Bonshaw VIC 3352
Bonshaw is a suburb in Victoria, 122 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. Population is 949; the median age is 28 and the median household income is $96,408 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The suburb grew about 5-fold between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $398 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,500. Bonshaw is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Walkability is low.
Is Bonshaw a good suburb?
Bonshaw scores a B (54/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on transit and safety.
Car-dependent
Walkability 21/100 · 121.7 km · 96 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $562K · More affordable than 92% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 92/100 · Flood 0/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 28 · 949 residents
Liveability Rating
54 / 100 · Ranked #375 in VICEach bar is Bonshaw'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 Bonshaw?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
54 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBonshaw's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $562,000, roughly 13% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$562,500
15% above its 4 neighbours (median $488,000)
Based on 158 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 36 days — median across 47 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 17 sales $550K
- 4 bed 122 sales $586K
- 5 bed 7 sales $235K
Land
$265,000
Based on 89 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 80 days — median across 15 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Bonshaw are currently listed at around $655,000 on average. Based on 25 houses listed in the past six months.
$655K
25 houses listed in the last 6 months.
26 of the suburb's 343 dwellings (7.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Bonshaw rent for around $480 a week on average, based on 69 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$480/wk
9% above its 3 neighbours (median $440/wk)
69 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
69 rentals advertised against an estimated 102 rented homes (67.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3352.
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$480/week ($25,000 a year) on a $655,000 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 Bonshaw safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Bonshaw sits in the high band, with 156 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
156 offences
100.0% since 2025Crime Trend
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 suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Universities nearby
2.1% 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
Bonshaw is very car-dependent on foot — at 21/100, 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 Bonshaw.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 94%
- Premises covered
- 943
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
Ballarat: 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
Bonshaw is home to 949 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 28 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $96,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
949
Median Age
28
Median Household Income
$96,408/yr
Census Median Rent
$398/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,500/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$46,332/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
2.6%
Total Dwellings
343
Owner-Occupier Rate
70.3%
Houses
93.6%
Rental Stress
21.5%
Mortgage Stress
18.7%
Work From Home
14.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 80.5%
- Employment Rate
- 74.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.7%
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.
40 residents (4.2%) 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.
13.5% of residents (117) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (89).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 869 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
3% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (16 of 541).
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 $2,086 a year through Ballarat based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 99%
- 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 suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Ballarat
In the year to August 2026, 1,451 new dwellings were approved across Ballarat. That mix is 1,134 houses and 317 units. Approvals are up 41.8% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 18,053 homes
- Lots in approved subdivisions, not yet titled 243 homes
- Land zoned for housing, not yet subdivided 2,760 homes
- Land set aside, awaiting a precinct structure plan 15,050 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
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 Ballarat Aerodrome, 10.3 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 411 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Annual rainfall
- 605 mm
- 97 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.7°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 3.5°C
- 17 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- 3.5 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 3.5 kmGrain Mill Product ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Carbon monoxide
- 3.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 4.2 kmGold Ore MiningTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 3352, 81 of 19,154 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (287 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3352, 3,568 rooftop-solar systems totalling 25.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,023 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 242 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.
12 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3352 in 2025-26, rank 77 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 131, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this suburb, 4 across postcode 3352.
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 $562,500 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 Catherine King Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Catherine King | 60.7% | 39.3% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Catherine King | 63.0% | 37.0% | -2.7 |
| 2019 | Catherine King | 61.0% | 39.0% | -3.6 |
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 Juliana Addison Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Juliana Addison ALP | 50.8% | 63.5% | 36.5% |
| 2018 | Juliana Addison ALP | 51.2% | 60.3% | 39.7% |
| 2014 | Sharon Knight ALP | 55.8% | 55.8% | 44.2% |
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 Bonshaw?
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 949 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.
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Common questions about Bonshaw
Is Bonshaw a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Bonshaw is high (92/100, 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 Bonshaw?
Bonshaw has no recorded bushfire history. No mapped flood overlay applies. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Bonshaw a good place to live?
Bonshaw has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (54/100), 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 Bonshaw?
Bonshaw, VIC had a population of 949 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Bonshaw, VIC?
The postcode for Bonshaw, VIC is 3352.
How far is Bonshaw from Melbourne?
Bonshaw is 122 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 96 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Bonshaw?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Bonshaw was $96,408 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 Bonshaw?
The median advertised rent in Bonshaw is $480 a week for houses (69 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Bonshaw?
The median age of residents in Bonshaw was 28 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Bonshaw walkable?
Bonshaw scores 21/100 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 Bonshaw?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Bonshaw, Ballarat Aerodrome (10.3 km away), summer days average 25.7°C, winter nights 3.5°C, 605 mm of rain a year over 97 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Bonshaw?
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 Bonshaw belong to?
Bonshaw sits within the Ballarat local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Bonshaw?
The average residential rates bill through Ballarat is $2,086 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Bonshaw?
Across Ballarat, 1,451 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 41.8% 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 Bonshaw in?
Bonshaw sits within the federal Division of Ballarat, currently held by Catherine King (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.