Amherst sits 170 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 2 hours 5 minutes by car. Census data records 63 residents with a median age of 57 and a median household income of $44,200 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population fell 3.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $200 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $732. The area shows high bushfire risk and high flood risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 63. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Amherst?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
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.
Schools
Walkability
Amherst 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.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Amherst.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 20
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
Central Goldfields: 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
Amherst is home to 63 residents, with a median age of 57 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $44,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
63
Median Age
57
Median Household Income
$44,200/yr
Census Median Rent
$200/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$732/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$23,608/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
79.2%
Total Dwellings
24
Owner-Occupier Rate
83.3%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
23.5%
Mortgage Stress
19.9%
Work From Home
0.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 76.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 79.4%
- Employment Rate
- 40.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 14.3%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,555 a year through Central Goldfields based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 55%
- Rural and farming 40%
- Environmental 4%
- Infrastructure and transport 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: Central Goldfields
In the year to August 2026, 40 new dwellings were approved across Central Goldfields. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 128.6% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
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 Maryborough, 11.3 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 277 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 510 mm
- 77 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.0°C
- 16 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.9°C
- 10 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 3371, 5 of 1,265 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.8% (10 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3371, 324 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 584 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 9 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 3371 in 2025-26. The most was 10, in 2004-05.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Anne Webster The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | -0.1 |
| 2022 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | +3.3 |
| 2019 | Anne Webster | 33.8% | 66.2% | -3.6 |
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 Martha Haylett Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Martha Haylett ALP | 53.0% | 53.0% | 47.0% |
| 2018 | Louise Staley LP | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| 2014 | Louise Staley LP | 50.8% | 49.2% | 50.8% |
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 Amherst?
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 63 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 Amherst 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 Amherst
Is Amherst a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Amherst is low (26/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Amherst?
Amherst has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (70/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Amherst?
Amherst, VIC had a population of 63 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Amherst, VIC?
The postcode for Amherst, VIC is 3371.
How far is Amherst from Melbourne?
Amherst is 170 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 126 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Amherst?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Amherst was $44,200 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 Amherst?
There are too few current rental listings in Amherst for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $200, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Amherst?
The median age of residents in Amherst was 57 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Amherst at risk of bushfire?
Amherst has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100). 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.
What is the weather like in Amherst?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Amherst, Maryborough (11.3 km away), summer days average 29°C, winter nights 3.9°C, 510 mm of rain a year over 77 rainy days, and 16 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Amherst?
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 Amherst belong to?
Amherst sits within the Central Goldfields local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Amherst?
The average residential rates bill through Central Goldfields is $1,555 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Amherst?
Across Central Goldfields, 40 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 128.6% 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 Amherst in?
Amherst sits within the federal Division of Mallee, currently held by Anne Webster (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- 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
- 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.