Hepburn is a rural locality in Victoria, 116 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. Population is 631; the median age is 52 and the median household income is $65,312 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 5.3% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,426. The area shows high bushfire risk and no recorded flood exposure. All 1 school within the locality boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Hepburn a good place to live?
Hepburn scores a C (46/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 29/100 · 116.4 km · 94 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $639K · Cheaper than 81% of VIC
High bushfire risk
Fire 83/100 · Crime 31/100 · Flood 0/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 52 · 631 residents
Liveability Rating
46 / 100 · Ranked #481 in VICEach bar is Hepburn'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 Hepburn?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
46 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataHepburn's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $639,000, roughly 21% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$639,000
Based on 21 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 48 days — median across 8 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 5 sales $510K
- 3 bed 12 sales $656K
Land
$319,000
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Hepburn are currently listed at around $815,000 on average. Based on 26 houses listed in the past six months.
$815K
26 houses listed in the last 6 months.
26 of the suburb's 273 dwellings (9.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Hepburn safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Hepburn sits in the low band, with 12 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
12 offences
100.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Hepburn 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
One school serve Hepburn, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Hepburn Primary School leads the pack.
- • 42 students in one school (avg 42)
Primary
Walkability
Hepburn is car-dependent on foot — at 29/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Hepburn.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 39%
- Premises covered
- 394
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
Hepburn: 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
Hepburn is home to 631 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $65,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
631
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$65,312/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,426/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$37,700/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
36.6%
Total Dwellings
273
Owner-Occupier Rate
84.9%
Houses
98.2%
Rental Stress
27.9%
Mortgage Stress
26.2%
Work From Home
25.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.2%
- Employment Rate
- 53%
- Completed Year 12
- 44.5%
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.
3 residents (0.5%) 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.
16.6% of residents (103) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (90).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 621 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
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (11 of 290).
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 $1,748 a year through Hepburn based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 36%
- Residential 28%
- Parks and recreation 17%
- Other and special use 11%
- Environmental 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
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: Hepburn
In the year to August 2026, 104 new dwellings were approved across Hepburn. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 5.9% 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 Eberys, 16.0 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 481 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 531 mm
- 76 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.6 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3461, 69 of 4,969 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.5% (123 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3461, 1,284 rooftop-solar systems totalling 7.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,680 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 66 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.
2 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3461 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 35, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in postcode 3461.
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 $639,000 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 2026-10-27 — 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 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 Hepburn?
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 631 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 Hepburn 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 Hepburn
Is Hepburn a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Hepburn is low (31/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Hepburn?
Hepburn has a high recorded bushfire history (83/100, 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 Hepburn a good place to live?
Hepburn has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (46/100), 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 Hepburn?
Hepburn, VIC had a population of 631 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Hepburn, VIC?
The postcode for Hepburn, VIC is 3461.
How far is Hepburn from Melbourne?
Hepburn is 116 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 94 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Hepburn?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Hepburn was $65,312 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 Hepburn?
There are too few current rental listings in Hepburn for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $350, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Hepburn?
The median age of residents in Hepburn was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Hepburn at risk of bushfire?
Hepburn has a high recorded bushfire history (83/100). 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 Hepburn?
There is 1 school inside the Hepburn boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Hepburn walkable?
Hepburn scores 29/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it 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 Hepburn?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Hepburn, Eberys (16 km away), 531 mm of rain a year over 76 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Hepburn?
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 Hepburn belong to?
Hepburn sits within the Hepburn local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Hepburn?
The average residential rates bill through Hepburn is $1,748 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Hepburn?
Across Hepburn, 104 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 5.9% 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 Hepburn in?
Hepburn 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.