suburb.guide

VIC · Mount Alexander Council

Taradale, 3447

Est. population · Jun 2025

552

Growth (1 yr)

+1.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+7.8%

Median age

52

Median income

$1,468/wk

Employment rate

54.1%

University qualified

27.1%

Work from home

23.7%

Languages at home

3.4%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

60.2/100
Good

Top 11% of Victoria's suburbs

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Heritage area
  • Country town
What Taradale is known for: Green suburb, Heritage area, Country town

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Taradale, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Taradale, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/taradale-vic

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Suburb profile

Taradale is a regional town in Victoria, in Mount Alexander Council. It is close to Mount Alexander.

Walkability is an exceptional strength. Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked regional towns. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, and population growth is an exceptional strength, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 98% above the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising school quality and heritage character.

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

Regional town · compared with regional towns in Victoria (187)

Strengths

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Walkability is a relative strength

Weaknesses

No relative weaknesses against comparable places.

What stands out

  • Mount Alexander

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Taradale compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$277/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

552

+1.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

9.5%

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

#12

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

9th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

72nd

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

3%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

77th

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
60.2/100 — Good
State standing
Top 11% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
499th in Australia
State rank
129th in VIC
Peer rank
#12 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#18 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

552(June 2025)

+1.1% annual · +7.8% over 5 years · 72th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+7.8%
Change in 1 year
+6
Change in 5 years
+40
Growth rank in VIC
72th 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 (~600), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
524
Median age
52
Median household income / week
$1,468
Dwelling vacancy
9.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
22 of 231
Median monthly mortgage
$1,534
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$277
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
52% / 44.9% / 3.1%
Employment rate
54.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
23.7% / 0% / 51.4%
Walked or cycled to work
1.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
208 / 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

27.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 17.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified27.1% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified11.1% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational17.5% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below44.3% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Health14.4%
  • Management and commerce14.4%
  • Engineering and related technologies14.1%
  • Society and culture11.9%
  • Education10.5%
  • Creative arts9.4%
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)
$46,941

21st percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$54,399

30th percentile in VIC · -16% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
8.0%

7th percentile in VIC · -42% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$104,131

81st percentile in VIC · +64% vs Australia

Residents with business income
20.0%

97th percentile in VIC · +92% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3447 — 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
355
Taxpayers reporting net rent
29
Median net rent
-$852
Taxpayers reporting business income
72
Taxable income vs state median
-12%
Salary / wages vs state median
-7%
Rental investment vs state median
-38%
Super vs state median
+29%
Business income vs state median
+82%

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

3.4% speak a language other than English at home; 15.1% born overseas

Language at home
457 English only · 16 other
Non-English at home
3.4%
Born overseas
71 (15.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
6 (1.1%)
Australian citizens
458

Religion

58.6%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 58.6%, while Christianity accounts for 27.9%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion58.6%38.8%
Christianity27.9%40.9%
Other / not stated13.5%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic14.5%20.5%
Anglican7.1%6.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.1%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 decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
8
Against the person
2
Against property
4
Rate per 1,000 residents
14.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 262 residents
State crime-rate percentile
8.5th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-68%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
22
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
39.86

Most common offence types

  • A51 Aggravated Robbery1
  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1
  • B49 Other Theft2
  • C32 Drug Possession2
  • Other Crimes Against The Person1

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
1,075
Median ICSEA percentile
77th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
  • Taradale Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1075 · 77th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 74 students · Top SEA quarter 33% · 0.1 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Castlemaine Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Elphinstone Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Kyneton Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Malmsbury Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Taradale 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

Public transport

3 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Park/High St
  • Roderick St/High St
  • Taradale Hall/De La Beche St

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

18 mapped amenities

2 playgrounds · 1 campgrounds · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
5/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
3.82
Everyday services(1)
  • Taradale Service StationPetrol station
Community(1)
  • Taradale Primary SchoolSchool

    98 High Street

Sport & outdoors(12)
  • BBQ
  • Natural Spring WaterDrinking water
  • Fryers Ridge Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Taradale Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Taradale Streamside ReserveNature reserve
  • Barkly ParkPark
  • Taradale Mineral Springs ReservePark
  • Taradale Mineral Springs ReservePicnic area
  • Playground (2)
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Taradale Mineral Springs ReserveCampground
Other(3)
  • Taradale Fire StationFire station
  • Parking
  • Shelter

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

  • Barkly ParkPark
  • Taradale Mineral Springs ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
13.5%
Woodland / forest cover
13.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
4
Parks (OSM)
2
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
Castlemaine Health (15.7 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)
17
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.8

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
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%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • Survey Operations activities occurring between 24/08/2026 and 31/10/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Weekends 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed southbound. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be 0 to 5 min.CALDER FREEWAY, THOMPSON STREET23 Aug 2026 – 30 Oct 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Heritage

9 heritage places

  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • COLIBAN WATER SUPPLYNH1021
  • HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH & SUNDAY SCHOOLNH1350
  • ROYAL OAKSNH1389
  • TARADALE RAILWAY PRECINCTNH1595

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 14.4 km away).

Coalition 27.3%Labor 72.7%

21.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +72.7 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • TaradaleLabor 73.1% · Coalition 26.9% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
  • ElphinstoneLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)4.1 km away
  • MalmsburyLabor 64.3% · Coalition 35.7% TPP (2025)6.4 km away
  • ChewtonLabor 80.8% · Coalition 19.2% TPP (2025)9.9 km away
  • Campbells CreekLabor 66.4% · Coalition 33.6% TPP (2025)13.5 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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 Mount Alexander Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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