennyroyal is known for: Rural living

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Pennyroyal, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Pennyroyal, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/pennyroyal

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Suburb profile

Pennyroyal is a rural locality in Victoria, in Surf Coast Council.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, with local amenities 100% above the peer median. Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group, and university qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and working from home is an exceptional strength, and population growth is an exceptional strength.

Overall, Pennyroyal suits people prioritising open space and 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

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
  • Working from home is a relative strength
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

No relative weaknesses against comparable places.

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Pennyroyal compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$150/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

105

+1.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

17.8%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

53rd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

87th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

10%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

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

Population

Estimated resident population

105(June 2025)

+1.9% annual · +10.5% over 5 years · 87th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.9%
5-year growth
+10.5%
Change in 1 year
+2
Change in 5 years
+10
Growth rank in VIC
87th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +1.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
110
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,916
Dwelling vacancy
17.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
8 of 45
Median monthly mortgage
$2,167
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$150
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
60% / 30% / 10%
Employment rate
62%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
56.4% / 0% / 49.1%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
34 / 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

41.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 11.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified41.9% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified11.8% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational11.8% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below34.4% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Creative arts18.3%
  • Management and commerce16.7%
  • Health15%
  • Agriculture and environment13.3%
  • Society and culture13.3%
  • Engineering and related technologies8.3%
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)
$44,134

10th percentile in VIC · -25% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$52,144

20th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
19.0%

89th percentile in VIC · +38% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$101,394

78th percentile in VIC · +60% vs Australia

Residents with business income
22.0%

99th percentile in VIC · +112% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3235 — 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
292
Taxpayers reporting net rent
55
Median net rent
$1,261
Taxpayers reporting business income
63
Taxable income vs state median
-17%
Salary / wages vs state median
-11%
Rental investment vs state median
+46%
Super vs state median
+26%
Business income vs state median
+100%

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

5.9% speak a language other than English at home; 17.7% born overseas

Language at home
95 English only · 6 other
Non-English at home
5.9%
Born overseas
17 (17.7%)
Australian citizens
101

Religion

60.9%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 60.9%, while Christianity accounts for 21.8%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion60.9%38.8%
Christianity21.8%40.9%
Other / not stated17.3%20.3%

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)
6
Against the person
1
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
57.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 110 residents
State crime-rate percentile
53.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+20%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
6
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
57.14

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage1
  • A211 Fv Serious Assault1
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order3

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
  • Deans Marsh Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Lorne P-12 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

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Amenities

4 mapped amenities

1 playgrounds · 1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
9.09
Sport & outdoors(4)
  • Penny Royal Creek Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Enchanted ForestPark
  • Playground
  • Swimming pool

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

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Enchanted ForestPark
  • Penny Royal Creek Bushland ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
6%
Woodland / forest cover
6%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
26°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
Lorne Community Hospital (14.4 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)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
28.6

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
26° / 12°
Rainfall
128 mm · ~16 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
124 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 6°
Rainfall
149 mm · ~19 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
182 mm · ~23 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).

8 planning-related records

2021· 5 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Construction of an agricultural use outbuilding and water tank
    221 PENNYROYAL-WYMBOOLIEL ROAD PENNYROYAL 3235Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • VIC SMART APPLICATION: Extend existing 3 bedroom dwelling - increase existing floor plan to include an additional living area. Enclose existing covered verandah and increase deck area/
    740 PENNYROYAL VALLEY ROAD PENNYROYAL 3235Withdrawn

  • June 2021

  • Use of the Land for Agriculture (Crop raising)
    VALLEY VIEW, 525 PENNYROYAL VALLEY ROAD PENNYROYAL 3235Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2021

  • Construct a Agricultural Shed within a Rural Conservation Zone
    177 PENNYROYAL STATION ROAD PENNYROYAL 3235Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • January 2021

  • Use and Development of a Shed in association with Agricultural on Rural Conservation land
    177 Pennyroyal Station RoadWithdrawn
2020· 3 proposals

  • July 2020

  • Construction of Two Agricultural buildings
    VALLEY VIEW, 525 PENNYROYAL VALLEY ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2020

  • Use and development of a dwelling and outbuilding
    188 PENNYROYAL-WYMBOOLIEL ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construct a Replacement Dwelling
    415 PENNYROYAL VALLEY ROADPermit issued by the RA

Data sources & freshness

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 26.3 km away).

Coalition 39.8%Labor 60.2%

21.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +60.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Deans MarshLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
  • BirregurraLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)13.4 km away
  • LorneLabor 52.1% · Coalition 47.9% TPP (2025)14.2 km away
  • ForrestLabor 64.5% · Coalition 35.5% TPP (2025)16.7 km away
  • Aireys InletLabor 71.6% · Coalition 28.4% TPP (2025)20.6 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)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

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

More in Surf Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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