Jackass Flat
A median age of 28 sets Jackass Flat apart from most Victorian suburbs, sitting 12 years below the national figure and producing one of the youngest resident profiles in the region. The suburb's 1,907 residents live almost entirely in separate houses, which make up 99.4% of dwellings, with 73.3% of those homes having four or more bedrooms. Household income sits at the 64.2nd percentile nationally, and housing costs are restrained: mortgage repayments consume just 19.4% of income, well below the 30% stress threshold. That combination of young families, large homes and manageable debt burden shapes the suburb's identity as a growth-oriented, family-dominated community on Bendigo's fringe.
Population
1,907
Median Age
28.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,805/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$550K
Apr-Jun 2024
The median house price of $550,000 as of April-June 2024 represents a 91.3% gain since 2013 when the median was $287,500, a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% across 14 years. The price briefly peaked at $572,500 in early 2024 before settling 3.9% lower, suggesting the market absorbed some heat without a sustained correction. Stock is almost exclusively detached houses at 99.4%, with 73.3% of homes having four or more bedrooms, so buyers seeking large family homes will find plentiful supply compared to inner suburban markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,515, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.4%, comfortably below the national stress threshold. Outright owners account for only 17.2%, with 48.7% carrying a mortgage, which reflects the suburb's younger buyer profile rather than inherited equity.
For Buyers
The median house price of $550,000 as of April-June 2024 represents a 91.3% gain since 2013 when the median was $287,500, a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% across 14 years. The price briefly peaked at $572,500 in early 2024 before settling 3.9% lower, suggesting the market absorbed some heat without a sustained correction. Stock is almost exclusively detached houses at 99.4%, with 73.3% of homes having four or more bedrooms, so buyers seeking large family homes will find plentiful supply compared to inner suburban markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,515, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.4%, comfortably below the national stress threshold. Outright owners account for only 17.2%, with 48.7% carrying a mortgage, which reflects the suburb's younger buyer profile rather than inherited equity.
For Investors
A 34.1% renter share and weekly rent of $340 give investors a meaningful tenant pool in a market where the median price of $550,000 keeps purchase costs moderate compared to capital city alternatives. The vacancy rate of 7.2% is elevated and signals more supply than demand at present, so yield compression is a risk in the short term. Development activity is modest at 6 applications in the past 12 months, including a 15-lot and a 12-lot subdivision, pointing to measured lot release rather than oversupply. Net internal migration runs at minus 12 per year while overseas migration adds 7, producing a balanced migration pattern. The stronger demand driver is organic growth: the suburb's trend projects 6.28% annual population increase, with the medium forecast lifting total population to 1,117 by 2031 from around 885 today.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 28 is 12 years below the national average, making Jackass Flat one of the youngest suburbs in its region, because the housing stock of large four-plus bedroom homes attracts young families at the household formation stage. Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above the national figure, consistent with that family orientation. University qualifications reach 24.4% of residents, which is 5.7 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting an occupational mix weighted toward trades, healthcare and community services rather than knowledge-work professions. Overseas-born residents make up 15.0%, which is 6.6 points below national, and ancestry skews strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (756 residents), Irish (172) and Scottish (166). Residential stability is high: 65.2% of residents stayed in the suburb over the reference period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is the most uniform of any suburb at this price point: 99.4% separate houses and 73.3% with four or more bedrooms. Three-bedroom homes account for 24.8%, leaving virtually nothing smaller in a suburb where median prices of $550,000 reflect the larger floor plates on offer. Tenure skews toward mortgagors at 48.7%, well ahead of outright owners at 17.2% and renters at 34.1%, confirming that most residents are younger buyers still carrying debt rather than long-settled owners. Prices have compounded at 4.7% annually over 14 years, rising from $287,500 in 2013 to a peak of $572,500 before the current $550,000, a gain that outpaces inflation. Rent at $340 per week keeps rent-to-income at 18.8%, meaning renters here are not under financial stress relative to most Australian markets.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,515
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$869
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.9%
Couples, no children
1,665
