Ballan is a town in Victoria, 85 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Population is 3,392; the median age is 43 and the median household income is $81,120 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 13.6% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $330 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,625. The area shows high crime risk and high bushfire risk. Of 2 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Ballan a good town?
Ballan scores a C (32/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on safety.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 34/100 · 85.1 km · 64 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $640K
High crime risk
Fire 66/100 · Crime 75/100 · Flood 37/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 5/10 · median age 43 · 3,392 residents
Liveability Rating
32 / 100 · Ranked #689 in VICEach bar is Ballan'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 Ballan?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
32 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBallan's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $640,000, roughly 13% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$640,000
22% below its 4 neighbours (median $816,000)
Based on 81 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 47 days — median across 39 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 44 sales $585K
- 4 bed 29 sales $700K
Land
$362,500
Based on only 6 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Ballan are currently listed at around $709,000 on average. Based on 47 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$709K
47 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$585K
5 units listed in the last 6 months.
52 of the suburb's 1,320 dwellings (3.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Ballan rent for around $545 a week on average, based on 14 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$545/wk
14 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$420/wk
3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
17 rentals advertised against an estimated 236 rented homes (7.2%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$545/week ($28,000 a year) on a $709,000 median
$420/week ($22,000 a year) on a $585,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Ballan safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Ballan sits in the high band, with 240 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 22% on the prior year.
240 offences
21.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202535 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Two schools serve Ballan, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Ballan Primary School leads the pack.
- • 372 students across 2 schools (avg 186)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 982-1048, median 1015 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Ballan Primary School (231 students)
Primary
Walkability
Ballan is car-dependent on foot — at 34/100, most errands require a car. Within the town there are 1 supermarket, 10 parks and 5 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Ballan.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 5.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 3.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 2.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 14 min
- Span of service
- 20.2 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 34 min wait
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 Ballan.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 52%
- Premises covered
- 1,848
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
Moorabool: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 8 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Ballan is home to about 3,400 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $81,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,392
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$81,120/yr
Census Median Rent
$330/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,625/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$38,116/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.3%
Total Dwellings
1,320
Owner-Occupier Rate
82.1%
Houses
93.5%
Rental Stress
21.2%
Mortgage Stress
24.0%
Work From Home
22.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
26 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 4 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 230 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.2%
- Employment Rate
- 58.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.5%
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.
17 residents (0.5%) 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.
20.6% of residents (657) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (646).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 3,197 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 (142 of 1,607).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 884 people work here; 1,607 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.6 jobs per working resident. At least 40% of employed residents must work outside the town.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,979 a year through Moorabool based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 86%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Residential 3%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Rural Living Zone → Neighbourhood Residential Zone · C108moor, Mar 2026 96.2 ha
and 1 smaller change
Land in this town moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Moorabool
In the year to August 2026, 338 new dwellings were approved across Moorabool. That mix is 255 houses and 83 units. Approvals are up 4.0% 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 Durdidwarrah, 24.1 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 504 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 578 mm
- 92 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the town 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 0.8 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3342, 30 of 3,899 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.4% (53 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3342, 810 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,675 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 56 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.
7 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3342 in 2025-26, rank 108 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 28, in 2009-10.
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 $640,000 this is under 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 Sam Rae Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sam Rae | 57.6% | 42.4% | +0.0 |
| 2022 | Sam Rae | 57.6% | 42.4% | +2.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Michaela Settle Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Michaela Settle ALP | 57.2% | 57.2% | 42.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Ballan?
Every figure above is a town 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 3,392 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 Ballan 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 Ballan
Is Ballan a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Ballan is high (75/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Ballan?
Ballan has a moderate recorded bushfire history (66/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (37/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Ballan a good place to live?
Ballan has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (32/100), 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 Ballan?
Ballan, VIC had a population of 3,392 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Ballan, VIC?
The postcode for Ballan, VIC is 3342.
How far is Ballan from Melbourne?
Ballan is 85 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 64 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Ballan?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Ballan was $81,120 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 Ballan?
The median advertised rent in Ballan is $545 a week for houses (14 listings) and $420 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Ballan?
The median age of residents in Ballan was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Ballan at risk of bushfire?
Ballan has a moderate recorded bushfire history (66/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town 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 Ballan?
There are 2 schools inside the Ballan boundary: 1 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Ballan walkable?
Ballan scores 34/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Ballan?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Ballan, Durdidwarrah (24.1 km away), 578 mm of rain a year over 92 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Ballan?
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 Ballan belong to?
Ballan sits within the Moorabool local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Ballan?
The average residential rates bill through Moorabool is $1,979 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Ballan?
Across Moorabool, 338 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 4.0% 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 Ballan in?
Ballan sits within the federal Division of Hawke, currently held by Sam Rae (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
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
- 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.