Located in Victoria, Lake Charm sits 299 km from Melbourne CBD, around 3 hours 25 minutes by car. The locality has 147 residents, a median age of 55, and a median household income of $68,692 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality fell 12.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $188 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $879. Lake Charm is characterised by high flood risk. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, 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 147. 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 Lake Charm?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Is Lake Charm safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Lake Charm sits in the moderate band, with 5 incidents recorded in 2026.
5 offences
no change since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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
One school serves Lake Charm, but none have published comparable ratings yet.
Primary
Walkability
Lake Charm 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 Lake Charm.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 51
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
Gannawarra: 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
Lake Charm is home to 147 residents, with a median age of 55 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $69,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
147
Median Age
55
Median Household Income
$68,692/yr
Census Median Rent
$188/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$879/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$33,020/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.4%
Total Dwellings
54
Owner-Occupier Rate
81.4%
Houses
94.4%
Rental Stress
14.2%
Mortgage Stress
15.4%
Work From Home
19.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 86.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 92.5%
- Employment Rate
- 51.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.2%
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 $1,855 a year through Gannawarra based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 75%
- Parks and recreation 24%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Proposed rezonings
- Farming Zone → Public Conservation and Resource Zone · C48gann, exhibited Aug 2026 61.0 ha
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: Gannawarra
In the year to August 2026, 19 new dwellings were approved across Gannawarra. That mix is 15 houses and 4 units.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
No Registered Aboriginal Party is appointed for this area. About an eighth of Victoria, mostly in the north-east, has no appointment; that is a fact about the register rather than about the Country.
Climate & Setting
from Kerang, 20.0 kmDry climate — very hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 72 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 364 mm
- 54 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 32.1°C
- 34 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.5°C
- 6 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 3581, 0 of 238 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.3% (3 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.3%.
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 3581 in 2025-26. The most was 5, in 2002-03.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Anne Webster The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | -0.1 |
| 2022 | Anne Webster | 31.0% | 69.0% | +3.3 |
| 2019 | Anne Webster | 33.8% | 66.2% | -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 Peter Walsh The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Peter Walsh NP | 61.8% | 27.1% | 72.9% |
| 2018 | Peter Walsh NP | 60.3% | 26.1% | 74.0% |
| 2014 | Peter Walsh NP | 63.3% | 27.6% | 72.4% |
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 Lake Charm?
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 147 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 Lake Charm 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 Lake Charm
Is Lake Charm a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Lake Charm is moderate (54/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Lake Charm?
Lake Charm has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (95/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Lake Charm?
Lake Charm, VIC had a population of 147 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Lake Charm, VIC?
The postcode for Lake Charm, VIC is 3581.
How far is Lake Charm from Melbourne?
Lake Charm is 299 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 206 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Lake Charm?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Lake Charm was $68,692 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 Lake Charm?
There are too few current rental listings in Lake Charm for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $188, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Lake Charm?
The median age of residents in Lake Charm was 55 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Lake Charm at risk of bushfire?
Lake Charm has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100). 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 Lake Charm?
There is 1 school inside the Lake Charm boundary, none of which has enough NAPLAN and ICSEA data for a quality band.
What is the weather like in Lake Charm?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Lake Charm, Kerang (20 km away), summer days average 32.1°C, winter nights 4.5°C, 364 mm of rain a year over 54 rainy days, and 34 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Lake Charm?
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 Lake Charm belong to?
Lake Charm sits within the Gannawarra local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Lake Charm?
The average residential rates bill through Gannawarra is $1,855 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Lake Charm?
Across Gannawarra, 19 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Lake Charm in?
Lake Charm sits within the federal Division of Mallee, currently held by Anne Webster (The Nationals).
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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.
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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.