Hotham Heights VIC 3741
Hotham Heights is a rural locality in Victoria, 382 km from Melbourne CBD, around 4 hours 50 minutes by car. Population is 128; the median age is 30 and the median household income is $109,564 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population fell 34.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $470 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $834. The area shows high bushfire 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 128. 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 Hotham Heights?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
…
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025109 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3741.
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 Hotham Heights safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Hotham Heights sits in the low band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
2 offences
100.0% since 2017Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20256 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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
Hotham Heights is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the locality there are 1 supermarket, 2 parks and 6 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
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 Hotham Heights.
- 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
Alpine: 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
Hotham Heights is home to 128 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 30 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $110,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
128
Median Age
30
Median Household Income
$109,564/yr
Census Median Rent
$470/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$834/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$50,076/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
422.2%
Total Dwellings
36
Owner-Occupier Rate
51.5%
Houses
0.0%
Rental Stress
22.3%
Mortgage Stress
9.1%
Work From Home
15.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 68.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 71.9%
- Employment Rate
- 74.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 58.6%
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 $1,945 a year through Alpine based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 95%
- Environmental 3%
- Other and special use 2%
Proposed rezonings
- Comprehensive Development Zone → Special Use Zone · C30alpr, exhibited Sep 2026 624.8 ha
- Transport Zone 2 → Special Use Zone · C30alpr, exhibited Sep 2026 0.5 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: Alpine
In the year to August 2026, 32 new dwellings were approved across Alpine. That mix is 28 houses and 4 units. Approvals are down 41.7% 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 Mount Hotham, 4.4 kmHigh rainfall — mild summers, frosty winters.
- Elevation
- 1,382 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 1,604 mm
- 125 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 16.0°C
- 0 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- -3.3°C
- 149 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 3741, 35 of 3,297 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (67 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3741, 919 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,056 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 67 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 3741 in 2025-26. The most was 17, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Helen Haines Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Helen Haines | 43.3% | 56.7% | -1.4 |
| 2022 | Helen Haines | 44.7% | 55.3% | -7.5 |
| 2019 | Helen Haines | 37.3% | 62.7% | +7.7 |
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 McCurdy The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tim McCurdy NP | 52.1% | 32.0% | 68.0% |
| 2018 | Tim McCurdy NP | 51.9% | 37.4% | 62.6% |
| 2014 | Tim McCurdy NP | 55.5% | 33.4% | 66.6% |
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 Hotham Heights?
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 128 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
Tawonga South VIC 3698
Harrietville VIC 3741
Falls Creek VIC 3699
Dinner Plain VIC 3898
Dargo VIC 3862
Smoko VIC 3741
Compare Hotham Heights 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 Hotham Heights
Is Hotham Heights a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Hotham Heights is low (11/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Hotham Heights?
Hotham Heights has a high recorded bushfire history (94/100, 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 Hotham Heights?
Hotham Heights, VIC had a population of 128 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Hotham Heights, VIC?
The postcode for Hotham Heights, VIC is 3741.
How far is Hotham Heights from Melbourne?
Hotham Heights is 382 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 292 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Hotham Heights?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Hotham Heights was $109,564 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 Hotham Heights?
There are too few current rental listings in Hotham Heights for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $470, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Hotham Heights?
The median age of residents in Hotham Heights was 30 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Hotham Heights at risk of bushfire?
Hotham Heights has a high recorded bushfire history (94/100). 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 Hotham Heights?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Hotham Heights, Mount Hotham (4.4 km away), summer days average 16°C, winter nights -3.3°C, 1,604 mm of rain a year over 125 rainy days, and 0 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Hotham Heights?
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 Hotham Heights belong to?
Hotham Heights sits within the Alpine local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Hotham Heights?
The average residential rates bill through Alpine is $1,945 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Hotham Heights?
Across Alpine, 32 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 41.7% 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 Hotham Heights in?
Hotham Heights sits within the federal Division of Indi, currently held by Helen Haines (Independent).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.