Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Hepburn Council
Shepherds Flat, 3461
Est. population · Jun 2025
72
Growth (1 yr)
+1.4%
Growth (5 yr)
+5.9%
Median age
52
Median income
$1,218/wk
Employment rate
50%
Languages at home
7%non-English
Most common: Polish
2021 Census · usual residence
- National parks
- Heritage area
Suburb profile
Shepherds Flat offers a slower smaller community life in Hepburn Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. For comparable suburbs, the café and dining scene is notably rich, with locals returning to favourite spots.
Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Green space punches above what many comparable suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.
Housing sits above the suburban middle: not the top of the market, but clearly pricier than average. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
At a glance
Shepherds Flat snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
72
+1.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
42.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
9th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
80th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
8/10
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
72(June 2025)
+1.4% annual · +5.9% over 5 years · 80th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.4%
- 5-year growth
- +5.9%
- Change in 1 year
- +1
- Change in 5 years
- +4
- Growth rank in VIC
- 80th 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 +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 71
- Median age
- 52
- Median household income / week
- $1,218
- Dwelling vacancy
- 42%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 21 of 50
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 50%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 30 / 0 / 0
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 are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 1
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 1
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 13.9
- State safety percentile
- 8.6th (lower crime is better)
- No change (daily rate)
- 0%
Most common offence types
- B49 Other Theft1
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
Amenities
8 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes
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
- 14.08
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 14.08
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 14.08
Food & drink(1)
- La TrattoriaCafe
Sport & outdoors(2)
- Park
- Sports field
Other(4)
- Lavandula Swiss Italian FarmAttraction
350 Hepburn-Newstead Road, Shepherds Flat
- Bench
- Garden (2)
- Lavandula Swiss Italian FarmParking
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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Franklin I6 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
- Larni Barramal Yaluk Creek Streamside ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- 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
- Daylesford Hospital and Nursing Home (7.8 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)
- 2
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 27.8
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
- 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
Heritage
1 heritage place
- JIM CROW CREEK GOLD MINING SLUICENH1257
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State 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 overlays — State 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 32.5%Labor 67.5%
6.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -1.0 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Hepburn SpringsLabor 71.0% · Coalition 29.0% TPP (2025)4.8 km away
- YandoitLabor 63.0% · Coalition 37.0% TPP (2025)6.8 km away
- DaylesfordLabor 69.0% · Coalition 31.0% TPP (2025)8.6 km away
- GlenlyonLabor 67.3% · Coalition 32.7% TPP (2025)12.9 km away
- NewlynLabor 44.2% · Coalition 55.8% TPP (2025)18.5 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)
- 8/10
- 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
More in Hepburn Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.