Coleraine
With a median age of 56 and household income sitting at the 5.9th percentile nationally, Coleraine tells a clear story about a small rural town navigating economic pressure. Population is 1,062 across a 174 square kilometre footprint, giving a density of just 6.1 persons per square kilometre, far below state and national averages.
Local council: Southern Grampians
Population
1,062
Median Age
56.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$850/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$351K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Separate houses dominate at 94.7% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes are the most common type at 56.5% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up another 21.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $650, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 17.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold compared to most metropolitan areas.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 94.7% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes are the most common type at 56.5% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up another 21.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $650, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 17.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold compared to most metropolitan areas.
For Investors
The rental market here is thin but low-cost: weekly rent of $140 is significantly below the national median rent, and only 15.6% of residents rent, compared to higher renter proportions typical in regional centres. The 12.5% vacancy rate is elevated, signalling excess supply relative to tenant demand, which is a meaningful risk factor for landlords. Only 2 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, reflecting minimal new supply pressure. Rent-to-income at 16.5% means tenants are not stressed, supporting stable occupancy for those who do rent.
Development Activity
Total DAs
3
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coleraine
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Coleraine Primary School
St Joseph's School
Demographics
The median age of 56 is 16 years above the national figure, making Coleraine one of the older resident profiles in Victoria. Only 10.4% of residents were born overseas, which is 11.2 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (469), Scottish (141) and Irish (140). University qualifications reach just 15.1%, which is 15 percentage points below national, reflecting the blue-collar and agricultural workforce base. Average household size is 1.9, which is 0.6 below the national average, consistent with an aging population of couples without children: 40.4% of families are couples with no children, and the volunteering rate is 22.6%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.7%
Houses
4.5%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership without a mortgage is the dominant tenure at 59.6%, a rate well above the national average, because the aging resident base tends to have paid off loans over decades. Only 24.8% carry a mortgage and 15.6% rent. The stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 94.7%, with semi-detached homes at 4.5% and no meaningful apartment segment. Three-bedroom homes account for 56.5% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes for 21.0%. Housing stress is absent: mortgage-to-income is 17.7% and rent-to-income is 16.5%, both comfortably below stress thresholds.
Mortgage / mo
$650
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$140
Census 2021
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$502
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.5%
Unoccupied
70
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.6%
Couples with children
52.5%
Couples, no children
20.3%
Single parent
261
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 26.2% of workers (56 people), followed by Agriculture at 18.2% (39) and Education at 10.3% (22), a structure typical of small service-and-farming towns in western Victoria. Retail contributes 8.9% and Construction 8.4%. By occupation, Managers (67) and Labourers (64) are near-equal in number, highlighting the split between farm operators and manual workers. Full-time employment is 55.6% of employed residents. The unemployment rate is 7.2%, higher than the national average, and the participation rate of 41.9% is low because 441 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age profile. Household income at the 5.9th percentile nationally indicates wages are substantially below average compared to urban centres.
Unemployment
6.6%
Labour Force
425
Unemployed
28
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.9%
Part-time
40.6%
Participation
45.5%
Employed
397
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.1%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
492
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the norm: 81.8% of residents drive to work, while 11.9% walk or cycle, a higher active transport share than many rural towns of similar size. Public transport data is not available for Coleraine, consistent with limited service in small western Victoria towns. The crime rate of 81.0 incidents per 1,000 residents is driven primarily by justice procedures offences (36 incidents) and property and deception offences (24), with 86 total incidents recorded. No schools are listed within the suburb boundary in the current dataset, so families typically access schools in nearby Hamilton. SEIFA disadvantage data is not available at this level, but household income at the 5.9th percentile nationally signals significant economic disadvantage relative to broader Victoria.
Drive
72.9%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
10.6%
Work from Home
10.9%
Growth Outlook
Residential mobility is low: 82.3% of residents stayed in the same address over the measured period, compared to higher turnover seen in growth suburbs, which limits the pool of sellers and buyers. Only 2 planning permits were lodged in the 12 months to mid-2026, indicating negligible new construction activity. Population forecast data is not available for Coleraine in the current brief, but the aging resident base and below-average income levels suggest organic growth will remain modest rather than accelerating.
Population trend: Southern Grampians council area
Coleraine sits in the Southern Grampians council area. These are the council area's residents, not Coleraine's.
Residents 2025
16,483
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.0%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
86
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
81.0
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 Coleraine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coleraine a good suburb to live in?
Coleraine suits those seeking affordable rural living. The median age of 56 is 16 years above the national figure, and household income sits at the 5.9th percentile nationally, so lifestyle and community fit matters more than economic opportunity here.
What schools are in Coleraine?
No schools are recorded inside the Coleraine suburb boundary in the current dataset. Families typically access schools in the nearby regional centre of Hamilton, approximately 30 km away. University qualifications among residents stand at 15.1%, which is 15 percentage points below the national average.
Is Coleraine safe?
Coleraine recorded 86 total crimes, giving a rate of 81.0 per 1,000 residents. The largest category is justice procedures offences (36), followed by property and deception offences (24) and crimes against the person (17). The small absolute number of incidents reflects the population of just 1,062 residents rather than a high crime density.
Is Coleraine good for property investment?
The vacancy rate of 12.5% is elevated compared to metropolitan norms, signalling limited tenant demand.
How is Coleraine's population changing?
Coleraine's current population is 1,062 across 174 square kilometres. The resident base has a median age of 56, which is 16 years above the national average, indicating an aging demographic profile. Residential turnover is low, with 82.3% of residents staying at the same address, suggesting a stable but slowly aging community rather than significant 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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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