Benalla VIC 3672
Benalla sits 216 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 2 hours 30 minutes by car. Census data records 10,822 residents with a median age of 51 and a median household income of $59,384 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The town grew 4.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $250 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,253. Benalla is characterised by high crime risk and high bushfire risk. 12 schools sit within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Benalla a good town?
Benalla scores a D (12/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on schools, transit, safety, and community.
Below the state average
12 schools · Bottom 20% in VIC
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 215.8 km · 148 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $492K · Cheaper than 85% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 63/100 · Crime 78/100 · Flood 63/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 51 · 10,822 residents
Liveability Rating
12 / 100 · Ranked #863 in VICEach bar is Benalla's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Benalla?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
12 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBenalla's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $492,000, roughly 11% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$492,000
Based on 317 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 41 days — median across 159 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 29 sales $382K
- 3 bed 190 sales $472K
- 4 bed 85 sales $605K
- 5 bed 10 sales $620K
Units
$340,000
Based on 25 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 47 days — median across 15 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 24 sales $342K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Benalla are currently listed at around $555,000 on average. Based on 156 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$555K
156 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$345K
9 units listed in the last 6 months.
165 of the suburb's 4,602 dwellings (3.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Benalla rent for around $500 a week on average, based on 151 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$500/wk
151 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$360/wk
9 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
160 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,247 rented homes (12.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025110 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3672.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$500/week ($26,000 a year) on a $555,000 median
$360/week ($19,000 a year) on a $345,000 median
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 Benalla safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Benalla sits in the high band, with 848 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 21% on the prior year.
848 offences
20.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202528 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 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
Twelve schools serve Benalla, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 2,030 students across 5 schools (avg 406)
- • Sectors: 6 Government, 3 Independent, 3 Catholic
- • ICSEA 934-1047, median 1037 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Benalla P-12 College (700 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Benalla is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 3 supermarkets, 21 parks and 7 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
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 Benalla.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 87.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 43.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 15.2 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 Benalla.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 41%
- Premises covered
- 6,457
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
Benalla: 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 28 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Benalla is home to about 10,800 residents, with a median age of 51 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $59,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
10,822
Median Age
51
Median Household Income
$59,384/yr
Census Median Rent
$250/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,253/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$33,540/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.3%
Total Dwellings
4,602
Owner-Occupier Rate
72.9%
Houses
86.3%
Rental Stress
21.9%
Mortgage Stress
25.3%
Work From Home
12.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
214 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 26 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,190 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.6%
- Employment Rate
- 47.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 32.8%
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.
199 residents (1.8%) 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.
8.0% of residents (823) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (644).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 10,316 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (26 of 4,437).
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 5,186 people work here; 4,437 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 14% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
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 $2,119 a year through Benalla based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 75%
- Parks and recreation 8%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Other and special use 5%
- Residential 4%
- Industrial 3%
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: Benalla
In the year to August 2026, 235 new dwellings were approved across Benalla. That mix is 159 houses and 76 units. Approvals are up 65.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2007).
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 Wangaratta Aero, 32.7 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, frosty winters.
- Elevation
- 182 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 565 mm
- 72 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.4°C
- 23 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 2.7°C
- 38 frost days ≤ 0°C
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
3 facilities within 5 km- 3.1 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 4.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 3672, 38 of 10,331 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (222 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3672, 2,394 rooftop-solar systems totalling 16.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,118 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 188 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.
10 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3672 in 2025-26, rank 91 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 82, 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 $492,000 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 Helen Haines Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Helen Haines | 43.3% | 56.7% | -1.4 |
| 2022 | Helen Haines | 44.7% | 55.3% | -7.5 |
| 2019 | Helen Haines | 37.3% | 62.7% | +7.7 |
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 Annabelle Cleeland The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Annabelle Cleeland NP | 59.9% | 40.1% | 59.9% |
| 2018 | Steph Ryan NP | 59.0% | 34.6% | 65.4% |
| 2014 | Steph Ryan NP | 64.5% | 35.5% | 64.5% |
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 Benalla?
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 10,822 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 Benalla to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Benalla
Is Benalla a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Benalla is high (78/100, 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 Benalla?
Benalla has a moderate recorded bushfire history (63/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (63/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Benalla a good place to live?
Benalla has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (12/100), 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 Benalla?
Benalla, VIC had a population of 10,822 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Benalla, VIC?
The postcode for Benalla, VIC is 3672.
How far is Benalla from Melbourne?
Benalla is 216 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 148 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Benalla?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Benalla was $59,384 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 Benalla?
The median advertised rent in Benalla is $500 a week for houses (151 listings) and $360 a week for units (9 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Benalla?
The median age of residents in Benalla was 51 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Benalla at risk of bushfire?
Benalla has a moderate recorded bushfire history (63/100). 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 Benalla?
There are 12 schools inside the Benalla boundary: 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Benalla?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Benalla, Wangaratta Aero (32.7 km away), summer days average 31.4°C, winter nights 2.7°C, 565 mm of rain a year over 72 rainy days, and 23 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Benalla?
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 Benalla belong to?
Benalla sits within the Benalla local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Benalla?
The average residential rates bill through Benalla is $2,119 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Benalla?
Across Benalla, 235 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 65.0% 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 Benalla in?
Benalla sits within the federal Division of Indi, currently held by Helen Haines (Independent).
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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
- 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.