Located in Victoria, Big Hill sits 144 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 50 minutes by car. The suburb has 281 residents, a median age of 37, and a median household income of $92,092 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 7.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $280 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,656. Big Hill is characterised by high crime risk. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 281. 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 Big Hill?
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Our score
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Residents say
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Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Big Hill sits at $772,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only four sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$772,500
Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025102 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3555.
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.
Is Big Hill safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Big Hill sits in the high band, with 20 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 25% on the prior year.
20 offences
25.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
One school serve Big Hill, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Big Hill Primary School leads the pack.
- • 221 students in one school (avg 221)
Primary
Universities nearby
0.0% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Big Hill is very car-dependent on foot — at 13/100, 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 Big Hill.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 75%
- Premises covered
- 115
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
Greater Bendigo: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Big Hill is home to 281 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $92,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
281
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$92,092/yr
Census Median Rent
$280/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,656/mo
Avg Household Size
2.8
Median Personal Income
$44,876/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
3.3%
Total Dwellings
91
Owner-Occupier Rate
85.1%
Houses
90.1%
Rental Stress
15.8%
Mortgage Stress
21.6%
Work From Home
12.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 85.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.4%
- Employment Rate
- 60.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (3 of 130).
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 $1,949 a year through Greater Bendigo based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 74%
- Infrastructure and transport 11%
- Rural and farming 6%
- Environmental 6%
- Residential 2%
- Industrial 2%
Proposed rezonings
- Rural Conservation Zone → Public Conservation and Resource Zone · C285gben, exhibited Oct 2025 62.1 ha
and 1 smaller change
Land in this suburb 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 suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Greater Bendigo
In the year to August 2026, 885 new dwellings were approved across Greater Bendigo. That mix is 797 houses and 88 units. Approvals are up 28.0% 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 Castlemaine Prison, 27.3 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 313 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Annual rainfall
- 598 mm
- 83 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 27.9°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.7°C
- 19 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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
4 facilities within 5 km- 0.6 km
- 1.5 km
- 1.8 km
- 2.3 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 3555, 70 of 17,137 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (320 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3555, 3,442 rooftop-solar systems totalling 20.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 9,159 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 144 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.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3555 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 216, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
11 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 3555.
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 $772,500 this is $22,500 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 Lisa Chesters Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lisa Chesters | 51.4% | 48.6% | +51.4 |
| 2022 | Lisa Chesters | 62.1% | 37.9% | -3.3 |
| 2019 | Lisa Chesters | 59.0% | 41.0% | -5.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Maree Edwards Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Maree Edwards ALP | 50.7% | 64.3% | 35.6% |
| 2018 | Maree Edwards ALP | 53.5% | 68.5% | 31.4% |
| 2014 | Maree Edwards ALP | 50.4% | 62.2% | 37.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Big Hill?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 281 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 Big Hill 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 Big Hill
Is Big Hill a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Big Hill is high (77/100, 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 Big Hill?
Big Hill has a low recorded bushfire history (17/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (35/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Big Hill?
Big Hill, VIC had a population of 281 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Big Hill, VIC?
The postcode for Big Hill, VIC is 3555.
How far is Big Hill from Melbourne?
Big Hill is 144 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 109 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Big Hill?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Big Hill was $92,092 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 Big Hill?
There are too few current rental listings in Big Hill for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $280, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Big Hill?
The median age of residents in Big Hill was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Big Hill at risk of bushfire?
Big Hill has a low recorded bushfire history (17/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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 Big Hill?
There is 1 school inside the Big Hill boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Big Hill walkable?
Big Hill scores 13/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Big Hill?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Big Hill, Castlemaine Prison (27.3 km away), summer days average 27.9°C, winter nights 3.7°C, 598 mm of rain a year over 83 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Big Hill?
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 Big Hill belong to?
Big Hill sits within the Greater Bendigo local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Big Hill?
The average residential rates bill through Greater Bendigo is $1,949 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Big Hill?
Across Greater Bendigo, 885 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 28.0% 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 Big Hill in?
Big Hill sits within the federal Division of Bendigo, currently held by Lisa Chesters (Australian Labor Party).
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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
- 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.