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local workforce at 30.2% of all employed residents (190 workers), an unusually high concentration that reflects Bendigo's role as a regional healthcare hub drawing workers from fringe suburbs like Jackass Flat. Construction accounts for 10.6% and Education 9.7%, followed by Manufacturing at 8.7% and Public Administration at 6.8%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 180 workers, followed closely by Community and Personal Service workers at 164 and Labourers at 130, a distribution more blue-collar and care-oriented than the national average. The unemployment rate is 5.5%, with a participation rate of 66.8% and 578 residents employed full-time. The SEIFA IEO decile of 9 indicates that despite the occupational mix, residents' education and occupation outcomes place this suburb above 80% of Australian communities nationally.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
434
Unemployed
18
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.8%
Part-time
28.7%
Participation
66.8%
Employed
879
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.4%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
15.0%
Dwellings
633
Transport to Work
Car dependence defines daily life: 91.5% of residents commute by car, compared to the national average where public transport use is significantly higher, while only 0.7% use public transport and 1.5% walk or cycle. That reflects Jackass Flat's position on Bendigo's urban fringe where bus services are infrequent. Crime runs at 46.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (37 incidents) and crimes against the person (35) as the two largest categories. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Bendigo suburbs. The IRSAD decile of 7 places the suburb above the median nationally for relative advantage, and housing stress indicators are low: mortgage-to-income at 19.4% and rent-to-income at 18.8% leave both owners and renters with manageable cost burdens compared to capital city norms.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+6.28%/yr
(+46 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is projected at 6.28% annually, among the faster trajectories for established VIC suburbs, with the medium forecast reaching 1,117 residents by 2031 compared to roughly 885 today. The historical record shows some post-COVID volatility: the suburb recorded 742 residents pre-COVID, dipped to 706 at the low point, and had not fully recovered by the 2025 reference year at 733 in the historical cohort. However the overall 1,907-person total is the broader suburb figure, suggesting that the growth signal is real and ongoing. Internal migration runs at a net minus 12 per year while overseas arrivals add 7, so growth depends primarily on young families forming locally and staying, supported by the 65.2% residential retention rate. No gentrification uplift is recorded, meaning the growth profile is organic rather than speculation-driven.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+7
Net Internal / yr
-12
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
88
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
46.1
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 Jackass Flat compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jackass Flat a good suburb to live in?
Jackass Flat suits young families well. The suburb scores decile 9 on the IEO index, placing it above 80% of Australian communities nationally for education and occupation outcomes. Housing costs are manageable: mortgage-to-income sits at 19.4% and rent-to-income at 18.8%. The trade-off is heavy car dependence at 91.5%, with minimal public transport.
What is the median house price in Jackass Flat?
The median house price is $550,000 as of April-June 2024. Prices have grown 91.3% since 2013 when the median was $287,500, a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% over 14 years. Weekly rent averages $340 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,515.
What schools are in Jackass Flat?
No schools are recorded within the Jackass Flat suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Bendigo suburbs. The suburb's 24.4% university qualification rate is 5.7 percentage points below the national figure, and 1,907 residents are spread across 2.21 square kilometres.
Is Jackass Flat safe?
The crime rate is 46.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 88 total recorded offences. Property and deception offences account for 37 incidents and crimes against the person 35. The IRSAD decile of 7 places the suburb above the national median for relative advantage, which typically correlates with lower crime exposure.
Is Jackass Flat good for property investment?
The investment case is supported by 6.28% projected annual population growth and a 34.1% renter pool against a $550,000 median. Weekly rent of $340 is modest. The 7.2% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants caution, though the 14-year price CAGR of 4.7% from a $287,500 base shows sustained capital growth.
How is Jackass Flat's population changing?
The medium population forecast projects growth from around 885 today to 1,117 by 2031, driven by a 6.28% annual trend rate. Internal migration runs at a net minus 12 per year, offset by 7 overseas arrivals, so the primary growth engine is local household formation among the suburb's young median-age-28 resident base.
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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