Darlington is a rural locality in Victoria, 196 km from Melbourne CBD, around 2 hours 25 minutes by car. Population is 84; the median age is 50 and the median household income is $56,316 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The locality fell 21.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $155 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $650. Darlington is characterised by high crime 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 84. 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 Darlington?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Short-Stay Rentals
No active Airbnb listings.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Darlington safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Darlington sits in the high band, with 11 incidents recorded in 2026.
11 offences
no change since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20254 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Darlington 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 Darlington.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 46
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
Moyne: 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
Darlington is home to 84 residents, with a median age of 50 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $56,000 a year, with unemployment at 7.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
84
Median Age
50
Median Household Income
$56,316/yr
Census Median Rent
$155/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$650/mo
Avg Household Size
2.0
Median Personal Income
$37,700/yr
Unemployment Rate
7.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.6%
Total Dwellings
35
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.7%
Houses
94.3%
Rental Stress
14.3%
Mortgage Stress
13.9%
Work From Home
25.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 71.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 76.2%
- Employment Rate
- 45.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.7%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,613 a year through Moyne based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 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 locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Moyne
In the year to August 2026, 64 new dwellings were approved across Moyne. That mix is 59 houses and 5 units. Approvals are down 15.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2013).
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 Mortlake Racecourse, 24.4 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 153 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 594 mm
- 100 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.1°C
- 12 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.7°C
- 10 frost days ≤ 0°C
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 3271, 0 of 239 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.0% (0 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.0%.
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 3271 in 2025-26. The most was 2, in 2002-03.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
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 Emma Kealy The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Emma Kealy NP | 58.9% | 28.4% | 71.6% |
| 2018 | Emma Kealy NP | 66.9% | 26.5% | 73.5% |
| 2014 | Emma Kealy NP | 54.1% | 28.7% | 71.3% |
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 Darlington?
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 84 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 Darlington 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 Darlington
Is Darlington a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Darlington is high (87/100, 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 Darlington?
Darlington has a moderate recorded bushfire history (57/100, 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 Darlington?
Darlington, VIC had a population of 84 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Darlington, VIC?
The postcode for Darlington, VIC is 3271.
How far is Darlington from Melbourne?
Darlington is 196 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 145 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Darlington?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Darlington was $56,316 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 Darlington?
There are too few current rental listings in Darlington for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $155, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Darlington?
The median age of residents in Darlington was 50 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Darlington at risk of bushfire?
Darlington has a moderate recorded bushfire history (57/100). 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 Darlington?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Darlington, Mortlake Racecourse (24.4 km away), summer days average 26.1°C, winter nights 4.7°C, 594 mm of rain a year over 100 rainy days, and 12 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Darlington?
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 Darlington belong to?
Darlington sits within the Moyne local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Darlington?
The average residential rates bill through Moyne is $1,613 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Darlington?
Across Moyne, 64 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 15.4% 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 Darlington in?
Darlington sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.