Aireys Inlet is a rural locality in Victoria, 125 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Population is 979; the median age is 57 and the median household income is $85,384 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 22.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,171. The area shows high bushfire risk. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Aireys Inlet a good place to live?
Aireys Inlet scores a C (49/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on transit, prices, and safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 124.6 km · 106 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.34M · Less affordable than 96% of VIC
High bushfire risk
Fire 88/100 · Crime 15/100 · Flood 28/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 57 · 979 residents
Liveability Rating
49 / 100 · Ranked #446 in VICEach bar is Aireys Inlet's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Aireys Inlet?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
49 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataAireys Inlet's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.34 million, about 10% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,345,000
Based on 22 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 104 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 13 sales $1.34M
- 4 bed 6 sales $1.37M
Units
$860,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Aireys Inlet are currently listed at around $1.55 million on average. Based on 14 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.55M
14 houses listed in the last 6 months.
15 of the suburb's 400 dwellings (3.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Short-Stay Rentals
89 active Airbnb listings: 87 whole homes and 2 rooms. Whole homes are about 8.9% of the locality's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Aireys Inlet safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Aireys Inlet sits in the low band, with 11 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 8% on the prior year.
11 offences
8.3% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20254 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 2.5 km
- Rate
- -0.18 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -12.2 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Aireys Inlet, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 73 students in one school (avg 73)
Primary
Walkability
Aireys Inlet is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Aireys Inlet.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 0.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 1.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 1.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 2 min
- Span of service
- 12.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Aireys Inlet.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 41%
- Premises covered
- 1,124
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Surf Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Aireys Inlet is home to 979 residents, with a median age of 57 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $85,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
979
Median Age
57
Median Household Income
$85,384/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,171/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$46,540/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
145.2%
Total Dwellings
400
Owner-Occupier Rate
86.6%
Houses
95.5%
Rental Stress
21.3%
Mortgage Stress
30.5%
Work From Home
45.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.3%
- Employment Rate
- 52.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 59.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
4 residents (0.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
22.9% of residents (219) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (205).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 957 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
9% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (40 of 454).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,314 a year through Surf Coast based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 77%
- Environmental 12%
- Residential 7%
- Infrastructure and transport 3%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Surf Coast
In the year to August 2026, 300 new dwellings were approved across Surf Coast. That mix is 270 houses and 30 units. Approvals are up 56.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2009).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Aireys Inlet, 2.7 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 86 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.5 km
- 2.5 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 599 mm
- 93 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 23.2°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.6°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 3231, 54 of 1,754 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.8% (32 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3231, 577 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,744 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 38 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3231 in 2025-26. The most was 9, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $1,345,000 this is $595,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Richard Riordan Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.8% | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| 2018 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.1% | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| 2014 | Terry Mulder LP | 55.4% | 39.4% | 60.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Aireys Inlet?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 979 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Aireys Inlet to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Aireys Inlet
Is Aireys Inlet a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Aireys Inlet is low (15/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Aireys Inlet?
Aireys Inlet has a high recorded bushfire history (88/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (28/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Aireys Inlet a good place to live?
Aireys Inlet has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (49/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Aireys Inlet?
Aireys Inlet, VIC had a population of 979 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Aireys Inlet, VIC?
The postcode for Aireys Inlet, VIC is 3231.
How far is Aireys Inlet from Melbourne?
Aireys Inlet is 125 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 106 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Aireys Inlet?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Aireys Inlet was $85,384 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Aireys Inlet?
There are too few current rental listings in Aireys Inlet for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $350, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Aireys Inlet?
The median age of residents in Aireys Inlet was 57 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Aireys Inlet at risk of bushfire?
Aireys Inlet has a high recorded bushfire history (88/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Aireys Inlet?
There is 1 school inside the Aireys Inlet boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Aireys Inlet?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Aireys Inlet, Aireys Inlet (2.7 km away), summer days average 23.2°C, winter nights 7.6°C, 599 mm of rain a year over 93 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Aireys Inlet?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Aireys Inlet belong to?
Aireys Inlet sits within the Surf Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Aireys Inlet?
The average residential rates bill through Surf Coast is $2,314 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Aireys Inlet?
Across Surf Coast, 300 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 56.8% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Aireys Inlet in?
Aireys Inlet sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.