Buninyong
A median age of 45, 96.5% separate houses and a 47.3% outright ownership rate give Buninyong a settled, low-density profile. Its age sits 5 years above the national figure, while university attainment is 39.5%, or 9.4 percentage points above national. The population is 3,797 across 25.44 square kilometres, with density of 149.3 people per square kilometre. Compared with central Ballarat, Buninyong places more emphasis on detached homes and private transport. Its 61.2 household-income percentile and 24.1% working-from-home rate support a stable local market, while only 1.2% use public transport.
Population
3,797
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,745/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Median House
$725K
October to December 2025
Separate houses make up 96.5% of dwellings, with 45.8% having 3 bedrooms and 42.7% having 4 or more. The $1,733 monthly mortgage indicator equals 22.9% of household income, and no mortgage stress is flagged. Compared with central Ballarat, buyers are paying for a more land-and-house-oriented setting, with only 1.2% using public transport.
For Buyers
Separate houses make up 96.5% of dwellings, with 45.8% having 3 bedrooms and 42.7% having 4 or more. The $1,733 monthly mortgage indicator equals 22.9% of household income, and no mortgage stress is flagged. Compared with central Ballarat, buyers are paying for a more land-and-house-oriented setting, with only 1.2% using public transport.
For Investors
Investor appeal comes from a small rental cohort and limited apartment supply, but returns need to be weighed against vacancy. Only 13.3% of households rent, weekly rent is $305, and the vacancy rate is 7.8%, higher than a tightly constrained market would normally suggest. Detached houses account for 96.5% of stock, while development activity reached 18 applications in 12 months, including a proposed 2-lot subdivision, so future supply appears incremental rather than large-scale. Compared with central Ballarat, Buninyong has a stronger owner-occupier orientation, which can support stability but may limit tenant depth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
28
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+375.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Buninyong
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Buninyong Primary School
Demographics
Buninyong's demographic profile leans older, settled and locally rooted. Median age is 45, which is 5 years above the national figure, and 83.0% of residents stayed at the same address while turnover was 17.0%. Couples with children account for 44.8% of families, couples without children 42.9%, and average household size is 2.6, only 0.1 above national. English, Irish and Scottish are the three largest reported ancestries at 1,659, 662 and 609 people. Just 10.0% were born overseas, 11.6 percentage points below national. No religion is reported by 1,852 people versus 1,689 identifying with Christianity. Compared with central Ballarat, Buninyong's older age and lower overseas-born share point to a less mobile resident base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.5%
Houses
2.0%
Townhouse
1.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and ownership-oriented: 96.5% of dwellings are separate houses, 47.3% are owned outright, 38.4% are mortgaged and 13.3% are rented. Bedroom supply follows that pattern, with 45.8% of homes containing 3 bedrooms and 42.7% containing 4 or more, compared with only 1.2% of studio or 1-bedroom dwellings. Compared with central Ballarat, the mix is more land-and-house led, which explains the stronger family-home orientation.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $305.
$420
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $430 · units $360
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$818
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
116
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.8%
Couples with children
42.9%
Couples, no children
12.0%
Single parent
1,061
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by education at 20.7% of industry jobs, healthcare at 20.4%, construction at 10.2%, public administration at 9.5% and professional or technical services at 8.2%. This mix supports institutional, care and building demand because the top industries cover both essential services and skilled trades. Labour force participation is 60.4%, unemployment is 2.5%, and 56.2% of workers are full-time. Occupations are led by 504 professionals and 256 managers, followed by 223 clerical or administrative workers, 213 trades workers and 200 community or personal service workers. Household income sits at the 61.2 percentile. SEIFA results are above the midpoint, with education and occupation at decile 8, economic resources at decile 8, disadvantage at decile 9 and advantage at decile 7. The gap between the 9th and 7th deciles suggests broad capacity with some unevenness.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
1,795
Unemployed
45
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.2%
Part-time
35.7%
Participation
60.4%
Employed
1,750
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.5%
Postgraduate
9.8%
Born Overseas
10.0%
Dwellings
1,369
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for households comfortable with driving and a quieter setting. Buninyong has density of 149.3 people per square kilometre, while the car-driver share is 69.0%, compared with 1.2% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling. Working from home accounts for 24.1%, which supports residents who can avoid daily commuting. Families have access to 1 local government primary school; those needing secondary schooling should check enrolment zones and travel times against the exact address. Crime is recorded at 30.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, including 82 property and deception offences and 20 crimes against the person. Volunteering is 23.3% and need for assistance is 5.0%, supporting local participation. SEIFA deciles of 9 for disadvantage and 7 for advantage place Buninyong above the midpoint nationally, but not uniformly at the top.
Drive
69.0%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
24.1%
Population Forecast
+0.74%/yr
(+55 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than rapid. The annual trend is 0.74%, with population change across the wider area at 9.9% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the forecast classifies Buninyong as an established area with an Aging trajectory. That direction fits the 7.6% increase in senior share and 1.9% decline in working share, even though the young share edged up 0.5%. Gentrification signals are mixed: one measure gives a score of 43 and an Early signs stage, while the dedicated gentrification score is 10 and classifies the suburb as Not gentrifying. Housing affordability improved from 48.9 in 2011 to 41.0 in 2021, but rent growth of 26.9% means costs still matter. Compared with rapid-growth outer markets, Buninyong's 0.74% pace points to gradual change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+55
Net Internal / yr
-37
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
117
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
30.8
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 Buninyong compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buninyong a good suburb to live in?
Yes, particularly for households wanting detached housing and a quieter, car-oriented lifestyle. Buninyong has a median age of 45, density of 149.3 people per square kilometre and 24.1% working from home. Public transport use is only 1.2%, well below the 69.0% car-driver share.
What schools are in Buninyong?
Buninyong has 1 local school, Buninyong Primary School, a government primary school. Families comparing locations should check the exact enrolment zone and travel times for secondary options, because the suburb's 96.5% separate-house profile does not by itself determine school access.
Is Buninyong safe?
Crime is recorded at 30.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 117 total offences. Property and deception offences account for 82, compared with 20 crimes against the person. Assess the exact street and property security rather than relying only on a suburb-wide average.
Is Buninyong good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term, house-focused strategy, but vacancy needs attention. Weekly rent is $305 and vacancy is 7.8%, higher than a tightly constrained market, while 13.3% of households rent. Prices are 108.3% above 2013 but 10.8% below the 2024 peak.
How is Buninyong's population changing?
Change is gradual and older in direction. The annual trend is 0.74%, with population change across the wider area at 9.9% over 10 years. The median age of 45 is 5 years above national, while overseas migration is the primary driver and the forecast trajectory is Aging.
How expensive is it to rent in Buninyong?
Weekly rent is $305, and rent accounts for 17.5% of household income, with no rent stress flagged. The 7.8% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, but the 13.3% rental share means tenants have fewer rental properties to choose from than in a larger urban market.
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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