VIC · Mitchell Council

Waterford Park, 3658

Est. population · Jun 2025

307

Growth (1 yr)

+7.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+40.8%

Median age

37

Median income

$1,571/wk

Employment rate

52.1%

University qualified

7%

Work from home

8%

Languages at home

5%non-English

Most common: Italian

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

29.9/100
Below average

1248th in VIC

Verified 81% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Rural living
What Waterford Park is known for: Rural living

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Waterford Park, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Waterford Park, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/waterford-park

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Suburb profile

Waterford Park is a rural locality in Victoria, in Mitchell Council.

Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Population growth is an exceptional strength, and green cover is an exceptional strength, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 86% below the peer median. Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places.

Overall, Waterford Park suits people prioritising open space over 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
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Waterford Park compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$285/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

307

+7.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

9.1%

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

#37

among Country & regional · Growth area

Crime rate

63rd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

98th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

8%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

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
29.9/100 — Below average
National rank
6425th in Australia
State rank
1248th in VIC
Peer rank
#37 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#727 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
81%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

307(June 2025)

+7.0% annual · +40.8% over 5 years · 98th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+7.0%
5-year growth
+40.8%
Change in 1 year
+20
Change in 5 years
+89
Growth rank in VIC
98th 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 (~450), extrapolated at +6.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
217
Median age
37
Median household income / week
$1,571
Dwelling vacancy
9.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
8 of 88
Median monthly mortgage
$1,273
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$285
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
34.2% / 57.9% / 7.9%
Employment rate
52.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
8% / 0% / 69%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
80 / 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

7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 27.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified7% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified10.5% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational27.3% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below55.2% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies21.1%
  • Management and commerce21.1%
  • Society and culture11.8%
  • Agriculture and environment7.9%
  • Education7.9%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services7.9%
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)
$57,432

66th percentile in VIC · -2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,799

71st percentile in VIC · 0% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

20th percentile in VIC · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$77,893

47th percentile in VIC · +23% vs Australia

Residents with business income
12.0%

53rd percentile in VIC · +15% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3658 — 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
3,717
Taxpayers reporting net rent
384
Median net rent
-$2,403
Taxpayers reporting business income
431
Taxable income vs state median
+8%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-23%
Super vs state median
-3%
Business income vs state median
+9%

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% speak a language other than English at home; 7.2% born overseas

Language at home
190 English only · 10 other
Non-English at home
5%
Born overseas
14 (7.2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
16 (7.4%)
Australian citizens
199
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Italian3 · 100%

Religion

60.4%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 60.4%, while Christianity accounts for 27.6%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion60.4%38.8%
Christianity27.6%40.9%
Other / not stated12%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic14.3%20.5%
Anglican7.8%6.5%

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)
22
Against the person
7
Against property
6
Rate per 1,000 residents
71.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 31 residents
State crime-rate percentile
63.1th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-37.1%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
2
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
6.51

Most common offence types

  • A212 Non-Fv Serious Assault1
  • B21 Criminal Damage3
  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary2
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order7
  • A211 Fv Serious Assault2

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
  • Broadford Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Wandong 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

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

Amenities

1 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
4.61
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Waterford Park Estate ReservePark

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

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Waterford Park Estate ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
10.2%
Woodland / forest cover
0.1%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
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
Kilmore & District Hospital (9.6 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)
11
Participants per 1,000 residents
35.8

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° / 13°
Rainfall
126 mm · ~16 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 9°
Rainfall
148 mm · ~18 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 4°
Rainfall
218 mm · ~27 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 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).

1 planning-related records

2021· 1 proposal
  • September 2021

  • Development of the land for an outbuilding
    22 ELIZABETH COURT WATERFORD PARK 3658Permit 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
McEwen
Member of Parliament
Rob MITCHELL (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
117,921
Turnout (2025)
93.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+0.9 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 45.2%Labor 54.8%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 24.2 km away).

Coalition 42.1%Labor 57.9%

3.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • ClonbinaneLabor 57.9% · Coalition 42.1% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
  • WandongLabor 48.4% · Coalition 51.6% TPP (2025)7.5 km away
  • Wallan CentralLabor 47.6% · Coalition 52.4% TPP (2025)12.3 km away
  • Wallan WallanLabor 57.3% · Coalition 42.7% TPP (2025)14.8 km away
  • Wallan SouthLabor 57.5% · Coalition 42.5% TPP (2025)15.2 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)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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 Mitchell Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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