Bendigo
Three numbers define this central Victorian suburb: a 13.8% rental vacancy rate, a crime rate of 552 per 1,000 residents, and a population that has grown 34.5% since 2011. The high vacancy reflects a renter-heavy market where 45.5% of dwellings are leased, well above the owner-occupier norm, while the elevated crime rate is driven mainly by property and deception offences. Housing stock is overwhelmingly detached at 82.0% of dwellings, and university qualifications reach 40.1%, which is 10 points above the national figure. The median house price of $607,500 sits far below capital-city levels, and household income lands in the 42.3rd percentile nationally, marking this as an affordable regional centre rather than a premium market.
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
93
Median House
$608K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $607,500 median house price makes entry far easier than in metropolitan Melbourne, though buyers should note the price is down 12.0% from the 2022 peak of $690,000. The stock strongly favours houses: 82.0% are separate dwellings against just 2.5% apartments, so detached living is the default rather than the exception. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.2% with four-plus bedroom homes at 18.0%, suiting families over downsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,482, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than what buyers face in pricier markets. Outright owners (31.6%) outnumber mortgage holders (22.8%), a sign that much of the housing is held debt-free by long-settled residents.
For Buyers
The $607,500 median house price makes entry far easier than in metropolitan Melbourne, though buyers should note the price is down 12.0% from the 2022 peak of $690,000. The stock strongly favours houses: 82.0% are separate dwellings against just 2.5% apartments, so detached living is the default rather than the exception. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.2% with four-plus bedroom homes at 18.0%, suiting families over downsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,482, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than what buyers face in pricier markets. Outright owners (31.6%) outnumber mortgage holders (22.8%), a sign that much of the housing is held debt-free by long-settled residents.
For Investors
A 45.5% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, the largest tenure group in the suburb, and weekly rent of $290 against the $607,500 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, modest but stronger than premium capital-city markets. The catch is a 13.8% vacancy rate, high enough to signal real competition for tenants and softer rental demand than the renter share alone suggests. Demand support comes mainly from internal migration, which adds a net 117 residents a year against just 20 from overseas, so growth depends on Australians relocating regionally rather than new arrivals. Development is active with 92 applications lodged in 12 months, and rent has grown 60.0% over the decade, so the investment case rests more on rent escalation and population inflow than on immediate yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
108
Last 12 Months
93
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+3000.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bendigo iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Girton Grammar School
Prep-12 · 1195 students
Creek Street Christian College
Prep-12 · 457 students
St Kilian's School
Prep-6 · 268 students
Spring Gully Primary School
Prep-6 · 426 students
Catherine McAuley College
7-12 · 1567 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.7 points while the working-age share fell 3.1 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents make up just 13.3%, which is 8.3 points below national, marking an Anglo-leaning population led by English (2,389), Irish (952) and Scottish (745) ancestry. University qualifications reach 40.1%, running 10 points above national and unusually high for a regional centre. Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national, consistent with an older profile where 34.7% of families are couples without children. The largest non-English languages are Mandarin (16) and Punjabi (14), a small cohort against a Christian-majority base of 2,260 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.0%
Houses
15.0%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits unevenly toward renting: 45.5% rent, 31.6% own outright and 22.8% carry a mortgage. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 82.0% separate houses with apartments at only 2.5%, so the market is built around detached family living. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 47.2% and four-plus bedroom homes 18.0%, while smaller one and two-bedroom stock sits at 34.8% combined. The median house price climbed from $340,000 in 2013 to $607,500 by mid-2024, a 78.7% rise at a 4.2% compound annual rate, though it remains 12.0% below the 2022 peak. Both rent-to-income (20.3%) and mortgage-to-income (24.0%) stay below the 30% stress threshold, keeping the market broadly affordable.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,482
Rent / wk
$290
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
34.7%
Couples, no children
3,732
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in public-facing services: Healthcare leads at 28.1% (562 workers) and Education follows at 13.3% (266), together employing more than four in ten workers, with Professional/Tech at 7.8%, Public Administration at 7.2% and Construction at 6.9%. By occupation, Professionals (879) and Managers (370) form the largest groups, which aligns with the high 40.1% university qualification rate. Unemployment is low at 4.7% and real incomes grew 18.8% over the decade. The SEIFA picture is mixed: the suburb scores decile 4 on IEO for education and occupation but only decile 1 on IER for economic resources and decile 2 on IRSAD. That IER anomaly stems from the 45.5% renter base, which depresses aggregate household wealth measures despite a skilled workforce.
Unemployment
7.1%
Labour Force
7,152
Unemployed
507
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.7%
Part-time
33.6%
Participation
57.0%
Employed
2,672
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.1%
Postgraduate
11.4%
Born Overseas
13.3%
Dwellings
2,499
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 74.4% of residents drive to work while only 2.0% take public transport, though 18.0% walk or cycle, reflecting a compact regional layout where short trips are walkable. The headline livability constraint is safety, with a crime rate of 552 per 1,000 residents driven mainly by property and deception offences (1,426 of 3,120 total), well above quieter regional towns. The suburb scores decile 2 on IRSAD, a relatively disadvantaged tier nationally, consistent with household income in the 42.3rd percentile. Volunteering runs at 18.6% and 6.9% of residents (365 people) need daily assistance, in line with the aging median age of 43. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas.
Drive
74.4%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
18.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.07%/yr
(+188 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at 2.07% annually, adding roughly 188 residents a year, and the 10-year change reached 34.5%, a strong pace for a regional centre. Internal migration is the engine, contributing a net 117 residents a year against 20 from overseas, so growth is fuelled by Australians moving from the cities. Medium forecasts project continued expansion through 2031. The gentrification score reads 45, an active stage, supported by signals including population up 45% since 2011 and an accelerating professional share from 17% to 24%. Affordability has worsened from 35.0% in 2011 to 38.3% in 2021 as rent climbed 60.0%, and the age profile is aging with the senior share up 4.7 points, so the suburb is densifying and maturing rather than attracting younger arrivals.
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 offers affordability with a $607,500 median house price, far below capital-city levels, and university qualifications reach 40.1%, 10 points above national. The main trade-offs are a crime rate of 552 per 1,000 residents and a SEIFA score of decile 2 on IRSAD, a relatively disadvantaged tier nationally.
What is the median house price in Bendigo?
The median house price is $607,500 as of mid-2024, down 12.0% from the 2022 peak of $690,000 but up 78.7% from $340,000 in 2013. Weekly rent averages $290 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,482, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Bendigo?
No schools are recorded inside the Bendigo suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. The local population is well educated for a regional centre, with university qualifications at 40.1%, which is 10 points above the national figure.
Is Bendigo safe?
Bendigo records a crime rate of 552 per 1,000 residents, higher than quieter regional towns, with 3,120 offences in total. The largest category is property and deception offences at 1,426, while crimes against the person account for 497, so most incidents involve property rather than personal harm.
Is Bendigo good for property investment?
Rent of $290 a week against a $607,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, stronger than premium capital-city markets. The 13.8% vacancy rate signals real tenant competition, but net internal migration of 117 a year and 60.0% rent growth over the decade support a long-term demand case.
How is Bendigo's population changing?
Population grows about 2.07% a year, adding roughly 188 residents annually, with a 34.5% rise over 10 years. Growth is driven by net internal migration of 117 a year against just 20 from overseas. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points and the working-age share down 3.1 points.
How much development is happening in Bendigo?
There were 92 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, active for a regional suburb. Recent samples include dwelling roof replacement and a restricted recreation facility, alongside fence and alteration works, consistent with steady infill against 2.07% annual population growth.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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