Ironbark VIC 3550
Located in Victoria, Ironbark sits 151 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 50 minutes by car. The suburb has 1,163 residents, a median age of 41, and a median household income of $66,248 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb grew 6.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $275 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Ironbark is characterised by high bushfire risk and high crime risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Ironbark a good suburb?
Ironbark scores a C (38/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and prices, weaker on safety and community.
Mixed results
1 school
Very walkable
Walkability 77/100 · 151.3 km · 111 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $520K · More affordable than 77% of VIC
High bushfire risk
Fire 71/100 · Crime 68/100 · Flood 0/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 41 · 1,163 residents
Liveability Rating
38 / 100 · Ranked #608 in VICEach bar is Ironbark'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 Ironbark?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
38 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataIronbark's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $520,000, roughly 22% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$520,000
15% below its 4 neighbours (median $609,000)
Based on 46 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 11 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 16 sales $428K
- 3 bed 24 sales $540K
- 4 bed 5 sales $617K
Units
$339,200
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 5 sales $339K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Ironbark are currently listed at around $705,000 on average. Based on 11 houses listed in the past six months.
$705K
11 houses listed in the last 6 months.
13 of the suburb's 493 dwellings (2.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Ironbark rent for around $490 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$490/wk
7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
8 rentals advertised against an estimated 219 rented homes (3.7%) in the last 6 months.
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 3550.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$490/week ($25,000 a year) on a $705,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Ironbark safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Ironbark sits in the moderate band, with 82 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 4% on the prior year.
82 offences
3.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb 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 Ironbark, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 196 students in one school (avg 196)
Primary
Universities nearby
1.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Ironbark is very walkable on foot — at 77/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Ironbark.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 30.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 21.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 12.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 15.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Ironbark.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 43%
- Premises covered
- 676
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
Greater Bendigo: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Ironbark is home to about 1,200 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $66,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,163
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$66,248/yr
Census Median Rent
$275/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$36,192/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.7%
Total Dwellings
493
Owner-Occupier Rate
55.6%
Houses
86.2%
Rental Stress
21.6%
Mortgage Stress
23.5%
Work From Home
19.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
12 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 9 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 216 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.3%
- Employment Rate
- 54.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 43.5%
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.
54 residents (4.6%) 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.
6.8% of residents (76) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (66).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,114 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 (23 of 547).
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 $1,949 a year through Greater Bendigo based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 63%
- Parks and recreation 18%
- Infrastructure and transport 13%
- Commercial 4%
- Other and special use 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Greater Bendigo
In the year to August 2026, 885 new dwellings were approved across Greater Bendigo. That mix is 797 houses and 88 units. Approvals are up 28.0% 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 Castlemaine Prison, 36.3 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 251 m
- above sea level, at the suburb 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 suburb 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
9 facilities within 5 km- 1.5 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 2.1 kmRail Passenger TransportTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 2.5 kmMilk and Cream ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 2.6 kmTextile Floor Covering ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 3.2 kmOther Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 3550, 256 of 35,281 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.9% (1,011 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3550, 6,359 rooftop-solar systems totalling 41.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 18,930 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 369 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 3550 in 2025-26, rank 176 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 440, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
23 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 3550.
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 $520,000 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 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 suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Maree Edwards Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Maree Edwards ALP | 50.7% | 64.3% | 35.6% |
| 2018 | Maree Edwards ALP | 53.5% | 68.5% | 31.4% |
| 2014 | Maree Edwards ALP | 50.4% | 62.2% | 37.8% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Ironbark?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 1,163 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.
Featured in
- #2 in Bendigo suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #2 in Bendigo suburbs that suit young professionals
- #3 in Most walkable suburbs in Bendigo
- #5 in Best Bendigo suburbs to rent in
- #5 in Bendigo suburbs with the best public transport
- #8 in Bendigo suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #9 in Bendigo suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
- #11 in Bendigo suburbs that grew fastest, 2016-2021
- #11 in Best Bendigo suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #11 in The safest suburbs in Bendigo
- #12 in The most liveable suburbs in Bendigo
- #13 in Bendigo suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
Nearby suburbs
Compare Ironbark 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 Ironbark
Is Ironbark a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Ironbark is moderate (68/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Ironbark?
Ironbark has a high recorded bushfire history (71/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Ironbark a good place to live?
Ironbark has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (38/100), 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 Ironbark?
Ironbark, VIC had a population of 1,163 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Ironbark, VIC?
The postcode for Ironbark, VIC is 3550.
How far is Ironbark from Melbourne?
Ironbark is 151 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 111 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Ironbark?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Ironbark was $66,248 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 Ironbark?
The median advertised rent in Ironbark is $490 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Ironbark?
The median age of residents in Ironbark was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Ironbark at risk of bushfire?
Ironbark has a high recorded bushfire history (71/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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 Ironbark?
There is 1 school inside the Ironbark boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Ironbark walkable?
Ironbark scores 77/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. 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 Ironbark?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Ironbark, Castlemaine Prison (36.3 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 Ironbark?
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 Ironbark belong to?
Ironbark sits within the Greater Bendigo local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Ironbark?
The average residential rates bill through Greater Bendigo is $1,949 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Ironbark?
Across Greater Bendigo, 885 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 28.0% 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 Ironbark in?
Ironbark sits within the federal Division of Bendigo, currently held by Lisa Chesters (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
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.