Hillside sits 274 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 3 hours 20 minutes by car. Census data records 290 residents with a median age of 39 and a median household income of $97,500 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality grew 50.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $385 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,600. Hillside is characterised by high flood risk and high bushfire risk. Of 3 schools within the locality boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and 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 290. 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 Hillside?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Hillside sits at $780,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only three sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$780,000
Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025104 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3875.
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.
Is Hillside safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Hillside sits in the moderate band, with 11 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 8% on the prior year.
11 offences
8.3% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 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
Three schools serve Hillside, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below.
Walkability
Hillside 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 Hillside.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 27%
- Premises covered
- 171
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
East Gippsland: 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
Hillside is home to 290 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $98,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
290
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$97,500/yr
Census Median Rent
$385/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,600/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$44,616/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.5%
Total Dwellings
104
Owner-Occupier Rate
91.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
20.5%
Mortgage Stress
19.7%
Work From Home
23.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 92.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 94.8%
- Employment Rate
- 73.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,807 a year through East Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 96%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
- Parks and recreation 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: East Gippsland
In the year to August 2026, 386 new dwellings were approved across East Gippsland. That mix is 362 houses and 24 units. Approvals are up 50.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
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 Bairnsdale Airport, 6.4 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 40 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 24.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 620 mm
- 82 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.5°C
- 8 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.5°C
- 7 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.4 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3875, 95 of 19,447 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.5% (298 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3875, 4,072 rooftop-solar systems totalling 26.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 8,719 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 258 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.
16 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3875 in 2025-26, rank 59 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 191, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
6 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 3875.
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 $780,000 this is $30,000 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 Darren Chester The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Darren Chester | 30.6% | 69.4% | +1.2 |
| 2022 | Darren Chester | 29.4% | 70.6% | +3.9 |
| 2019 | Darren Chester | 33.3% | 66.7% | -1.5 |
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 Tim Bull The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tim Bull NP | 63.3% | 26.1% | 73.9% |
| 2018 | Tim Bull NP | 56.7% | 32.4% | 67.6% |
| 2014 | Tim Bull NP | 60.4% | 32.1% | 67.9% |
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 Hillside?
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 290 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
Bairnsdale VIC 3875
Wy Yung VIC 3875
Lindenow VIC 3865
Lindenow South VIC 3875
Calulu VIC 3875
Goon Nure VIC 3875
Compare Hillside 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 Hillside
Is Hillside a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Hillside is moderate (56/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Hillside?
Hillside has a moderate recorded bushfire history (61/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (70/100). Part of it sits inside an aircraft noise contour. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Hillside?
Hillside, VIC had a population of 290 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Hillside, VIC?
The postcode for Hillside, VIC is 3875.
How far is Hillside from Melbourne?
Hillside is 274 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 199 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Hillside?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Hillside was $97,500 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 Hillside?
There are too few current rental listings in Hillside for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $385, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Hillside?
The median age of residents in Hillside was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Hillside at risk of bushfire?
Hillside has a moderate recorded bushfire history (61/100). 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 Hillside?
There are 3 schools inside the Hillside boundary: 2 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
What is the weather like in Hillside?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Hillside, Bairnsdale Airport (6.4 km away), summer days average 25.5°C, winter nights 4.5°C, 620 mm of rain a year over 82 rainy days, and 8 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Hillside?
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 Hillside belong to?
Hillside sits within the East Gippsland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Hillside?
The average residential rates bill through East Gippsland is $1,807 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Hillside?
Across East Gippsland, 386 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 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 Hillside in?
Hillside sits within the federal Division of Gippsland, currently held by Darren Chester (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.