Newtown
A population of just 189 spread across 12.37 square kilometres defines this peri-urban pocket near Ballarat. The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, household income sits at the 13.7th percentile nationally, and 56.2% of residents own their home outright. Those three numbers connect: a long-settled, older community that bought in decades ago and paid down debt, even as income levels stayed modest. Every dwelling is a separate house, and 91.9% of residents did not move in the prior year, making this one of the most stable and least-transacted communities in regional Victoria.
Population
189
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,025/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
14
No median sale price is recorded for Newtown VIC 3351 due to very low transaction volumes in a 189-person suburb. The clearest affordability signal is a monthly mortgage repayment of $1,300 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3%, just below the standard 30% stress threshold, which is better than many regional centres. Every dwelling is a separate house: 3-bedroom homes lead at 46.3%, followed by 2-bedroom at 31.3% and 4-plus at 22.4%. The outright ownership rate of 56.2% is well above the national average, indicating established, debt-free holdings rather than a market driven by recent leveraged buyers. Turnover of 8.1% means stock rarely comes to market, so buyers should expect limited choice.
For Buyers
No median sale price is recorded for Newtown VIC 3351 due to very low transaction volumes in a 189-person suburb. The clearest affordability signal is a monthly mortgage repayment of $1,300 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3%, just below the standard 30% stress threshold, which is better than many regional centres. Every dwelling is a separate house: 3-bedroom homes lead at 46.3%, followed by 2-bedroom at 31.3% and 4-plus at 22.4%. The outright ownership rate of 56.2% is well above the national average, indicating established, debt-free holdings rather than a market driven by recent leveraged buyers. Turnover of 8.1% means stock rarely comes to market, so buyers should expect limited choice.
For Investors
Rental conditions are structurally soft. Weekly rent of $103 is far below Victorian state medians, and rent-to-income sits at only 10.0%, indicating tenants are not under financial pressure. Vacancy at 6.5% exceeds the typical 3% healthy-market threshold, pointing to soft absorption. With just 12 development applications lodged in the past 12 months and 100% detached stock, no new supply pipeline is forming. Household income at the 13.7th percentile nationally caps rent growth, and the 189-person population creates a thin tenant pool compared with any large nearby suburb. Returns depend on long-term capital appreciation rather than yield, and resale liquidity is limited.
Development Activity
Total DAs
14
Last 12 Months
14
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$351K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Newtown iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
The Geelong College
Prep-12 · 1573 students
Chilwell Primary School
Prep-6 · 408 students
Fyans Park Primary School
Prep-6 · 405 students
Sacred Heart College
7-12 · 1450 students
St Robert's School
Prep-6 · 261 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, pointing to an aging resident base. Residential turnover is just 8.1%, with 91.9% staying at the same address, higher stability than most comparable communities. Overseas-born residents account for 13.8%, which is 7.8 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (72 people), Irish (19) and Scottish (9). University qualifications reach 26.3%, running 3.8 points below national, consistent with the trades and labourer-weighted occupation profile. Average household size of 2.6 is marginally above national. Couples with children (71) outnumber couples without children (55) across 162 recorded families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership dominates tenure: 56.2% own outright and 43.8% carry a mortgage, with no renter data recorded at this population scale. The outright ownership majority reflects long-held, debt-free wealth rather than recent purchase activity. Stock is entirely separate houses, with no apartments or semi-detached dwellings, consistent with the low density of 15.3 residents per sqkm. Three-bedroom homes lead at 46.3%, ahead of 2-bedroom at 31.3% and 4-plus at 22.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3% sits just below the stress benchmark. Weekly rent of $103 produces a rent-to-income ratio of 10.0%, far lower than metropolitan and most regional markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$103
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$522
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.5%
Unoccupied
5
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
10.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.0%
Couples, no children
162
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction and Healthcare each account for 14.6% of employed residents, followed by Utilities at 12.5% and Transport and Professional/Technical services both at 8.3%. By occupation, Labourers lead at 12 workers, Sales at 10, and Managers, Community/Personal Service and Clerical/Admin each at 9. The full-time employment rate is 60.3% and unemployment is 6.8%, above typical state averages. Labour force participation is 50.0%, because 58 residents are not in the labour force, a pattern consistent with the older median age of 45. SEIFA deciles are unavailable, so household income at the 13.7th percentile nationally is the most direct measure of the area's economic position relative to Australia.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
50.0%
Employed
68
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.3%
Postgraduate
7.9%
Born Overseas
13.8%
Dwellings
69
Transport to Work
Car use is near-total at 92.9% of employed commuters, well above national norms, because the density of 15.3 people per sqkm makes public transport unviable. No schools are recorded within the boundary, so families rely on facilities in neighbouring Ballarat localities. Crime totals 574 offences, led by property and deception at 408, crimes against the person at 51 and drug offences at 32. The rate of 3,037 per 1,000 residents is high in ratio terms, but this figure is distorted by the very small denominator of 189 people and should not be compared directly against larger suburbs. Volunteering runs at 15.4%, and mortgage-to-income of 29.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
92.9%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
574
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
3037.0
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 Newtown compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newtown a good suburb to live in?
Newtown suits owner-occupiers seeking space and low housing costs. All dwellings are separate houses, 56.2% are owned outright, and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, well below metropolitan benchmarks. The trade-offs are household income at the 13.7th percentile nationally, no schools within the boundary, and near-total car dependency at 92.9% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Newtown?
No median house price is recorded for Newtown VIC 3351 due to low transaction volumes in a community of 189 people. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, weekly rent averages $103, and 56.2% of homes are owned outright, all pointing to a modest, low-turnover market well below Victorian state medians.
What schools are in Newtown?
No schools are recorded within the Newtown VIC 3351 boundary in this dataset, so families depend on schools in neighbouring Ballarat suburbs. The local university qualification rate of 26.3% is 3.8 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the trades and labourer-weighted workforce rather than a tertiary-oriented community.
Is Newtown safe?
Newtown recorded 574 total offences, led by property and deception incidents at 408, crimes against the person at 51 and drug offences at 32. The per-1,000-resident rate is elevated because the denominator is only 189 people, so direct comparisons with larger suburbs overstate relative risk. Property-dominant patterns are typical of dispersed rural settings with commercial and transit activity.
Is Newtown good for property investment?
Investment prospects are constrained. Weekly rent of $103 is well below Victorian state medians, vacancy at 6.5% is above the healthy-market threshold, and no median house price is available to calculate gross yield. Household income at the 13.7th percentile nationally limits rent growth. Turnover of 8.1% restricts resale liquidity compared with larger markets.
How is Newtown's population changing?
No formal population forecast exists for this suburb. The current base of 189 residents is highly stable, with 91.9% remaining at the same address year-on-year. The median age of 45 is 5.0 years above the national figure, suggesting the community is aging in place rather than growing, absent an inflow of younger households.
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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