Elphinstone sits 112 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 20 minutes by car. Census data records 633 residents with a median age of 50 and a median household income of $75,244 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 14.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $203 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,594. The area shows no recorded flood exposure. All 1 school within the locality boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Elphinstone a good place to live?
Elphinstone scores a B (52/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 0/100 · 112.1 km · 79 min drive to Melbourne
Median available
Median $880K
Moderate crime risk
Fire 12/100 · Crime 59/100 · Flood 0/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 50 · 633 residents
Liveability Rating
52 / 100 · Ranked #405 in VICEach bar is Elphinstone'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 Elphinstone?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
52 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataElphinstone's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $880,000, roughly 11% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$880,000
12% above its 3 neighbours (median $785,000)
Based on 13 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 6 sales $892K
Land
$260,000
Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Is Elphinstone safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Elphinstone sits in the moderate band, with 34 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 48% on the prior year.
34 offences
47.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20255 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
One school serve Elphinstone, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Elphinstone Primary School leads the pack.
- • 29 students in one school (avg 29)
Primary
Walkability
Elphinstone 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 Elphinstone.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 310
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
Mount Alexander: 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
Elphinstone is home to 633 residents, with a median age of 50 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $75,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
633
Median Age
50
Median Household Income
$75,244/yr
Census Median Rent
$203/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,594/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$33,384/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.0%
Total Dwellings
254
Owner-Occupier Rate
95.3%
Houses
99.6%
Rental Stress
14.0%
Mortgage Stress
25.4%
Work From Home
27.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.3%
- Employment Rate
- 57.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 40.1%
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.
0 residents (0.0%) 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.
14.0% of residents (84) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (78).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 599 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
8% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (24 of 306).
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 $1,885 a year through Mount Alexander based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 88%
- Parks and recreation 5%
- Infrastructure and transport 5%
- Residential 2%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- Farming Zone → Public Use Zone · C101malx, Mar 2026 168.1 ha
- Township Zone → Public Use Zone · C101malx, Mar 2026 5.7 ha
- Transport Zone 2 → Farming Zone · C101malx, Mar 2026 1.5 ha
and 2 smaller changes
Land in this locality 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 locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Mount Alexander
In the year to August 2026, 102 new dwellings were approved across Mount Alexander. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 6.7% 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, 10.6 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 409 m
- above sea level, at the locality 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 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 3448, 10 of 1,176 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.4% (16 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3448, 313 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 461 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 13 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 3448 in 2025-26. The most was 7, in 2009-10.
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 $880,000 this is $130,000 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 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 Elphinstone?
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 633 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
Chewton VIC 3451
Taradale VIC 3447
Redesdale VIC 3444
Fryerstown VIC 3451
Faraday VIC 3451
Metcalfe VIC 3448
Compare Elphinstone 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 Elphinstone
Is Elphinstone a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Elphinstone is moderate (59/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Elphinstone?
Elphinstone has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100, 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.
Is Elphinstone a good place to live?
Elphinstone has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (52/100), 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 Elphinstone?
Elphinstone, VIC had a population of 633 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Elphinstone, VIC?
The postcode for Elphinstone, VIC is 3448.
How far is Elphinstone from Melbourne?
Elphinstone is 112 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 79 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Elphinstone?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Elphinstone was $75,244 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 Elphinstone?
There are too few current rental listings in Elphinstone for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $203, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Elphinstone?
The median age of residents in Elphinstone was 50 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Elphinstone at risk of bushfire?
Elphinstone has a low recorded bushfire history (12/100). 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.
How are the schools in Elphinstone?
There is 1 school inside the Elphinstone boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Elphinstone?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Elphinstone, Castlemaine Prison (10.6 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 Elphinstone?
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 Elphinstone belong to?
Elphinstone sits within the Mount Alexander local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Elphinstone?
The average residential rates bill through Mount Alexander is $1,885 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Elphinstone?
Across Mount Alexander, 102 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 6.7% 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 Elphinstone in?
Elphinstone sits within the federal Division of Bendigo, currently held by Lisa Chesters (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
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.