Timboon
With 50.9% of homes owned outright, Timboon has one of the highest debt-free ownership rates you will find in regional Victoria, a figure that sits well above the national average and signals a settled, long-established population. The median age of 47 is 7 years older than the national figure. At 1,250 residents spread across 81.68 square kilometres, the population density of 15.3 per square kilometre reflects a genuinely rural footprint anchored by agriculture and dairy country on the Otway coast. The median house price reached $545,000 in April-June 2024, a 196% gain compared to $184,000 in 2013, equivalent to an 8.1% compound annual growth rate over 14 years.
Population
1,250
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,237/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$545K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $545,000 median house price in Timboon is lower than the VIC state median, which makes it accessible for buyers priced out of metropolitan markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200, and mortgage-to-income sits at 22.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely detached houses at 97.7%, with semi-detached at 2.3% and no recorded apartments, so buyers have little choice of format but face minimal competition from unit buyers. The largest bedroom cohort is three-bedroom at 55.2%, followed by four-plus at 31.8%, giving most purchases a practical family configuration. Prices pulled back 2.3% from their April-June 2023 peak of $558,000, meaning buyers in mid-2024 entered near the top of a consolidation period rather than a rising run.
For Buyers
The $545,000 median house price in Timboon is lower than the VIC state median, which makes it accessible for buyers priced out of metropolitan markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200, and mortgage-to-income sits at 22.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely detached houses at 97.7%, with semi-detached at 2.3% and no recorded apartments, so buyers have little choice of format but face minimal competition from unit buyers. The largest bedroom cohort is three-bedroom at 55.2%, followed by four-plus at 31.8%, giving most purchases a practical family configuration. Prices pulled back 2.3% from their April-June 2023 peak of $558,000, meaning buyers in mid-2024 entered near the top of a consolidation period rather than a rising run.
For Investors
Timboon's rental market is small: only 18.1% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, at a median weekly rent of $260. The 13.7% vacancy rate is high compared to metropolitan benchmarks and points to limited rental demand in a town of 1,250 people. The gross yield on $260 per week against a $545,000 median calculates to roughly 2.5%, low even for a rural location. Development activity is thin at only 2 applications in the past 12 months, both subdivision permits rather than new dwellings, so supply pressure is not a concern. Capital growth has been the stronger story: 196% price appreciation since 2013 at an 8.1% compound annual rate outperforms many comparable coastal rural markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Timboon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Timboon P-12 School
Prep-12 · 504 students
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7 years older than the national figure, reflecting an aging-resident base that is common across farming districts on the Otway Ranges. Only 8.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 13.1 percentage points below the national rate, and ancestry is almost entirely Anglo-Celtic, led by English (541), Scottish (190) and Irish (157). University qualifications at 20.6% sit 9.5 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a community whose employment base centres on agriculture and trades rather than professional services. The average household size of 2.4 is marginally below national. Volunteering is notably high at 26.4%, above average for rural Victoria, and couples without children (34.1% of families) outnumber couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.7%
Houses
2.3%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Timboon's housing market has delivered 196% price growth since 2013 compared to a starting price of $184,000, reaching $545,000 in April-June 2024. The peak of $558,000 was recorded in April-June 2023, and the market has since moderated by 2.3%. Tenure is heavily skewed toward outright ownership at 50.9%, more than double the renting share of 18.1%, which explains why mortgage-to-income at 22.4% is manageable despite household income sitting in only the 27.3rd percentile nationally. The stock is almost exclusively detached houses at 97.7%. Three-bedroom homes are most common at 55.2%, followed by four-plus at 31.8%, reflecting the pattern of rural landholders requiring space rather than urban compact living.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,200
Rent / wk
$260
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$687
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.7%
Unoccupied
77
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.1%
Couples, no children
965
Total families
Economy & Employment
Agriculture leads the local economy at 17.0% of employment (58 workers), consistent with Timboon's position in Victoria's dairy belt. Healthcare follows at 15.5% (53 workers), a share typical of rural towns serving an aging population, then Education at 11.7% (40 workers) and Construction at 11.4% (39 workers). Hospitality accounts for 6.7% (23 workers), linked to the town's role as a service hub for Otway coast tourism. By occupation, Managers and Labourers are equal in count at 99 each, reflecting the mix of farm operators and agricultural workers rather than a professional-services base. Unemployment is low at 2.7%, but the participation rate of 52.5% is below national norms because 358 residents are not in the labour force, partly due to the older age profile and retiree share.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.4%
Part-time
43.9%
Participation
52.5%
Employed
532
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.6%
Postgraduate
2.5%
Born Overseas
8.5%
Dwellings
484
Transport to Work
Cars dominate mobility in Timboon: 85.2% of employed residents drive to work, compared to a lower national reliance, and there is no recorded public transport usage, as expected for a rural town well beyond the metropolitan network. Walking and cycling account for 8.8% of trips, plausible for a compact town centre. Crime is low: 25 offences recorded with a rate of 20.0 per 1,000 residents, where property and deception offences make up 14 of those 25 incidents. SEIFA decile data was not available in the dataset, but the household income sitting in the 27.3rd percentile nationally places the community in the lower half by income. Rent-to-income is 21.0% and mortgage-to-income 22.4%, both below stress thresholds, so housing cost pressure is manageable relative to local incomes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset.
Drive
85.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
8.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
25
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
20.0
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 Timboon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Timboon a good suburb to live in?
Timboon offers affordable housing with a $545,000 median and mortgage-to-income of 22.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Crime is low at 20.0 incidents per 1,000 residents. The tradeoffs are an older population profile (median age 47, which is 7 years above national), limited public transport, and household income sitting in only the 27.3rd percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Timboon?
The median house price was $545,000 in April-June 2024, down 2.3% from the peak of $558,000 in April-June 2023. Since 2013 when the median was $184,000, prices have risen 196% at an 8.1% compound annual rate. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200 and weekly rent is $260.
What schools are in Timboon?
No schools are recorded inside the Timboon suburb boundary in this dataset. Education employs 11.7% of local workers (40 people), the third-largest industry sector, suggesting education facilities are accessed in the broader Corangamite region. University qualification rates locally are 20.6%, which is 9.5 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Timboon safe?
Timboon recorded 25 offences in the reference period, giving a crime rate of 20.0 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were most common at 14 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 5. For context, a population of 1,250 means these totals are small in absolute terms and the rate is moderate compared to larger regional centres.
Is Timboon good for property investment?
The capital growth case is strong: 196% appreciation since 2013 at 8.1% compound annual rate. However, gross rental yield is roughly 2.5% on a $545,000 median against $260 weekly rent, and the vacancy rate is elevated at 13.7%, which is high compared to metropolitan benchmarks. The rental pool is also small, with only 18.1% of dwellings occupied by tenants.
How is Timboon's population changing?
Timboon's population of 1,250 is stable, with a low residential turnover rate of 13.6%, meaning 86.4% of residents remained in place over the reference year. The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national figure, indicating a gradually aging community. No detailed forward population forecast data was available for this suburb in the dataset.
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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