Smythesdale
Ownership rates tell the real story in Smythesdale: 42.2% of households own their home outright, a figure well above the national average, while only 4.6% rent. Median age is 39, roughly one year below national, and 92.1% of workers drive to their jobs, reflecting a car-dependent regional setting.
Local council: Golden Plains (84% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
1,189
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,656/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$622K
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
Separate houses make up 98.3% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 40.8% and 3-bedroom at 46.0%, so supply is dominated by family-sized detached dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,430, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9% is below the 30% stress threshold.
For Buyers
Separate houses make up 98.3% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 40.8% and 3-bedroom at 46.0%, so supply is dominated by family-sized detached dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,430, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9% is below the 30% stress threshold.
For Investors
The investor case for Smythesdale is narrow but legible. The vacancy rate of 6.4% is elevated, sitting above the typical 3% equilibrium, which signals limited rental competition for tenants and some pressure on landlords. Only 4.6% of households rent, the smallest renter share in the brief, so the pool of potential tenants is thin. Development activity recorded just 2 applications in the past 12 months, both subdivision permits, indicating minimal new housing supply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
3
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
Schools in Smythesdale
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Woady Yaloak Primary School
Demographics
Smythesdale's population profile leans decisively Anglo-Celtic: English (524), Irish (156) and Scottish (131) are the three largest ancestries, and only 7.4% of residents were born overseas, which is 14.2 percentage points below the national figure. University qualifications reach just 13.7% of the workforce, 16.4 points below national, consistent with a trade and services economy rather than a professional one. The median age of 39 is one year below the national median. Average household size is 2.7, slightly above the national 2.5. Couples with children account for 450 of 998 total families, making that the dominant household structure. The volunteering rate of 14.9% is a marker of community cohesion in a small regional town.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.3%
Houses
1.7%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
The ownership structure is the standout feature: 42.2% own outright, 53.2% carry a mortgage and only 4.6% rent, compared to a national renter share typically exceeding 30%. This extreme skew toward ownership reflects the suburb's regional, land-rich character where entry prices are accessible. Separate houses account for 98.3% of dwellings and bedroom distribution concentrates in 3-bedroom (46.0%) and 4-plus bedroom (40.8%), leaving very little stock below 3 bedrooms. Rent-to-income at 18.1% keeps renting affordable for the small tenant cohort.
Mortgage / mo
$1,430
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$717
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
28
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.9%
Couples with children
40.4%
Couples, no children
12.0%
Single parent
334
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 20.0% of the workforce (69 workers), followed by Construction at 17.4% (60 workers) and Manufacturing at 11.0% (38 workers). Education and Retail round out the top five at 10.4% and 8.7% respectively. By occupation, Community/Personal and Clerical/Admin each contribute 68 workers, with Labourers (66) and Professionals (64) close behind, pointing to a broadly dispersed skills base rather than a dominant white-collar sector. The unemployment rate is notably low at 1.9%, well below the national average of around 4%, and the full-time employment rate reaches 65.7%. Weekly personal income averages $717, with household income placing the suburb at the 57.3rd percentile nationally, above median.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
559
Unemployed
10
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
31.9%
Participation
59.2%
Employed
549
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.7%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
7.4%
Dwellings
409
Transport to Work
With 92.1% of workers driving and only 1.5% walking or cycling, Smythesdale is car-dependent, as expected for a low-density regional town at 29.1 people per km2. The crime rate sits at 41.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 49 total incidents recorded, dominated by property and deception offences (35 incidents) and crimes against the person (10 incidents). Mortgage stress is absent: at 19.9% of income, repayments stay well below the 30% threshold. Rent-to-income at 18.1% is similarly comfortable. Of the 1,189 residents, 73 people (6.6%) need daily assistance, a share that warrants monitoring given the aging population trajectory in similar regional Victorian towns.
Drive
77.2%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
15.6%
Growth Outlook
Development submissions totalled just 2 in the past 12 months, both subdivision permits rather than new dwellings, so supply additions are minimal. Resident stability is high: 81.1% of residents stayed at the same address over the year, with a turnover rate of only 18.9%, below the national average and a signal of settled, long-term occupancy.
Population trend: Golden Plains council area
About 84% of Smythesdale sits in Golden Plains; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Smythesdale's.
Residents 2025
26,620
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
49
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
41.2
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 Smythesdale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Smythesdale a good suburb to live in?
Smythesdale suits buyers who prioritise affordability and stability over urban amenity.
What schools are in Smythesdale?
With just 1,189 residents across 40.92 km2, families rely on schools in nearby larger towns. Only 13.7% of local workers hold university qualifications, 16.4 points below the national figure, reflecting the trade and services orientation of the local economy.
Is Smythesdale safe?
There were 49 total crimes recorded, giving a rate of 41.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for the majority at 35 incidents, with 10 crimes against the person and 4 justice procedure offences. The small absolute numbers reflect the suburb's population of just 1,189 residents.
Is Smythesdale good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. The vacancy rate of 6.4% is elevated compared to the 3% equilibrium figure, and only 4.6% of households rent, making the tenant pool thin.
How is Smythesdale's population changing?
Smythesdale has a population of 1,189 with a resident stability rate of 81.1%, meaning most occupants stayed at the same address over the year. The turnover rate of 18.9% is below the national average. The suburb's low density of 29.1 people per km2 and limited development activity, with just 2 subdivision applications in 12 months, suggest slow organic growth.
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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