VIC · Murrindindi Council

Thornton, 3712

Est. population · Jun 2025

312

Growth (1 yr)

+0.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.3%

Median age

55

Median income

$1,048/wk

Employment rate

50.7%

University qualified

10.3%

Work from home

19.4%

Languages at home

2.7%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

45.4/100
Average

729th in VIC

Verified 85% confidence

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

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Thornton, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Thornton, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/thornton-vic

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Suburb profile

Thornton is a rural locality in Victoria, in Murrindindi Council. The Goulburn River is part of the surrounding geography.

Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median.

Thornton is a better fit for people who value open space and daily services more than 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
  • Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median

What stands out

  • Goulburn River

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Thornton compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$258/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

312

+0.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

23.4%

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

#208

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

48th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

49th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

16%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
45.4/100 — Average
National rank
3030th in Australia
State rank
729th in VIC
Peer rank
#208 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#358 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
85%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

312(June 2025)

+0.3% annual · +2.3% over 5 years · 49th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.3%
5-year growth
+2.3%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+7
Growth rank in VIC
49th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
311
Median age
55
Median household income / week
$1,048
Dwelling vacancy
23.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
44 of 188
Median monthly mortgage
$867
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$258
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
58% / 26% / 16%
Employment rate
50.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
19.4% / 0% / 61.9%
Walked or cycled to work
7.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
123 / 0 / 0 (+ 17 other)

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

10.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 23.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified10.3% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified8.8% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational23.5% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below57.4% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies25.9%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services13.8%
  • Agriculture and environment12.9%
  • Management and commerce12.1%
  • Society and culture12.1%
  • Health9.5%
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)
$42,027

6th percentile in VIC · -28% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$52,174

20th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

52nd percentile in VIC · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$95,045

71st percentile in VIC · +50% vs Australia

Residents with business income
11.0%

41st percentile in VIC · +6% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3712 — 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
210
Taxpayers reporting net rent
28
Median net rent
$375
Taxpayers reporting business income
23
Taxable income vs state median
-21%
Salary / wages vs state median
-11%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+18%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

13.7% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 6.0× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
13.7%

54th percentile in VIC · +496% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
19
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3712

Occupation mix in this industry

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

  • Managers12

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 3712 (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 Hume (SA4 204), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12132,526
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212391
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415309
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214186
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412174
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419127
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 721195
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841350
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841640
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Hume 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: 139 · AFF share +552% 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

2.7% speak a language other than English at home; 11.3% born overseas

Language at home
283 English only · 8 other
Non-English at home
2.7%
Born overseas
32 (11.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
7 (2.3%)
Australian citizens
275

Religion

45.3%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 45.3%, while Christianity accounts for 43.7%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion45.3%38.8%
Christianity43.7%40.9%
Other / not stated10.9%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic19.9%20.5%
Anglican15.4%6.5%
Uniting Church5.8%2.4%

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)
16
Against the person
4
Against property
6
Rate per 1,000 residents
51.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 78 residents
State crime-rate percentile
48.2th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-20%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
16
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
51.28

Most common offence types

  • A231 Fv Common Assault1
  • A211 Fv Serious Assault1
  • B21 Criminal Damage2
  • C12 Drug Trafficking2
  • C32 Drug Possession2

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
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
School catchments
  • Alexandra Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Alexandra Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Buxton Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Eildon 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

4 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Taggerty-Thornton Rd/Goulburn Valley Hwy
  • Taggerty-Thornton Rd/Goulburn Valley Hwy
  • Taggerty-Thornton Rd/Goulburn Valley Hwy
  • Taggerty-Thornton Rd/Goulburn Valley Hwy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

8 mapped amenities

2 caravan parks · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 3 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
6/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
9.65
Community(1)
  • Thornton Memorial HallTownhall
Sport & outdoors(3)
  • Eildon Shared TrailCycling route
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
Camping & holiday parks(3)
  • Rubicon River Rest AreaCampground
  • Eildon Waters Caravan ParkCaravan park
  • Thornton Caravan ParkCaravan park
Other(1)
  • Recreation Ground

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

  • Point Hill ReservePark
  • Walnuts ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
1.1%
Woodland / forest cover
1.1%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
7
Parks (OSM)
3
Typical summer maximum
28°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
Alexandra District Health (11.4 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)
7
Participants per 1,000 residents
22.4

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
28° / 11°
Rainfall
176 mm · ~22 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 7°
Rainfall
233 mm · ~29 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
12° / 2°
Rainfall
385 mm · ~48 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 6°
Rainfall
295 mm · ~37 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).

