Nathalia
At a population of 1,982 across 189 square kilometres, Nathalia is one of Victoria's lower-density rural towns, with just 10.4 residents per km2 compared to state urban averages many times higher. The median age of 47 runs 7 years above the national figure, and 47.7% of dwellings are owned outright, well above the national average, reflecting a settled, long-term resident base. Healthcare dominates local employment at 23.3% of workers, which is twice the share of any other single sector.
Local council: Moira
Population
1,982
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,169/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$372K
October to December 2025
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,100, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan markets. Separate houses make up 92.2% of the housing stock, so buyers have a clear and dominant choice of dwelling type. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.3% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes for 30.1%, meaning the supply skews toward family-sized properties. With 47.7% of dwellings owned outright compared to 33.3% carrying a mortgage, the resident base is predominantly debt-free, which reduces forced selling pressure.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,100, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan markets. Separate houses make up 92.2% of the housing stock, so buyers have a clear and dominant choice of dwelling type. Three-bedroom homes account for 50.3% of dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes for 30.1%, meaning the supply skews toward family-sized properties. With 47.7% of dwellings owned outright compared to 33.3% carrying a mortgage, the resident base is predominantly debt-free, which reduces forced selling pressure.
For Investors
Nathalia's renter share of 19.0% is below the national average, limiting the tenant pool compared to metropolitan areas. The vacancy rate of 9.7% is elevated, signalling that rental properties can sit empty for meaningful periods, which is a key risk for landlords in this market. Only 8 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating very low new supply. The town's residence stability is high, with 82.4% of residents having stayed in the same address for at least a year, which points to low organic churn in the rental market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+25.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nathalia
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Nathalia Primary School
St Francis' School
Nathalia Secondary College
St Mary of the Angels College
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national average, placing Nathalia firmly in the aging segment of Australian communities. Only 6.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 14.7 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the predominantly locally-born character of inland Victorian towns. University qualifications are held by 19.0% of residents, 11.1 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, agriculture and manual occupations rather than professional services. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (881 residents), Irish (290) and Scottish (226). The volunteering rate of 26.5% is a notable figure, above the national average, suggesting strong civic engagement. Average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below the national figure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.2%
Houses
4.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Outright ownership at 47.7% significantly exceeds the national average, indicating a community of established, debt-free homeowners. By contrast, only 19.0% rent, below national averages, because the population is stable and long-resident. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 50.3%, followed by 4-plus bedroom homes at 30.1%, with 2-bedroom homes at 14.2%. The separate house rate of 92.2% leaves semi-detached at just 4.6%, so dwelling type choice is essentially binary. Mortgage-to-income at 21.7% and rent-to-income at 16.6% both sit below standard stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,100
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$194
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$628
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
87
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.1%
Couples with children
43.6%
Couples, no children
17.9%
Single parent
498
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer in Nathalia at 23.3% of workers (118 people), a share considerably higher than in most urban centres and typical for a service town with hospital and aged care facilities serving the surrounding agricultural region. Manufacturing and Education each contribute 11.6% (59 workers), followed by Agriculture at 10.8% (55 workers) and Construction at 9.3% (47 workers). By occupation, Managers lead at 148 workers, reflecting farm and business ownership in a rural context, while Labourers (128) and Professionals (126) follow closely. The unemployment rate is 4.7% and the participation rate is 51.2%, which is lower than the national rate because of the older age profile, with 661 residents not in the labour force. Household weekly income of $1,169 places the town at the 23rd percentile nationally, below average but consistent with rural Victorian towns reliant on agriculture and public services.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
921
Unemployed
40
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.0%
Part-time
36.1%
Participation
55.4%
Employed
881
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.0%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
6.9%
Dwellings
811
Transport to Work
Nathalia is overwhelmingly car-dependent, with 83.2% of residents commuting by car, compared to much lower national rates in urban areas. However, 12.3% walk or cycle, a relatively high share for a regional town that reflects the compact, flat township layout. Public transport use at 0.4% is negligible, consistent with most rural Victorian towns. The crime rate of 73.7 incidents per 1,000 residents is elevated relative to many suburban areas; the top categories are justice procedures offences (44 incidents) and property and deception offences (42 incidents). No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, though Nathalia's township services the broader local government area. Housing affordability is strong, with rent-to-income at 16.6% and mortgage-to-income at 21.7%, both below stress thresholds compared to metropolitan benchmarks. The need-for-assistance rate of 9.0% (169 residents) is above average, reflecting the older age profile.
Drive
72.2%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
10.7%
Work from Home
13.3%
Growth Outlook
Residential mobility is low, with 82.4% of residents having stayed at the same address for at least a year, compared to higher turnover rates in growth corridors. Development activity is minimal at 8 applications in 12 months, which limits speculative supply pressure. The town's aging demographic profile, with a median age of 47 running 7 years above national, suggests that natural population growth is limited, and the town's future trajectory depends more on regional employment conditions and lifestyle migration than organic household formation.
Population trend: Moira council area
Nathalia sits in the Moira council area. These are the council area's residents, not Nathalia's.
Residents 2025
30,866
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
146
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
73.7
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 Nathalia compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nathalia a good suburb to live in?
Nathalia suits buyers who value affordability and stability over urban amenity. Housing costs are manageable, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.7% and rent-to-income of 16.6%, both below stress thresholds. The median age of 47, which is 7 years above the national figure, signals a settled rather than growth-driven community.
What schools are in Nathalia?
No schools are recorded inside the Nathalia suburb boundary in this dataset. Nathalia is the main service town for the local government area and would typically have primary and secondary facilities nearby, but educational attainment data shows 19.0% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 11.1 percentage points below the national rate.
Is Nathalia safe?
Nathalia recorded 146 criminal incidents in the period covered, a rate of 73.7 per 1,000 residents. The largest categories are justice procedures offences (44 incidents) and property and deception offences (42 incidents). This rate is higher than many low-density suburban areas and worth weighing against the town's affordable housing costs.
Is Nathalia good for property investment?
The vacancy rate of 9.7% is elevated and the renter share of 19.0% is below national averages, so investor demand is limited and vacancy risk is real.
How is Nathalia's population changing?
The population of 1,982 is spread across 189 square kilometres at a density of 10.4 per km2. The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national average, and 82.4% of residents stayed at the same address for at least a year, indicating low population turnover. These signals point to a stable rather than growing community.
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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