Cobaw VIC 3442
Cobaw sits 84 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Census data records 104 residents with a median age of 39 and a median household income of $108,316 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The locality grew 48.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $568 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,300. Cobaw is characterised by high bushfire risk and no recorded flood exposure. 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 104. 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 Cobaw?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
…
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 202579 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 38% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3442.
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.
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Cobaw killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
Cobaw 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 Cobaw.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 37
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
Macedon Ranges: 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
Cobaw is home to 104 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $108,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
104
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$108,316/yr
Census Median Rent
$568/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.8
Median Personal Income
$46,020/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
27.3%
Total Dwellings
33
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
97.0%
Rental Stress
27.3%
Mortgage Stress
25.5%
Work From Home
44.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.7%
- Employment Rate
- 58%
- Completed Year 12
- 49.0%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,065 a year through Macedon Ranges based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 99%
- 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: Macedon Ranges
In the year to August 2026, 331 new dwellings were approved across Macedon Ranges. That mix is 281 houses and 50 units. Approvals are up 79.5% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage 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 Macedon Forestry, 17.9 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 498 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 778 mm
- 74 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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 3442, 125 of 7,675 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.8% (215 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3442, 1,996 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,434 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 111 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 3442 in 2025-26. The most was 46, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Rob Mitchell Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rob Mitchell | 54.8% | 45.2% | +0.9 |
| 2022 | Rob Mitchell | 53.3% | 46.7% | +2.0 |
| 2019 | Rob Mitchell | 55.0% | 45.0% | +1.0 |
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 Mary-Anne Thomas Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 59.5% | 59.5% | 40.5% |
| 2018 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 50.6% | 63.2% | 36.8% |
| 2014 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 53.8% | 53.8% | 46.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Cobaw?
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 104 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 Cobaw 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 Cobaw
Is Cobaw a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Cobaw is low (10/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Cobaw?
Cobaw has a high recorded bushfire history (72/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Cobaw?
Cobaw, VIC had a population of 104 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Cobaw, VIC?
The postcode for Cobaw, VIC is 3442.
How far is Cobaw from Melbourne?
Cobaw is 84 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 65 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Cobaw?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Cobaw was $108,316 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 Cobaw?
There are too few current rental listings in Cobaw for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $568, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Cobaw?
The median age of residents in Cobaw was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Cobaw at risk of bushfire?
Cobaw has a high recorded bushfire history (72/100). 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 Cobaw?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Cobaw, Macedon Forestry (17.9 km away), 778 mm of rain a year over 74 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Cobaw?
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 Cobaw belong to?
Cobaw sits within the Macedon Ranges local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Cobaw?
The average residential rates bill through Macedon Ranges is $2,065 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Cobaw?
Across Macedon Ranges, 331 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 79.5% 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 Cobaw in?
Cobaw sits within the federal Division of Mcewen, currently held by Rob Mitchell (Australian Labor Party).
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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.