Maffra
At 42, Maffra has an older age profile than the national average, with 5,384 residents spread across 78.82 square kilometres. Its housing is notably detached, with 93.2% of dwellings separate houses, while only 8.6% of residents were born overseas and 19.8% have a university qualification, 10.3 percentage points below the national figure. That combination supports a settled, lower-density town role within the Sale and Stratford area, because family homes, local services and long-term households shape demand more than apartment turnover.
Population
5,384
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,285/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$442K
October to December 2025
The market suits households wanting space: 93.2% of homes are separate houses, 50.4% have 3 bedrooms and 30.6% have 4 or more. Renting at $250 a week can help bridge a move, but low-density stock makes address-level inspection important.
For Buyers
The market suits households wanting space: 93.2% of homes are separate houses, 50.4% have 3 bedrooms and 30.6% have 4 or more. Renting at $250 a week can help bridge a move, but low-density stock makes address-level inspection important.
For Investors
Investment conditions are supported by a 21.9% renting share and a $250 weekly median rent, while the 8.5% vacancy rate suggests more tenant choice than in a tightly supplied market. Compared with the 40.3% owned-outright share, the renter base is smaller, so demand is likely to rely on local workers and households needing flexible tenure rather than a large transient market. Rent growth of 47.1% across the shift period is a positive signal, but the 13 development applications in 12 months could add competing supply. Balanced migration and an established market call for careful checks on tenant depth, maintenance and resale liquidity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
31
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+37.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Maffra
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Maffra Primary School
St Mary's School
Maffra Secondary College
Demographics
Maffra's median age of 42 is 2 years above the national average, and its 2.3-person household size is 0.2 below the national figure. The population leans toward long-established Anglo-Celtic ancestry, with 2,347 people reporting English ancestry, 662 Irish and 612 Scottish. No religion was recorded by 2,504 residents, narrowly above Christianity at 2,435, while overseas-born residents account for 8.6%. University qualification attainment is 19.8%, or 10.3 percentage points below national levels. These patterns help explain the suburb's steady social character, with 83.6% of residents staying at the same address and a 16.4% turnover rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.2%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
6.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is weighted to ownership: 40.3% own outright and 36.0% have a mortgage, compared with 21.9% renting. Separate houses make up 93.2% of dwellings, so price resilience is tied to family-home demand and limited apartment supply. Housing stress is contained at 19.5% of income for renters and 23.4% for mortgagors.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $250.
$450
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $450 · units $360
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$669
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.5%
Unoccupied
199
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.6%
Couples with children
46.0%
Couples, no children
16.7%
Single parent
1,455
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Maffra's largest industry at 20.7% of jobs, followed by construction at 13.0%, education at 12.5%, public administration at 7.5% and agriculture at 6.6%. This mix links employment to essential services, building activity and the surrounding agricultural economy. Trades lead occupations with 439 workers, ahead of professionals at 368 and community and personal services at 321. Unemployment is 3.8% and participation is 55.2%, while weekly household income of $1,285 sits at the 29.8th percentile, below the national median position. SEIFA results are uneven: education and occupation decile 3, economic resources decile 5, disadvantage decile 4 and advantage decile 3, pointing to modest resources but less severe disadvantage than the lowest decile.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
2,401
Unemployed
92
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.7%
Part-time
35.4%
Participation
55.2%
Employed
2,309
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.8%
Postgraduate
3.7%
Born Overseas
8.6%
Dwellings
2,123
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 79.7% of residents drive to work, compared with 4.0% who walk or cycle, while 10.6% work from home. Families have access to 3 local schools spanning government primary, Catholic primary and government secondary provision, giving the town a practical spread of school types; enrolment zones should still be checked against the exact address. Recorded crime was 83.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, led by 174 justice procedures offences and 149 property and deception offences, so household security deserves attention. The IRSAD decile is 3 and the IEO decile is also 3, lower than a high-resource community, which fits the suburb's service-town profile.
Drive
79.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.0%
Work from Home
10.6%
Population Forecast
+0.84%/yr
(+131 people/yr)
EstablishedMaffra's established forecast points to 0.84% annual growth, with migration classified as Balanced rather than driven by one dominant stream. The wider area records 10.1% population change over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 5.7 percentage points while the young share is down 1.7 points and the working share is down 2.7. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage, with a score of 32, while the shift model gives 44. These signals suggest gradual change because affordable housing and balanced movement can attract new households without overturning an older population base. Rent growth of 47.1% is higher than the 16.1% real income growth figure, so affordability should be watched.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+62
Net Internal / yr
+100
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +14% since 2011, Net internal migration +100/yr, Accelerating: 3% → 11%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
451
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
83.8
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 Maffra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maffra a good suburb to live in?
Maffra suits buyers seeking a quieter, lower-density town with 93.2% separate houses, 3 local schools and a 79.7% car-driver share. Its median age is 42, which is 2 years above the national average, so the lifestyle is more established than a young inner-city suburb.
What schools are in Maffra?
Maffra has 3 local schools: Maffra Primary School and Maffra Secondary College, both government, plus St Mary's School, a Catholic primary school. Check enrolment zones for the exact address because school access can vary by year level and boundary.
Is Maffra safe?
Recorded crime was 83.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 451 total offences. Justice procedures offences accounted for 174 cases and property and deception offences for 149, so safety is mixed and residents should assess immediate street, lighting and security conditions.
Is Maffra good for property investment?
Rental conditions need careful checking: median rent is $250 a week, vacancy is 8.5% and 21.9% of households rent. Rent growth was 47.1%, but 13 development applications in 12 months may add supply. The 0.84% annual growth trend and Balanced migration favour a measured, long-term approach.
How is Maffra's population changing?
Growth is gradual at 0.84% annually, with migration classified as Balanced. Across the wider area, population change is 10.1% over 10 years, while Maffra's trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 5.7 percentage points and the young share fell 1.7 points. This points to steady demand with increasing importance for age-friendly services.
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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