19 planning-related records

2021· 12 proposals
  • August 2021

  • Liquor Licence Use of land for a Liquor Licence (General)
    3 BACK EILDON ROAD THORNTON 3712Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Place of Assembly/Worship Use and development of land for a Place of Assembly
    969 GOULBURN VALLEY HIGHWAY THORNTON 3712Refusal issued by the Resp. Authority
  • Place of Assembly/Worship Use and development of land for a Place of Assembly
    969 GOULBURN VALLEY HIGHWAY THORNTON 3712Withdrawn
  • July 2021

  • Place of Assembly/Worship (Alts & Adds) Development of Land for Storage Shed and Driving Range Stalls
    82 Rollasons RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Tourist Development Use and Development of land for group accommodation
    225 THOMS LANE THORNTON 3712Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2021

  • Liquor Licence and Place of Assembly/Worship Amend Permit Preamble to include Market (up to four per year) and amend conditions to allow increased hours of operation, visitors and to allow live music
    3 BACK EILDON ROAD THORNTON 3712NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
  • Signs Installation of a Promotion Sign
    1 BACK EILDON ROAD THORNTON 3712Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • May 2021

  • Farm Building Development of land for a Farm Shed
    837 Taggerty-Thornton RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Tourist Development Use and Development of Land for Group Accommodation
    3 BACK EILDON ROAD THORNTON 3712NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
  • March 2021

  • Farm Building Development of land for a Shed
    360 Swamp Creek RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Garages/Carports/Outbuildings Development of land for a shed (container)
    1021 Taggerty-Thornton RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Tourist Development (Extensions) and Tourist Development (Alterations) Use and development of land for Group Accommodation, Function Centre, Restaurant, Day Spa and Liquor license, Extension to existing shed, Installation of business identification signage and alterations to land in a Road Zone
    1270 GOULBURN VALLEY HIGHWAY THORNTON 3712In progress
2020· 7 proposals
  • December 2020

  • Single Dwelling Use and development of the land for a (replacement) dwelling
    349 Back Eildon RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • November 2020

  • Single Dwelling and Garages/Carports/Outbuildings Construction and use of a dwelling and shed
    1 Back Eildon RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • July 2020

  • Farm Building Construction of a farm shed
    1021 Taggerty-Thornton RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Change or extension of use Use of the land for a Cafe
    3 Back Eildon RoadPermit issued by the RA
  • April 2020

  • Place of Assembly/Worship Use of land for the purpose of a place of assembly (music festival) annually for 5 years
    969 Goulburn Valley HighwayRefusal issued by the Resp. Authority
  • February 2020

  • Farm Building Construction of a farm shed
    1680 Goulburn Valley HighwayPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • January 2020

  • Creation or Removal of Easement Removal of Easement
    1093 Taggerty-Thornton RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

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
Indi
Member of Parliament
Helen HAINES (Independent)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
120,774
Turnout (2025)
92.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.4 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 56.7%Labor 43.3%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 33.9 km away).

Coalition 66.8%Labor 33.3%

10.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -4.9 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • ThorntonLabor 31.5% · Coalition 68.5% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
  • EildonLabor 45.9% · Coalition 54.1% TPP (2025)9.3 km away
  • TaggertyLabor 43.9% · Coalition 56.1% TPP (2025)10.6 km away
  • AlexandraLabor 41.2% · Coalition 58.8% TPP (2025)13.3 km away
  • MarysvilleLabor 45.5% · Coalition 54.5% TPP (2025)27.2 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)
3/10
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 Murrindindi Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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