VIC · Hepburn Council
Wheatsheaf, 3461
Current weather
5.2°CLight drizzle
100% humidity · 25.9 km/h wind · 6.9° / 4.3° today · 25.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Rural
- Established
- Residential
- Amenities
- Open space
Suburb profile
In Hepburn, Wheatsheaf keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Homes offer solid value for the lifestyle on offer.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability score is below average, pulled down chiefly by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and housing affordability relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 252
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,221
- Dwelling vacancy
- 35.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 60 of 168
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,429
- Employment rate
- 50.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 13 / 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 · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (2026)
- 20
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 6
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 79.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 63 residents
- State safety percentile
- 66.9th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +185.7%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- A211 Fv Serious Assault2
- A231 Fv Common Assault2
- B21 Criminal Damage2
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle2
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order7
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) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- ORDES/OGDEN BROTHERS SAWMILL SITENH2013
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 12.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6913th in Australia
- State rank
- 1271st in VIC
- Peer rank
- #419 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #742 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 48%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- A211 Fv Serious Assaultcrime2
- A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime2
- B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehiclecrime2
- E21 Breach Family Violence Ordercrime7
- ORDES/OGDEN BROTHERS SAWMILL SITEheritageNH2013
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
More in Hepburn Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.