Dimboola
At a median age of 52, Dimboola's residents are 12 years older than the national figure, making this Wimmera township one of Victoria's most distinctly senior-skewed communities. Yet 53.5% of residents own their homes outright, a rate far higher than the national norm, pointing to long-established, debt-free ownership rather than a community under financial pressure. With a vacancy rate of 18.8% and only 1,635 residents spread across 442 square kilometres, Dimboola is a low-density rural centre where affordability comes with the trade-offs of limited services and a slowly contracting population base.
Local council: Hindmarsh
Population
1,635
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,059/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$306K
October to December 2025
Detached houses dominate at 96.2% of the housing stock, so buyers get space and privacy rather than apartments or semi-detached options. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 53.1%, with four-plus bedrooms at 19.9% and two-bedrooms at 21.6%.
For Buyers
Detached houses dominate at 96.2% of the housing stock, so buyers get space and privacy rather than apartments or semi-detached options. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 53.1%, with four-plus bedrooms at 19.9% and two-bedrooms at 21.6%.
For Investors
Monthly mortgage repayments average $800, giving investors a low cost base. The 18.8% vacancy rate is the key risk: it is well above the 3% threshold considered balanced, indicating persistent softness in rental demand relative to supply. Only 4 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, suggesting negligible new supply entering the market. The town's aging demographic profile and household income at the 15.2nd percentile nationally constrain rent growth prospects.
Development Activity
Total DAs
7
Last 12 Months
3
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Dimboola
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Dimboola Primary School
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College
Demographics
The median age of 52 is 12 years above the national figure, reflecting a population that has aged in place over decades. Overseas-born residents account for just 7.1%, which is 14.5 percentage points below the national rate, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (671 residents), German (216), Scottish (184) and Irish (165). University qualifications reach 18.1%, which is 12 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a regional town economy that relies more on trades, agriculture and community services than professional roles. Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national, driven by a high share of couples without children at 40.7% of families. The community is stable: 87.5% of residents did not move in the year before the Census, and volunteering runs at 25.6%, signalling strong local engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.2%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
3.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Dimboola's tenure structure is unusual: 53.5% of dwellings are owned outright, compared to 31.6% nationally, and only 16.0% are rented. This reflects an older population that has paid off mortgages over long holding periods rather than a churn of new buyers. Separate houses make up 96.2% of all dwellings, with apartments at just 3.1% and semi-detached housing effectively absent. Monthly mortgage repayments average $800 and rent-to-income is 16.1%, both indicating low housing stress for current occupants.
Mortgage / mo
$800
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$170
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$575
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.8%
Unoccupied
169
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.2%
Couples with children
53.3%
Couples, no children
15.1%
Single parent
437
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 20.0% of local workers (73 people), followed by Education at 14.5% (53) and Agriculture at 14.0% (51), a mix typical of a regional service town supporting a surrounding farming catchment. Public Administration and Construction account for 9.6% and 8.5% respectively. Occupation data shows Managers (100) and Professionals (91) as the top two categories, but Community and Personal Service (82) and Labourers (82) are almost as large, reflecting the breadth of roles in a small town. The unemployment rate is 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 63.8%, broadly in line with regional norms. The participation rate of 42.6% is low, largely because 672 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the town's high median age and significant retiree population.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
637
Unemployed
24
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
45.1%
Employed
613
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.1%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
7.1%
Dwellings
717
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 87.1%, which is typical for a rural town where public transport is effectively unavailable. Walking or cycling accounts for 7.7% of commuters, above what many comparable towns record, likely reflecting the flat terrain and compact town centre. Safety data shows a crime rate of 56.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 92 offences recorded in total. Property and deception offences lead at 43 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 35. No schools are recorded in the dataset for this suburb boundary. The combination of very low housing costs, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.4%, and a 25.6% volunteering rate paints a picture of a community where financial stress is low and civic participation is high, though service access requires travel to larger regional centres such as Horsham, approximately 38 kilometres to the east.
Drive
72.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
6.4%
Work from Home
16.6%
Growth Outlook
Population data shows an aging, stable community: the 87.5% residency retention rate signals low turnover, but with a median age of 52 and household income at the 15.2nd percentile nationally, organic population growth through new household formation is limited. Development activity at 4 applications in 12 months confirms the market is not expanding, and future price growth will depend on demand from lifestyle buyers or regional infrastructure investment rather than population-driven housing pressure.
Population trend: Hindmarsh council area
Dimboola sits in the Hindmarsh council area. These are the council area's residents, not Dimboola's.
Residents 2025
5,447
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.8%/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
92
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
56.3
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 Dimboola compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dimboola a good suburb to live in?
The 25.6% volunteering rate reflects a cohesive community, though residents are heavily car-dependent at 87.1% and services beyond the town centre require travel to Horsham, about 38 km east.
What schools are in Dimboola?
No schools are recorded inside the Dimboola suburb boundary in this dataset. The nearest secondary and primary options are in the broader Wimmera region, with Horsham, approximately 38 km east, the main education hub. Locally, 18.1% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12 percentage points below the national average.
Is Dimboola safe?
Dimboola recorded 92 offences in the latest crime data, giving a rate of 56.3 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 43 incidents and crimes against the person for 35. For context, the town's low housing stress, with rent-to-income at 16.1% and mortgage-to-income at 17.4%, removes a key driver of crime seen in higher-pressure markets.
Is Dimboola good for property investment?
The 18.8% vacancy rate is the main risk, well above the 3% balanced benchmark. Only 4 development applications were lodged in 12 months, so new supply is minimal.
How is Dimboola's population changing?
Dimboola's population of 1,635 is stable but aging, with a median age of 52 that is 12 years above the national figure. The 87.5% residency retention rate shows most residents are long-term locals. Household income at the 15.2nd percentile nationally and a high retiree share mean organic growth through new household formation is limited.
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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