Donald VIC 3480
Donald is a town in Victoria, 283 km from Melbourne CBD, around 3 hours 20 minutes by car. Population is 1,472; the median age is 52 and the median household income is $54,288 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The town fell 1.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $180 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $815. Donald is characterised by high flood risk and high crime risk. All 3 schools within the town boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Donald a good town?
Donald scores a C (36/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools and prices, weaker on transit, safety, and community.
Above the state average
3 schools · 3 above peer schools · Top 2% in VIC
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 282.8 km · 200 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $270K · More affordable than 98% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 15/100 · Crime 71/100 · Flood 89/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 52 · 1,472 residents
Liveability Rating
36 / 100 · Ranked #625 in VICEach bar is Donald's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Donald?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
36 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataDonald's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $270,000, about 4% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$270,000
Based on 43 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 80 days — median across 16 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $210K
- 3 bed 25 sales $285K
- 4 bed 8 sales $288K
Land
$77,500
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 43 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Donald are currently listed at around $470,000 on average. Based on 6 houses listed in the past six months.
$470K
6 houses listed in the last 6 months.
6 of the suburb's 604 dwellings (1.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Donald safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Donald sits in the high band, with 111 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 226% on the prior year.
111 offences
226.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20256 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 of them fatal
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
Three schools serve Donald, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Donald High School and Donald Primary School lead the pack.
- • 202 students across 3 schools (avg 67)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 964-1001, median 968 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Donald High School (93 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Donald is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, 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 Donald.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 46%
- Premises covered
- 890
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
Buloke: 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 6 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Donald is home to about 1,500 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $54,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,472
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$54,288/yr
Census Median Rent
$180/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$815/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$31,408/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.6%
Total Dwellings
604
Owner-Occupier Rate
79.2%
Houses
93.7%
Rental Stress
17.2%
Mortgage Stress
18.0%
Work From Home
9.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
30 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 4 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 118 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.1%
- Employment Rate
- 46%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.6%
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.
25 residents (1.7%) 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.
3.9% of residents (55) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (55).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,397 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
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 548 people work here; 566 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
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 $2,140 a year through Buloke based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 70%
- Parks and recreation 28%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Farming Zone → Public Use Zone · C44blok, May 2026 11.8 ha
- Public Use Zone → Township Zone · C44blok, May 2026 5.0 ha
- Public Conservation and Resource Zone → Public Use Zone · C44blok, May 2026 4.1 ha
and 2 smaller changes
Land in this town 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 town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Buloke
In the year to August 2026, 16 new dwellings were approved across Buloke. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 50.0% 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 Wycheproof, 35.6 kmDry climate.
- Elevation
- 115 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Annual rainfall
- 357 mm
- 57 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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.
EV adoption
In postcode 3480, 3 of 1,937 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.7% (14 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3480, 362 rooftop-solar systems totalling 2.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 847 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 16 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 3480 in 2025-26. The most was 27, in 2000-01.
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 $270,000 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 2026-10-28 — 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 Anne Webster The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | -0.1 |
| 2022 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | +3.3 |
| 2019 | Anne Webster | 33.8% | 66.2% | -3.6 |
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 Jade Benham The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jade Benham NP | 51.2% | 35.9% | 64.1% |
| 2018 | Ali Cupper IND | 50.3% | 44.4% | 55.6% |
| 2014 | Peter Crisp NP | 52.0% | 29.8% | 70.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Donald?
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 1,472 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 Donald 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 Donald
Is Donald a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Donald is high (71/100, 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 Donald?
Donald has a low recorded bushfire history (15/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (89/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Donald a good place to live?
Donald has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (36/100), 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 Donald?
Donald, VIC had a population of 1,472 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Donald, VIC?
The postcode for Donald, VIC is 3480.
How far is Donald from Melbourne?
Donald is 283 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 200 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Donald?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Donald was $54,288 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 Donald?
There are too few current rental listings in Donald for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $180, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Donald?
The median age of residents in Donald was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Donald at risk of bushfire?
Donald has a low recorded bushfire history (15/100). 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 Donald?
There are 3 schools inside the Donald boundary: 3 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Donald walkable?
Donald scores 4/100 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 Donald?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Donald, Wycheproof (35.6 km away), 357 mm of rain a year over 57 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Donald?
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 Donald belong to?
Donald sits within the Buloke local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Donald?
The average residential rates bill through Buloke is $2,140 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Donald?
Across Buloke, 16 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 50.0% 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 Donald in?
Donald sits within the federal Division of Mallee, currently held by Anne Webster (The Nationals).
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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.