Bendigo
An established inner regional centre with 5,652 residents in 5.5 sq km, Bendigo combines a compact, detached-house market with an older population profile. Median age is 43, which is 3 years above the national comparison, while 40.1% hold a university qualification, 10 percentage points above the national figure. For buyers comparing the more central, compact Bendigo address with nearby Kennington or Golden Square, vacancy of 13.8% and a crime rate of 552.0 per 1,000 are important trade-offs.
Population
5,652
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,429/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
138
Median House
$605K
October to December 2025
Stock is detached-house led: 82.0% are separate houses, 47.2% have 3 bedrooms and 18.0% have 4 or more. A typical mortgage is $1,482 monthly, equal to 24.0% of household income, and mortgage stress is not flagged. Rent is $290 weekly, or 20.3% of income. Compared with nearby Kennington and Golden Square, buyers should inspect the exact dwelling because Bendigo's 15.0% semi-detached and 2.5% apartment shares mean fewer compact alternatives than detached homes.
For Buyers
Stock is detached-house led: 82.0% are separate houses, 47.2% have 3 bedrooms and 18.0% have 4 or more. A typical mortgage is $1,482 monthly, equal to 24.0% of household income, and mortgage stress is not flagged. Rent is $290 weekly, or 20.3% of income. Compared with nearby Kennington and Golden Square, buyers should inspect the exact dwelling because Bendigo's 15.0% semi-detached and 2.5% apartment shares mean fewer compact alternatives than detached homes.
For Investors
Bendigo's investor case combines $290 weekly rent with 45.1% renting, but 13.8% vacancy means leasing competition must be budgeted for. Development activity is substantial at 128 applications in 12 months, although examples include verandahs, outbuildings and lot changes rather than only new dwellings. Rents have grown 60.0%, while prices are 77.9% above 2013 but 12.3% below the 2022 peak. Compared with a low-turnover owner market, Bendigo's 30.3% turnover and internal-migration-led forecast may support resale liquidity, but the 24.0% mortgage-to-income figure favours conservative borrowing assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
155
Last 12 Months
138
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+2660.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bendigo
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Creek Street Christian College
Girton Grammar School
Bendigo Primary School
Camp Hill Primary School
Lightning Reef Primary School
Demographics
Bendigo's median age of 43 is 3 years above the national comparison, and its aging trajectory is visible in a 4.7 point rise in the senior share alongside a 1.4 point fall in the young share. Households average 2.1 people, 0.4 below the national comparison, with couples without children at 46.0% of families and couples with children at 30.9%. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 2,389, 952 and 745. Overseas-born residents are 13.3%, 8.3 points below the national figure. No religion is most common at 2,705, above Christianity at 2,260. For buyers comparing Bendigo with nearby Kennington or Golden Square, the 43-year median age and 2.1-person households point to a smaller, older profile suited to established households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.0%
Houses
15.0%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-heavy: 45.1% rent, compared with 31.3% owning outright and 22.6% paying a mortgage. The stock is mainly separate houses at 82.0%, with 47.2% three-bedroom, 28.4% two-bedroom and 18.0% four-plus-bedroom homes. Compared with nearby Kennington and Golden Square, Bendigo suits buyers prioritising established detached stock, while 13.8% vacancy and 20.3% rent-to-income indicate a market that is not uniformly tight or cheap.
Mortgage / mo
$1,482
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $290.
$470
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $480 · units $400
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$821
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.8%
Unoccupied
400
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.9%
Couples with children
46.0%
Couples, no children
20.6%
Single parent
1,429
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Bendigo's largest industry at 28.1% of employment, followed by education at 13.3%, professional and technical services at 7.8%, public administration at 7.2% and construction at 6.9%. This mix supports demand in essential services because these sectors are less dependent on one employer type. Unemployment is 4.4%, participation is 60.8% and full-time employment is 57.7%; professionals number 879 and managers 370. Household income is $1,429 weekly, at the 42.3rd percentile nationally. SEIFA is uneven: education and occupation sits at decile 4, while economic resources is decile 1 and disadvantage deciles are 2 and 2. Those resource measures are below the occupational measure, pointing to uneven household capacity.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
2,993
Unemployed
133
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.7%
Part-time
35.8%
Participation
60.8%
Employed
2,860
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.1%
Postgraduate
11.4%
Born Overseas
13.3%
Dwellings
2,499
Transport to Work
Bendigo supports walking, cycling and home-based work for some households, with 14.7% walking or cycling and 18.3% working from home, although 60.8% drive and only 1.7% use public transport. It has 10 schools across 5 primary, 3 secondary and 2 special settings, with 7 government and 3 Catholic schools, providing more sector and age-stage choice than a suburb with limited school choice. Check enrolment zones against the exact address. Safety needs attention because the crime rate is 552.0 per 1,000 and total offences number 3,120, including 1,426 property and deception offences and 497 crimes against the person. IRSAD and IRSD are both decile 2, below IEO decile 4, so household resources are lower than education and occupation indicators suggest.
Drive
60.8%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
14.7%
Work from Home
18.3%
Population Forecast
+2.07%/yr
(+188 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is forecast at 2.07% annually and driven by internal migration, a stronger signal than a flat established market. Across the wider area, population change runs at 34.5% over 10 years, while Bendigo's shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 4.7 points and the working share down 3.1 points. Gentrification is rated Active at 45, while the shift model records an Advanced stage and score of 71. This combination means demand is expanding because people are moving internally, even as the age structure changes. Affordability worsened from 35.0% in 2011 to 38.3% in 2021, so growth is occurring alongside higher housing pressure than earlier in the decade.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+20
Net Internal / yr
+117
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +45% since 2011, Net internal migration +117/yr, Accelerating: 17% → 24%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
3,120
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
552.0
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bendigo compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bendigo a good suburb to live in?
Bendigo suits households wanting established services, detached housing and a central regional setting. The suburb has 5,652 residents, a median age of 43 and 14.7% walking or cycling, but its crime rate of 552.0 per 1,000 is a factor to investigate by street.
What schools are in Bendigo?
Bendigo has 10 schools spanning 5 primary, 3 secondary and 2 special settings. The mix includes 7 government and 3 Catholic schools, including Bendigo Primary School, Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Catherine McAuley College and St Kilian's School. Check zones by address.
Is Bendigo safe?
Safety is mixed rather than uniformly low risk. The recorded crime rate is 552.0 per 1,000, with 3,120 total offences, including 1,426 property and deception offences and 497 crimes against the person. Check recent street-level trends before signing a lease or contract.
Is Bendigo good for property investment?
Bendigo can suit a long-term investor, but vacancy management matters. Rent is $290 a week, 45.1% of households rent and vacancy is 13.8%, while 128 development applications in 12 months may affect competition. Prices are 77.9% above 2013 but 12.3% below the 2022 peak.
How is Bendigo's population changing?
Growth is forecast at 2.07% a year and is driven by internal migration. Across the wider area, population change is 34.5% over 10 years. Bendigo's shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points and the young share down 1.4 points.
What development is occurring in Bendigo?
There were 128 development applications in the latest 12-month period. Examples include a verandah, an outbuilding and a land re-subdivision involving 3 lots becoming 2. This indicates active planning activity, although the applications are not all new dwelling projects.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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