Terang
With a median age of 49, Terang sits 9 years above the national figure, making it one of western Victoria's most distinctly senior-skewing communities. Household income falls at the 22.5th percentile nationally, yet mortgage stress is absent: monthly repayments average just $1,066 and consume 21.2% of income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Agriculture and healthcare anchor the local economy, and 82.8% of residents stayed in the same address over the reference period, pointing to a stable, rooted population.
Local council: Corangamite (77% of the suburb; the rest sits in a neighbouring council)
Population
2,254
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,162/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$372K
October to December 2025
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,066, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 21.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 91.9% of the stock, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 52.5% and 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 26%, giving buyers genuine choice across family sizes.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,066, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 21.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 91.9% of the stock, with 3-bedroom homes the most common at 52.5% and 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 26%, giving buyers genuine choice across family sizes.
For Investors
Terang's rental market is lean: just 21.5% of dwellings are rented, compared to higher shares in most VIC regional centres, and weekly rent runs at $225, which is low in absolute terms. The vacancy rate of 11.3% is elevated, signalling that rental supply exceeds current demand. Only 4 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating minimal new supply pressure but also limited pipeline growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Terang
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Terang College
St Thomas' School
Demographics
Terang's median age of 49 is 9 years above the national average, placing it firmly in an aging cohort. The overseas-born share is just 6.4%, which is 15.2 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a predominantly locally-born population. Ancestry is overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic: English (904), Irish (425), Scottish (265) and German (63) account for the main recorded groups. University qualifications reach 19.3%, which is 10.8 points below the national rate, consistent with the region's blue-collar and agricultural employment base. Average household size is 2.2, slightly below the national average of 2.5. Couples without children make up 33.9% of families, typical of an older resident profile, and 21.3% of residents volunteer, indicating high community participation.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.9%
Houses
7.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership is a defining characteristic: 47.4% of Terang dwellings are owned outright, a share well above the national average, while mortgage holders account for 31.1% and renters just 21.5%. This outright-ownership majority reflects the older resident base and long tenure patterns. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 91.9%, with semi-detached at 7% and apartments barely registering at 0.3%. Three-bedroom homes account for 52.5% of stock, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 26%, which suits agricultural households needing space.
Mortgage / mo
$1,066
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$225
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$651
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.3%
Unoccupied
118
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.4%
Couples with children
45.6%
Couples, no children
17.4%
Single parent
605
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Terang's largest employer at 23.1% of workers (142 people), reflecting the demand for aged care and health services that typically follows a senior-skewing population. Agriculture ranks second at 13% (80 workers), consistent with the broader South West Victoria dairying and grazing region. Construction accounts for 9.9% and Retail 7.3%. By occupation, Community and Personal service (158) and Labourers (148) are the two largest groups, with Managers (136) and Professionals (116) following. The unemployment rate is 3.4%, below conventional thresholds, and the full-time employment rate among employed residents is 61.8%. Participation is lower at 49.9%, because a significant share of the population, 759 residents, is not in the labour force, consistent with an older age structure.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
1,045
Unemployed
32
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
34.6%
Participation
54.9%
Employed
1,013
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.3%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
6.4%
Dwellings
916
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 86.8% of residents driving to work, reflecting the rural geography and limited public transport options typical of towns this size. Notably, 7.5% walk or cycle, a meaningful share for a low-density town. Crime totalled 158 incidents, producing a rate of 70.1 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences (82 incidents) the largest category. Rent-to-income sits at 19.4% and mortgage-to-income at 21.2%, both below stress levels, meaning housing costs are manageable. No schools are recorded in this dataset for Terang. Volunteering at 21.3% is high relative to many urban suburbs, reflecting the social fabric typical of regional communities where 82.8% of residents have not moved in the reference period.
Drive
77.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
6.7%
Work from Home
10.5%
Growth Outlook
Population sits at 2,254 with a density of only 18.9 people per km2 across 119 km2, and the community's high stay-put rate of 82.8% limits organic turnover. Development activity is minimal, with 4 applications in 12 months, all subdivision works, suggesting no near-term supply surge. The aging resident base and low overseas-born share of 6.4% mean population growth is unlikely to be a strong driver; price momentum will depend on regional lifestyle demand from buyers priced out of larger centres.
Population trend: Corangamite council area
About 77% of Terang sits in Corangamite; the rest is in a neighbouring council. These are the council area's residents, not Terang's.
Residents 2025
15,712
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
-0.3%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
158
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
70.1
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 Terang compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Terang a good suburb to live in?
Terang suits buyers prioritising affordability and stability over amenity and growth. The community is stable, with 82.8% of residents not moving in the reference period. The main trade-offs are limited public transport, an 11.3% vacancy rate, and household income at the 22.5th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Terang?
No schools are recorded inside the Terang boundary in this dataset. Terang is a small regional town of 2,254 residents and families typically access schools in the broader Corangamite region. University qualifications locally sit at 19.3%, which is 10.8 points below the national figure, reflecting the area's blue-collar and agricultural workforce.
Is Terang safe?
Terang recorded 158 criminal incidents in the reference period, a rate of 70.1 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 82 of those incidents, the largest single category, followed by crimes against the person at 32. Housing stress is absent, with rent-to-income at 19.4% and mortgage-to-income at 21.2%, both below stress thresholds.
Is Terang good for property investment?
The vacancy rate of 11.3% is elevated, and only 21.5% of residents rent, so the tenant pool is thin.
How is Terang's population changing?
Terang's population of 2,254 has a median age of 49, which is 9 years above the national figure, indicating an aging community. The overseas-born share is just 6.4%, which is 15.2 points below national, limiting migration-driven growth. Community turnover is low, with 82.8% of residents remaining at the same address, pointing to a stable but slowly aging population base.
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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