Loch Sport
Loch Sport's most distinctive feature is its older, low-density profile: the median age is 63, or 23 years above the national comparison, across a population of 1,021. Almost every dwelling is detached housing at 99.4%, while the 69.7% vacancy rate points to a large holiday-home or intermittently occupied component. Compared with nearby Golden Beach and Paradise Beach, Loch Sport stands out for its 84.29 square kilometre footprint, strong outright ownership and pronounced aging trajectory.
Local council: Wellington
Population
1,021
Median Age
63.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$674/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
7
Median House
$395K
October to December 2025
Ownership is already high, with 67.8% of homes owned outright and 22.7% carrying a mortgage, so the suburb may suit downsizers, retirees and buyers seeking manageable debt. The listed mortgage cost is $700 per month, with mortgage payments equal to 24.0% of household income.
For Buyers
Ownership is already high, with 67.8% of homes owned outright and 22.7% carrying a mortgage, so the suburb may suit downsizers, retirees and buyers seeking manageable debt. The listed mortgage cost is $700 per month, with mortgage payments equal to 24.0% of household income.
For Investors
Loch Sport requires a cautious rental assessment because the vacancy rate is 69.7%, far higher than an investor would typically want in a tight rental market. Weekly rent is $180 and only 7.4% of occupied housing is rented, while 67.8% is owned outright, indicating limited resident-renter depth. The 21.2% rent growth recorded over the period provides a positive counterpoint, but high vacancy can weaken consistency of income and tenant competition. Six development matters were recorded in 12 months, and the annual growth trend is 1.36%. Compared with a standard high-demand rental market, Loch Sport is better suited to selective properties, holiday-linked strategies or long holding periods than to yield-chasing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
12
Last 12 Months
7
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 Loch Sport
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Loch Sport Primary School
Demographics
Loch Sport has a markedly older population profile, with a median age of 63, which is 23 years above the national comparison. The average household contains 1.7 people, or 0.8 below the national figure, and 75.4% of families are couples without children. University attainment is 13.6%, sitting 16.5 percentage points below the national comparison, while 22.3% of residents were born overseas, only 0.7 points above the national figure. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading ancestries at 486, 135 and 117 people. Christianity accounts for 475 residents and no religion for 431. Compared with younger regional communities, the 79.0% stay rate and 21.0% turnover rate point to a settled population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing values have risen substantially over the long term but have eased from their recent high. Tenure is strongly owner-led: 67.8% of homes are owned outright, 22.7% are mortgaged and 7.4% are rented. Compared with more apartment-oriented markets, Loch Sport is overwhelmingly detached, with 99.4% separate houses, including 51.0% with 3 bedrooms and 30.0% with 2 bedrooms.
Mortgage / mo
$700
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$180
Census 2021
HH Size
1.7
Personal Income / wk
$433
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
69.7%
Unoccupied
1,208
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
11.0%
Couples with children
75.4%
Couples, no children
14.4%
Single parent
264
Total families
Economy & Employment
Loch Sport's household income is low relative to broader benchmarks, with weekly household income of $674 at the 1.8th percentile. The employment base is concentrated in healthcare at 16.6% or 25 workers, hospitality and education at 12.6% or 19 each, construction at 8.6% or 13, and utilities at 7.9% or 12. Community and personal occupations lead at 43 people, followed by trades at 42 and managers at 35. Participation is 26.2%, unemployment is 7.8% and 641 people are outside the labour force, reflecting the median age of 63. Compared with the income position, the IER decile of 6 is higher than the IEO decile of 3, while IRSD and IRSAD sit at 4 and 3, showing that economic resources are stronger than some education and disadvantage measures.
Unemployment
7.8%
Labour Force
256
Unemployed
20
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
40.7%
Part-time
49.2%
Participation
26.2%
Employed
236
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.6%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
22.3%
Dwellings
521
Transport to Work
Loch Sport provides a spacious, car-oriented lifestyle across 84.29 square kilometres, with a low density of 12.1 people per square kilometre. Driving is the dominant transport mode at 76.6%, compared with 6.4% walking or cycling and 13.8% working from home, so daily errands and regional connections are likely to depend on private vehicles. The local school mix includes 1 government primary school, Loch Sport Primary School; families should confirm enrolment zones and plan nearby travel for later schooling. Safety recorded 88 offences at 86.2 per 1,000 people, with public order and security offences at 28 and property and deception offences at 27. Compared with higher-resource areas, an IRSAD decile of 3 is below the middle range, although volunteering reaches 21.0%.
Drive
76.6%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
6.4%
Work from Home
13.8%
Growth Outlook
Loch Sport has an established forecast profile with an annual trend of 1.36% and a Balanced migration driver. Population change across the wider area is 28.1% over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share has increased by 8.2% while the young share has fallen by 3.4%. This means growth is more likely to reinforce an older resident base than create a younger family market. Affordability is classified as Improving, moving from 39.3% in 2011 to 33.3% in 2021, while rents have grown 21.2%. Compared with a rapidly gentrifying suburb, the gentrification score of 9 and stage of Not gentrifying indicate limited current change in the area's social and housing profile.
Population trend: Wellington council area
Loch Sport sits in the Wellington council area. These are the council area's residents, not Loch Sport's.
Residents 2025
46,551
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
88
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
86.2
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 Loch Sport compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Loch Sport a good suburb to live in?
Loch Sport may suit buyers seeking low-density housing and a settled lifestyle, with 67.8% of homes owned outright and 99.4% separate houses. Trade-offs include a median age of 63, car use at 76.6% and only 1 local government primary school, so services, schooling and transport should be checked against your needs.
What schools are in Loch Sport?
Loch Sport Primary School is the local government primary school. Families should confirm current enrolment capacity and address-based zones directly. For secondary years, compare nearby travel options because the local school choice is 1 primary campus.
Is Loch Sport safe?
Safety should be assessed with local context: 88 recorded offences produced a rate of 86.2 per 1,000 people. The largest categories were public order and security offences at 28 and property and deception offences at 27. Recent police updates can help clarify current conditions.
How is Loch Sport's population changing?
The wider area's population change is 28.1% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 1.36% and Balanced migration. The trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 8.2% while the young share fell 3.4%. Gentrification is scored 9 and classified Not gentrifying.
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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